CRIJ 1310 0380 - FUNDAMENTALS OF CRIMINAL LAW

Introduction

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Fundamentals of Criminal Law

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:

Fundamentals of Criminal Law

Course Prefix & Number: 

CRIJ1310

Section Number: 

310

Semester/Year:

Spring 21

Semester Credit Hours:

3

Lecture Hours:

3

Lab Hours:

0

Course Description (NCTC Catalog): A study of the nature of criminal law; philosophical and historical development; major definitions and concepts; classification of crime; elements of crimes and penalties using Texas status as illustrations.

 

Course Prerequisite(s): NONE

Required Course Materials: Samaha. , J. (2016). Criminal Law. (12th Ed) Wadsworth: Cengage Learning with MindTap (Required).

Warning: If you choose to use a different edition, you do so at your own risk. Using a different edition may affect your performance in this class.
             

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:

 Cliff J. Downey

Campus/Office Location:

 Gainesville/ Room 2107

Telephone Number:

 940-668-3313 (office)  940-220-6307 (Google)

E-mail Address:

 cdowney@nctc.edu (This will be our primary method of communications.)

OFFICE HOURS

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

1 pm - 5 pm

WebEx

1 pm - 5 pm

WebEx

1pm - 5 pm

WebEx

1 pm - 5 pm

WebEx

  

 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.

Identify the elements of crimes and defenses under Texas statutes, Model Penal Code, and case law.

2.

Classify offenses and articulate penalties for various crimes.

3.

Compare culpable mental states when assigning criminal responsibility.

4.

Assess the impact of history and philosophy on current criminal laws.

5.

Evaluate the application of criminal law to other areas of criminal justice such as law enforcement and corrections.

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements

Graded Course Elements

  Point Values

5

Exams

500 (5 @ 100 pts each)

12

Discussion Forums

120 ( 12 @ 10 points each)

10

Quizzes

100 (10 @ 10 points each)

13

Chapter Videos

65 (13 @ 5 points each)

1

Writing Assignment

15 ( 1@ 15 points)

1

Final Project

100 points

 

Grading Scale-900 Points

 

810-900    A

720-809    B

630-719    C

540-629    D

539 and Below-F

 

CANVAS TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Should you experience difficulties with CANVAS, please submit a ticket to tech support at http://nctcecampus.zendesk.com.  Each student has a profile in Canvas which displays all activity.  There is a visible log being kept with when you log in and what you are doing.  It is very important that you work for a reliable computer to avoid technical issues with assessments.

Class Agreement Assignment

You are required to complete a class agreement assignment.  Completing the quiz ensures that you have read the syllabus and fully understand everything that is required of you.  Upon completing the quiz, you will receive 5 bonus points.  However, if you send an email asking a question that is answered in your syllabus you will lose your 5 bonus points.  Before sending an email asking a question, please read your syllabus. This will be the only bonus assignment for the semester!!

Class Calendar

It is important that you log in at least 3-4 days a week to be successful in this class. Logging in only once a week may result in you missing important announcements or changes. Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s would be suggested days, however, I suggest you check your email daily.

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

 

Week 1 January 19th 8:00 a.m.–January 24th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Complete Mandatory Learning Outcome Assignment
  2. Complete Class Agreement Assignment (bonus)
  3. Introduce Yourself Discussion Post (Mandatory)

Module #1

Week 2 January 19th 8:00 a.m.- January 24th  11:00 p.m.
  1. Read Chapter 1
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 1 Case Video  
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #1 (Chapter 1)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #1 (Chapter 1)

Module 1 (Cont.)

Week 1 January 19th 8:00 a.m. –January 24th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 2
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 2 Case Video  
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #2 (Chapter 2)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #2 (Chapter 2)
  8. Complete Exam #1 (chapters 1 & 2)

 

Module 2

Week 2 January 25th 11th 8:00 a.m. - January 31st 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 3
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 3 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #3 (Chapter 3)
  7. Quiz #3 (Chapter 3)

Module 2 (cont.)

Week 5 January 25th 8:00 a.m.-January 31st 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 4
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 4 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #4 (Chapter 4)
  7. Quiz #4 (Chapter 4)
  8. Writing Assignment Due

Module 3

Week 3  February 1st 8:00 a.m.- February 7th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 5
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 5 Case Video   
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #5 (Chapter 5)
  7. Complete Exam #2 (Chapters 3, 4 and 5)

 

Module 3 (cont.)

Week 4  February 1st 8:00 a.m.-February 7th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 6
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 6 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post # 6 (Chapter 6)  
 

     

 

Module 3 (cont.)

February 1st 8:00 a.m. - February 7th 11:00 p.m.

 

 
  1. Continue Reading Chapter 6
  2. Review power point presentation
  3. Quiz #5 (Chapter 6)

 

Module 4

Week 4 February 8th 8:00 a.m.-February 14,  11:00 p.m.
  1. Read Chapter 7
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 7 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #6 (Chapter 7)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #7 (Chapter 7)
  8. Final Project Due

Module 4 (cont.)

Week 10 February 8th 8:00 a.m.-February 14th  11:00 p.m.
  1. Read Chapter 8
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 8 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation  
  6. Quiz #7 (Chapter 8)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #8 (Chapter 8)
  8. Complete Exam #3 (Chapters 6, 7 and 8)

Module 5

Week 5 February 8th 8:00 a.m.- February 14th  11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 9
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 9 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #9 (Chapter 9)
  7. Quiz #8 (Chapter 9)

Module 5 (cont.)

Week 5 February 8th 8:00 a.m.-February 14th 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 10
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 10 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #10 (Chapter 10)

Module 6

Week 6 February 15th 8:00 a.m.- February 21 11:00 p.m.

 
  1. Read Chapter 11
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 11 Case Video  
  5. Review power point presentation 
  6. Quiz #9 (Chapter 11)
  7. Answer Discussion Post #11 (Chapter 11)
  8. Complete Exam #4 (Chapters 9, 10 and 11)

Module 6 (cont.)

Week 6 February 15th 8:00 a.m.-  February 21st  11:00 p.m.
  1. Read Chapter 12
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 12 Case Video    
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Answer Discussion Post #12 (Chapter 12)

Module 7 (cont.)

Week 8 February 22nd 8:00am – March 8th 11:00pm
  1. Reading Chapter 13
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Visual Summary
  4. Chapter 13 Case Video   
  5. Review power point presentation
  6. Quiz #10 (Chapter 13)

Module 8

Week 8 March 8th 8:00am – March 12th 11:00pm
  1. Complete Exam #5 (Chapters 12 & 13)

 

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is _April 5th, 2021____.

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

If you feel you have needs for services that the institution provides, please reach out to either Wayne Smith (940) 498-6207 or Yvonne Sandman (940) 668-4321.  Alternative students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)________          

 

o        Communication

o        Mathematics             

o        Life and Physical Science

o        Language, Philosophy & Culture

o        Creative Arts

o        American History

 

o        Government/Political Science

x        Social and Behavioral Sciences

o        Component Area Option

 

 

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

 

x          Critical Thinking

x          Communication

o           Empirical and Quantitative

 

o           Teamwork

x          Personal Responsibility

o           Social Responsibility

 

COURSE TYPE

x          Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

o        Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

o        WECM Course

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”. 

 

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

  • First offense you will receive a written warning
  • Second offense you will be dropped from the course

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Name of Chair/Coordinator:

Dr. Cherly Furdge

Office Location:

Corinth Campus Suite 239 office 234

Telephone Number:

940-498-6238

E-mail Address:

cfurdge@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean:

Debbie Huffman

Office Location:

Gainesville Career and Technical Center

Telephone Number:

940-668-3357

E-mail Address:

dhuffman@nctc.edu