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Criminal Justice 204: Courts & Criminal Law

Jon'a Meyer, Ph.D.                                                                                            Armitage 362, 225-6207
Office Hours: T-Th 1-3, & by appt.

TEXT: Neubauer, D. (1999). America's Courts and the Criminal Justice System, (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

PARTICIPATION: Please complete the reading assignments before coming to class because there will be daily discussion of the material. Participation in these discussions will be considered part of your grade. Everyone will be expected to participate in the discussion. If you wish, you may bring a relevant news article related to the class material to share with the class for extra credit points.

EXAMS: There will be four exams, each worth 25 points. Please arrange for makeup examinations prior to the date of the test. The examinations will cover lecture and discussion materials, any films presented, and reading assignments.

ASSIGNMENT #1: Reading questions to help you prepare for the class discussions and exams are assigned for each chapter (see the "Files" page on the listserve to get a complete list of the questions for the course; the listserve is discussed below). Your answers should be ready to turn in at the beginning of class on Tuesday, and should be typed or neatly handwritten. You will not receive full credit for answers merely copied from the readings because such answers will do little to help prepare you for the exams. The questions and answers will be discussed during class.

ASSIGNMENT #2: At least once a week, I will email a question to the class listserve (click here to sign up). You need only respond to 10 postings and will post your responses to the listserve. Please do not post your replies to the department listserve as it annoys the listkeeper and all the listmembers. The floor rules for the listserve are that there is to be no flaming, no inappropriate material (e.g., profanity, slurs, etc.), and no forwarding of messages without the original author's permission. In other words, this is a confidential listserve. It is hosted by eGroups without cost.

ASSIGNMENT #3: Research shows that we remember 10% of what we read, but 95% of what we teach. For this assignment, then, you will create a computerized lesson to teach an issue from the course text (relax, we will cover the use of Powerpoint during class). After signing up for a chapter, you will need read your chapter and select an issue you feel is important or needs to be re-emphasized. You will then distill the material down to include only the most important information and pair the text with effective graphics to teach your classmates about your issue. You will NOT need to actually lecture. You may show your lesson during the week before the exam corresponding to your material or during the final exam period. While more than one person may be assigned to a chapter, each must select an independent topic.

ASSIGNMENT #4:  The good, the bad, and the ugly: Media depiction of courtroom processes

Courtroom docudramas are familiar to most Americans and may form the basis of their information about the courts. Unfortunately, legal docudramas like Perry Mason are more entertainment than education, meaning that they often mislead the public about what really happens in the courts. This is not to downplay the value of Perry Mason and his fellow television attorneys. Together, they generate and maintain interest in the courts and it may be shows like Law & Order or The Practice or Judging Amy that sparked your interest in knowing more about the courts.

This assignment will involve watching one or more televised docudramas and  comparing them to "reality" as reflected in the course text and lecture material. First, find a partner (if you wish to work alone, that is also fine). Then, each watch a different episode from the same show (e.g., student #1 may watch this week's episode of Matlock while his partner will watch next week's episode). If possible, watch both episodes so you and your partner will be able to compare notes. I will pass around a sign-up sheet during class so people can sign up for different shows. Then, describe what happened using as much detail as you can, writing down what was said and done. This information will serve as the basis for and add context to your report.

Then, work together to complete a report which will be shared with the class via the Internet. Include:

• The show name, episode title(s), date(s) of airing, general description of the show, summary of the episode(s) you watched
• Real-life description of the depicted court and its jurisdiction: geographic, subject matter (e.g., misdemeanors, civil suits, etc), and hierarchical (you will have to hit the Net or the library to get the real-life info). If it's a fake jurisdiction, see me and I'll help you find a suitable replacement
• Real-life caseload and type of cases compared to the caseload and type of cases depicted in the media
• Real-life percentage of jury trials compared to your estimate of jury trials based on the media depiction
• Any other real-life facts about the court you think might make your report more interesting

• Which of the thirteen stages in the criminal court trial process were depicted in the media (e.g., decision to prosecute, pre-trial motions, trial itself, sentencing, etc)? How accurately were the stages depicted? Which of the thirteen stages were not depicted?
• About how many spectators attended the trial, if there was a trial?
• How adversarial was the process depicted in the media? How did the attorneys "do battle" or "cooperate"?
• Who were the major players in the decision-making depicted in the media?
• What was the role of plea-bargaining in the show you watched? What bargains were offered and why were they accepted or rejected?
• How much of the decision-making went on "behind closed doors"? What does the class text say about this issue?
• Did the show depict cooperation between multiple agencies (e.g., police and courts)? How often did you see or hear about the following individuals during the show: prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, jurors, victims, prosecution witnesses, defense witnesses, defendants, police, bail bondsmen, and others (use this scale: never, seldom, sometimes, a lot). Which of the above individuals were depicted favorably? Unfavorably?
• Which of Packer's models did the police officer, prosecutor, defense attorney, judge, and other characters lean towards? If you had to classify the court as a whole, which way did it lean?
• Did the legal processes depicted involve any discrimination? Were there any potentially unethical activities (e.g., attorney conflicts of interest)?
• What were the outcomes of the shows (e.g., what were the verdicts in the cases)? Did the outcomes seem reasonable to you, based on the class material?
• Were the two shows similar regarding the answers to the above questions? How did they differ? Why do you think the shows differed/were similar?

• five items or issues that were accurately depicted according to the class text and lecture material (e.g., one Judging Amy episode I watched depicted the isolation felt by a female juvenile court judge who had been charged with an ethics violation. The isolation felt by judges is sometimes overwhelming and contributes to judicial burnout. Isolated is tied to the requirement that judges avoid doing things which could bias them or create an appearance of bias. For this reason, they tend to avoid joining citizens groups such as the NRA (National Rifle Association). Unfortunately, avoiding potentially biasing actions also isolates judges from their friends and communities. Those who had prior legal careers find that they must discontinue close friendships with former colleagues lest they appear to be inappropriate, which may have been why Judge Amy was charged with an ethics violation. Sometimes, maintaining friendships with lawyers can get judges into hot water. Every year, judges are formally disciplined with advisory letters when it becomes known that they had social relationships with attorneys in their courts. Judges who were former prosecutors, which is a popular path to take towards judgeships, must sever ties with law enforcement officials with whom they may have become friends.)
• three items or issues that were incorrectly depicted according to the class text and lecture material (e.g., the same Judging Amy episode depicted the defense attorney telling a juvenile client not to share his version of a crime with the judge. This is preposterous; there is great emphasis on the defendant's version of the events when arguing the presence of mitigating circumstances, especially in juvenile court at the sentencing phase. In the end, the youth told the judge that his mother had threatened to kill herself and he didn't want her to find the family gun. A teacher had told the boy he could come to him if he needed help, so he brought the firearm to school and told his teacher it was in his locker. The teacher reported the gun to the principle, the system got rolling, and the prosecutor wanted to max him out in prison under the school's zero-tolerance policy, although he didn't have so much as a prior parking violation. The boy ended up with a probation sentence and I ended up with an example of an incorrect depiction for my report.)
• two items or issues that showed the weaknesses of the courts or the courts as improper forums for conflict resolution, that is, compare the goals of court systems in general to the processes you have seen (e.g., the Judging Amy episode demonstrated that the courts' focus on evidence and actions without considering the youth's important motive could have easily led to what some would label a miscarriage of justice).

 

 
 
 
 
 

In your opinion, how accurate was the show you watched? Would you recommend that others watch this show to learn about the courts or should they consider it more entertainment?

GRADES: There are a total of 200 points available in this class. Grades will be based on the total points for the semester, using the standard 90% = A, 80% = B, etc. scale.
      exams =           100 pts
      assign #1 =         20 pts
      assign #2 =         20 pts
      assign #3 =         20 pts
      assign #4 =         25 pts
      assign #5 =          5 pts (1.25 pts per quarter)
      participation =    10 pts
      TOTAL =        200 pts

EXTRA POINTS: Each week you may email me (at my camden.rutgers.edu address listed at the top of this page) a multiple choice question for possible inclusion on the exam. The question should be from the readings assigned for that week and must be emailed by Monday afternoon. Each question is worth 1/2 point of extra credit.

OTHER: Students are responsible for knowing the regulations of the department, college, and university with regards to topics such as withdrawals, academic misconduct (those who engage in any form of academic dishonesty will fail this course), incomplete grades, and so on.

If you have a disability that might interfere with your performance or safety in this class, please speak confidentially with me, or call the Disabled Student programs office, and/or the ADA Coordinator. I am willing to make any concessions the Disabled Student services office recommends in order to make your experience in my class a rewarding and meaningful experience.

HOLIDAYS: There are probably as many sacred days as there are people. If your faith celebrates holidays on any day that an assignment is due or an exam is given, and you wish to observe that holiday, you may do so. You must notify me within the first two weeks of class so that I may schedule late examinations or extend paper due dates for you. If you do not notify me within that time period, I must assume that the dates listed on this syllabus are acceptable to you. Please reconcile the syllabus with your own personal schedule and get back to me if necessary.

COURSE OUTLINE

Please complete the reading assignments before coming to class.

Wks 1-3:         Intro and Part I (chaps 1-4)                            The Legal System
2/1 :                Exam #1 & Journals (part 1) turned in

Wks 4-7:         Part II (chaps 5-9)                                         Legal Actors
3/1:                 Exam #2 & Journals (part 2) turned in

Wks 8-11:       Part III (chaps 10-13)                                     Processing the Accused
3/29 (wk10):   Printed version of Assignment 3 (computerized lesson) due
4/5:                 Exam #3 & Journals (part 3) turned in

Wks 12-14:    Parts III/IV/V (chaps 14, 15, 18)                     "/Sentencing/Specialized Courts
4/26 (wk14):  Assignment 4 (final paper) due, posted to class webpage
4/24:              Showing of lessons not shown during term (assignment #3)

Final exam: Exam #4 & Journals (part 4) turned in
                 5/8/01, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

1. What are the three major components of the CJ system? Do they make up a "smoothly functioning and internally consistent organization"?
2. What does the public feel about the courts?
3. Briefly describe the two models developed by Herbert Packer.
4. Briefly describe the 13 steps of criminal justice procedure.

date updated 1/15/00