Criminal Law and the Courts
CRM 260-301
Fall 2014
Instructor:
Email:
Office Phone:
Office Hours:
Office Location:
Jamie Pamela Rasmussen, J.D.
JamiePRasmussen@MissouriState.edu
417.836.6544
Monday and Wednesday,5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
By appointment
Strong Hall Room 235
Class Meetings:
Monday and Wednesday 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Strong Hall Room 202
Textbook:
Sue Titus Reid. Criminal Law: The Essentials.2nded. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2013.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students should be able to recognize the various
procedural stages of a criminal case, explain common defenses to criminal liability,
and explain the elements of each of the major types of crimes. Additionally,
students should, through course activities and discussions, begin to develop the
skills necessary to think critically about current criminal law practice in the United
States and to communicate their understanding of criminal law both in writing and
verbally.
Course Structure and Expectations:
Learning in the course will be accomplished through a combination of reading
assignments, lectures, classroom discussion, written assignments, and in-class
examinations. Students are expected to have read any assigned materials prior to
class to effectively participate in this process. Written assignments should be
prepared and turned into the instructor at the beginning of the class period in
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which they are due. Specific expectations for exams and other assignments will be
discussed during class.
Grade Breakdown:
One mid-term exam (100 points)
Four quizzes (25 points each)
ThreeWritten Activities (25 points each)
One Case Exercise (10 points)
One Oral Presentation (15 points)
One final exam (100 points)
Total points
100 points
100 points
75 points
10 points
15 points
100 points
400 points
General Policies:
Emergency response statement
Students who require assistance during an emergency evacuation must discuss
their needs with their professors and the Disability Resource Center. If you have
emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special
arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment
with me as soon as possible.
For additional information students should contact the Disability Resource Center,
(417) 836-4192 (PSU 405).
For further information on Missouri State University’s Emergency Response Plan,
please refer to the following web site:
http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/erp.htm.
Statement of nondiscrimination
Missouri State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution,
and maintains a grievance procedure available to any person who believes he or she
has been discriminated against. At all times, it is your right to address inquiries or
concerns about possible discrimination to the Office for Equity and Diversity, Park
Central Office Building, 117 Park Central Square, Suite 111, (417) 836-4252. Other
types of concerns (i.e., concerns of an academic nature) should be discussed directly
with your instructor and can also be brought to the attention of your instructor’s
Department Head. Please visit the OED website at www.missouristate.edu/equity.
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Disability accommodation
To request academic accommodations for a disability, contact the Director of the
Disability Resource Center, Plaster Student Union, Suite 405, (417) 836-4192 or
(417) 836-6792, www.missouristate.edu/disability. Students are required to provide
documentation of disability to the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving
accommodations.
The Disability Resource Center refers some types of
accommodation requests to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, which also provides
diagnostic testing for learning and psychological disabilities. For information about
testing, contact the Director of the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, (417) 836-4787,
http://psychology.missouristate.edu/ldc.
Academic dishonesty
Missouri State University is a community of scholars committed to developing
educated persons who accept the responsibility to practice personal and academic
integrity. You are responsible for knowing and following the university’s student
honor code, Student Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures, available at
www.missouristate.edu/policy/academicintegritystudents.htm and also available at
the Reserves Desk in Meyer Library. Any student participating in any form of
academic dishonesty will be subject to sanctions as described in this policy.
Attendance
Attendance will be recorded for each class meeting following the add/drop period.If
a student knows that he or she will be missing a class, he or she should speak with
the instructor prior to the missed class to determine what makeup work is needed.
Makeup work for emergency absences will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Dropping a class
It is your responsibility to understand the university’s procedure for dropping a
class. If you stop attending this class but do not follow proper procedure for
dropping the class, you will receive a failing grade and will also be financially
obligated to pay for the class. For information about dropping a class or
withdrawing from the university, contact the Office of the Registrar at (417) 8365520.
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Cell phones
As a member of the learning community, each student has a responsibility to other
students who are members of the community. When cell phones or pagers ring and
students respond in class or leave class to respond, it disrupts the class. Therefore,
the Office of the Provost prohibits the use by students of cell phones, pagers, PDAs,
or similar communication devices during scheduled classes. All such devices must
be turned off or put in a silent (vibrate) mode and ordinarily should not be taken out
during class. Given that these same communication devices are an integral part of
the university’s emergency notification system, an exception to this policy would
occur when numerous devices activate simultaneously. When this occurs, students
may consult their devices to determine if a university emergency exists. If that is
not the case, the devices should be immediately returned to silent mode and put
away. Other exceptions to this policy may be granted at the discretion of the
instructor.
Emergency response plan
At the first class meeting, students should become familiar with a basic emergency
response plan through a dialogue with the instructor that includes a review and
awareness of exits specific to the classroom and the location of evacuation centers
for the building. All instructors are provided this information specific to their
classroom and/or lab assignments in an e-mail prior to the beginning of the fall
semester from the Office of the Provost and Safety and Transportation. Students
with disabilities impacting mobility should discuss the approved accommodations
for emergency situations and additional options when applicable with the
instructor.
For more information, go to http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/51597.htm and
http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/erp.htm.
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Course Calendar:
Week 1: Introduction to the Law
Class Meetings:
Monday, August 18
Wednesday, August 20
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 1, pp. 1-18
Week 2: Introduction to the Courts
Class Meetings:
Monday, August 25
Wednesday, August 27
Reading Assignment:
Courts handout
Week 3: Quiz 1
Class Meeting:
Wednesday, September 3
Graded Activity:
Quiz 1 onWednesday, September 3
Week 4: Sentencing
Class Meetings:
Monday, September 8
Wednesday, September 10
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 11, pp. 253-280
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Week 5: Post-Conviction Remedies
Class Meetings:
Monday, September 15
Wednesday, September 17
Reading Assignment:
Post-conviction handout
Graded Activity:
Writing Assignment 1 due on Wednesday, September 17
Week 6: The Elements of the Crime
Class Meetings:
Monday, September 22
Wednesday, September 24
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 2, pp. 25-38
Graded Activity:
Quiz 2 on Monday, September 22
Week 7: Parties to the Crime and Anticipatory Offenses
Class Meetings:
Monday, September 29
Wednesday, October 1
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 3, pp. 39-57
Week 8: Midterm
Class Meetings:
Monday, October 6
Wednesday, October 8
Graded Activity:
Midterm Exam on Wednesday, October 8
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Week 9: Homicide
Class Meetings:
Monday, October 13
Wednesday, October 15
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 5, pp. 90-109
Writing Assignment Two Handout
Week 10: Defenses
Class Meetings:
Monday, October 20
Wednesday, October 22
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 4, pp. 58-88
Week 11: Other Crimes Against the Person
Class Meetings:
Monday, October 27
Wednesday, October 29
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 6, pp. 110-111
Graded Activity:
Quiz 3 on Monday, March 31
Week 12: Crimes Against Property
Class Meetings:
Monday, November 3
Wednesday, November 5
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 7, pp. 141-171
Graded Activity:
Quiz 3 on Wednesday, November 5
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Week 13: Drug Crimes
Class Meetings:
Monday, November 10
Wednesday, November 12
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 10, pp. 221-249
Graded Activity:
Case Exercise Due on Monday, November 10
Week 14: Driving While Intoxicated
Class Meetings:
Monday, November 17
Wednesday, November 19
Reading Assignment:
DWI handout
Graded Activity:
Quiz 4 on Wednesday, November 19
Week 15: Crimes Against Government
Class Meetings:
Monday, November 24
Reading Assignment:
Text, Chapter 9, pp. 199-209
Week 16: Review
Class Meetings:
Monday, December 1
Wednesday, December 3
Graded Activity:
Writing Assignment 3 due on Wednesday, December 3
Oral Presentations on Wednesday, December 3
Final: Monday, December 8, 8:00 p.m.
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