Instructor W. Bruce Johnson, Ph.D. Criminal Justice Faculty Northeast College/Northline Campus Room 320 713-718-2446 william.johnson@hccs.edu SYLLABUS CRIJ 1306/ Fall 2017 Court Systems and Practices/ CRN 31920 Office Hours Mondays/Wednesdays: 9:00 am 9:30 am; 12:30 pm 1:00 pm Tuesdays/Thursdays: 9:00 am 9:30 am; 12:30 am 1:00 pm Course Prerequisite(s) College Ready Reading & Writing Academic Discipline/CTE Program Learning Outcomes Students who complete the HCC criminal justice program of study should be able to: 1. Articulate key concepts in criminology and criminal justice. 2. Inquire, analyze, and apply research to criminal justice agency operations. 3. Communicate thoughts, ideas, and facts clearly and accurately. 4. Demonstrate a commitment to ethical and legal obligations of criminal justice professionals. 5. Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits by completing assignments on time and working productively with others. Course Description Study of the judiciary in the American criminal justice system and the adjudication processes and procedures. Course Student Learning Outcomes Describe the American judiciary system and its structure; identify the roles of judicial officers; identify the trial processes from pretrial to sentencing; and interpret the role of evidence. Learning Objectives 1. Overview of Criminal Justice in America 2. Arrest, Appearance, and Preliminary Hearing 3. Bail 4. The Charging Instrument: Indictment or Information 5. Guilty Pleas 6. Criminal Trial 7. Sentencing, Crime and Corrections 8. Appeals and Habeas Corpus 1
9. Special Problems: Location of Trial and Double Jeopardy 10. Miscellaneous Proceedings: Juvenile Justice, Misdemeanor Trials, Damage Suits Against Police, Prisoner Rights 11. The Adversary System SCANS and/or Core Curriculum Competencies Reading Writing Critical Thinking Textbooks (optional) Texas Criminal & Traffic Law Manual 2015-2016. Lexis-Nexis. ISBN: 978-1-4224-9392-2 Criminal Justice Procedure (8 th Ed,), Moak and Carlson, ISBN: 9781455730483 Credit Three (3) Semester Hours, Undergraduate. Total contact hours: 48 Course length: 13 weeks Instructional Methods Distance education, reading, on-line discussions, independent reading. HCC Grading Scale A = 100 90:... 4 points per semester hour B = 89 80:....3 points per semester hour C = 79 70:....2 points per semester hour D = 69 60:....1 point per semester hour <60 = F.....0 points per semester hour Incomplete (I) I do not normally give I s. If there is a problem that prevents you from completing assignments by the end of the semester, please let me know. I MAY be able to help. W(Withdrawn)....0 points per semester hour AUD (Audit)..0 points per semester hour IP (In Progress) is given only in certain developmental courses. The student must re-enroll to receive credit. COM (Completed) is given in non-credit and continuing education courses. To compute grade point average (GPA), divide the total grade points by the total number of semester hours attempted. The grades IP, COM and I do not affect GPA. FX is assigned to those students who quit coming to class but have not withdrawn. This is the same as an F but affects financial aid. 2
Grading Tests: There will be two exams covering the chapters of the text and class discussions, the mid-term and the final. They will be multiple choice and true/false. They will be short answer, fill in the blank, and or multiple choice. I will add 10 points onto the lowest of the two grades. Test 1 (Mid-Term): mid-october Test 2 (Final) December 11, 2017 @ 11:00 am Discussions: You will make a better grade and enjoy the class more if you participate. You must give a thoughtful answer/statement. This is college. Important Dates 09-04-17 Labor Day 11-03-17 Last Day to Withdraw 11-23-17 Thanksgiving 12-11-17 Finals Week Extra Credit: Attendance: No absences will add 5 points onto your final average, 1 absence will add 3 points, and 2 absences will add 1 point. Deductions: Attendance: If you miss 6 classes, I will withdraw you. If you miss 4 consecutive classes, I will withdraw you. If you come in late and are marked tardy, every 3 tardies is counted as an absence. Cell Phones Your instructor believes that using cell phones in class is rude and unprofessional. Keep your cell phones off the desk in a purse or bag, off or on silent. No texting in class or playing on the phone, you will get ONE warning and on the second offense you will be instructed to leave and drop the class. Laptops and ipads Some students are able to use these to enhance their learning in class. Others find them useful for entertainment purposes. Because most students use them for entertainment, I reluctantly will require them to be closed up and turned off. If I find you are using these items you will be asked to leave for the day, and one letter grade will be deducted from your final grade. One person may have access to the internet in order to assist the class. ONE. Dress People employed in any law enforcement or law related field must dress professionally. Anyone whose dress is deemed inappropriate for class will be told to leave. 3
Learning Web: Go to the Learning Web button and do a search for William.johnson and my link should pop up. Use this if you lose your syllabus or are interested in other classes that I teach. HCC Policy Statements Access Student Services Policies on their Web site: http://hccs.edu/student-rights ADA Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the appropriate HCC Disability Support Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. Students who are requesting special testing accommodations must first contact the appropriate (most convenient) DSS office for assistance: Disability Support Services Offices: System: 713.718.5165 Central: 713.718.6164 also for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and Students Outside of the HCC District service areas. Northwest: 713.718.5422 Northeast: 713.718.8420 Southeast: 713.718.7218 Southwest: 713.718.7909 HCC strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please meet with a campus Abilities Counselor as soon as possible in order to establish reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and Ability Services. It is the policy and practice of HCC to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. For more information, please go to http://www.hccs.edu/district/students/disabilityservices/ Academic Honesty HCC is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In becoming a part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating on exams or assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials or prerequisites when registering for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another student's exam, orally communicating or receiving answers during an exam, having another person take an exam or complete a project or assignment, using unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an exam, and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an exam or any part of an exam. Plagiarism means passing off as his/her own the ideas or writings of another (that is, without giving proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report or project that someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately collaborating on assignments designed to be completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When there is clear evidence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, disciplinary action may include but is not limited to: requiring you to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or "F" for an exam or assignment; or assigning a grade of "F" for the course. Additional sanctions including being withdrawn from the course, program or expelled from school may be imposed on a student who violate the standards of academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited and could result in failure. If you are caught cheating on a test, you will receive an automatic F in the course. During exams, all cell phones and other electronic equipment must be off and removed from desks. 4
HCC is committed to a high standard of academic integrity in the academic community. In becoming a part of the academic community, students are responsible for honesty and independent effort. Failure to uphold these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following: plagiarizing written work or projects, cheating on exams or assignments, collusion on an exam or project, and misrepresentation of credentials or prerequisites when registering for a course. Cheating includes looking at or copying from another student's exam, orally communicating or receiving answers during an exam, having another person take an exam or complete a project or assignment, using unauthorized notes, texts, or other materials for an exam, and obtaining or distributing an unauthorized copy of an exam or any part of an exam. Plagiarism means passing off as his/her own the ideas or writings of another (that is, without giving proper credit by documenting sources). Plagiarism includes submitting a paper, report or project that someone else has prepared, in whole or in part. Collusion is inappropriately collaborating on assignments designed to be completed independently. These definitions are not exhaustive. When there is clear evidence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or misrepresentation, disciplinary action may include but is not limited to: requiring you to retake or resubmit an exam or assignment, assigning a grade of zero or "F" for an exam or assignment; or assigning a grade of "F" for the course. Additional sanctions including being withdrawn from the course, program or expelled from school may be imposed on a student who violate the standards of academic integrity. MY RULES: YOU CHEAT, YOU WILL BE TOLD TO LEAVE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE F. Sexual Harassment Houston Community College is committed to cultivating an environment free from inappropriate conduct of a sexual or gender-based nature including sex discrimination, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. Sex discrimination includes all forms of sexual and gender-based misconduct and violates an individual s fundamental rights and personal dignity. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex-including pregnancy and parental status-in educational programs and activities. If you require an accommodation due to pregnancy please contact an Abilities Services Counselor. The Director of EEO/Compliance is designated as the Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator. All inquiries concerning HCC policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504), and complaints may be directed to: HCC Course Withdrawal Policy The State of Texas imposes penalties on students who drop courses excessively. Students are limited to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career at a Texas public college or university. To help you avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, contact your professor regarding your academic performance. You may also want to contact your counselor to learn about helpful HCC resources (e.g. online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc.). HCC has instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor may alert you and DE counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic performance. After the deadline to drop yourself, you MUST provide an email request to your professor, PRIOR to the withdrawal deadline to receive a W on your transcript. After the withdrawal deadline has passed, you will receive the grade that you would have earned. Zeros averaged in for required coursework not submitted will lower your semester average significantly, most likely resulting in a failing grade of an F. It is the responsibility of the student to withdraw from the class; however, your professor reserves the right to withdraw you without your request due to excessive absences. If you do not feel comfortable contacting your professor to withdraw, you may provide a written request to Counseling. However, please do not contact both a counselor and your professor to request a withdrawal; either one is sufficient. International Students Contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have questions about your visa status. EGLS3 Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the EGLS3 as part of the Houston Community College Student System available online toward the end of the course. WEAPONS 5
At HCC the safety of our students, staff, and faculty is our first priority. As of August 1, 2017, Houston Community College is subject to the Campus Carry Law (SB11 2015). For more information, visit the HCC Campus Carry web page at http://www.hccs.edu/district/departments/police/campus-carry/. 6