AJ 002- Concepts of California Criminal Law - ONCAMPUS

Units: 3

Instructor: Marge Faulstich

• Phone: (408) 741-2180 (Voice Mail)
• email: marge_faulstich@westvalley.edu or professormarge@aol.com
• Instructor homepage: http://instruct.westvalley.edu/faulstich
• Print and read this syllabi

NOTE: It is a student's responsibility to officially drop classes they are not attending.

COURSE SYLLABUS

TITLE AND NUMBER OF COURSE:

Concepts of Criminal Law, Units-3

Administration of Justice 002, Lecture: 3 hours

Lab by arrangement: 2 hours

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

Historical development, philosophy of law and constitutional

provisions; definitions, classification of crime and their

application to the system of administration of justice; legal

research, study of case law, methodology, and concepts of

law as a social force.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Concepts of California Criminal Law, Dr. George Payton.

"To Kill Again", by Dr. Donald Sears (booklet-WVC bookstore)

OBJECTIVES:

• To provide the student with a knowledge of the historical development of law and the philosophy of law.
• To familiarize the student with the United States constitution and to integrate constitutional provisions with the fundamentals of law.
• To introduce the student to the basic legal definitions and concepts which provide a foundation for law.
• To develop within the student an appreciation for the value of a case study and legal research as a means of interpreting court decisions in relation to the written statutes.

COURSE CONTENT:

A. Legal research and methodology

B. Philosophical and historical development of law

C. The nature of criminal law

D. Classification of crimes

E. Corpus Delecti--elements of crimes

F. Capacity to commit crimes

G. Overview of specific types of crime (i.e., Serial killers/mass murders).

EVALUATION PROCEDURE:

QUIZZES (10 @ 40 points each) - Payton Text: Chapters 1-10 Payton = 400pts.

EXAM, Sear's text, "To Kill Again" (Chapters. 1-4). = 65 pts.

FINAL EXAM: Payton Text =100 pts.

Extra Credit & Legal Research, (To be announced)

 

GRADING PROCEDURE:

A= 565-508

B= 507-450

C= 449-392

D= 391-334

F= 333, or below

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

STUDENT CHEATING

Above all, students who major in Administration of Justice or who hopes to become a Criminal Justice career professional should be exemplary in their honesty and integrity.

Exams/Assignments are the property of the Instructor and are NOT to be Emailed or Copied to anyone without the express permission of the Instructor.

Any student found to be cheating may receive the following sanction(s): verbal or written warning (copy to Dean); receive a drop with an “F” grade, and or recommended for expulsion from the Adm. Of Justice program.

MAKEUP POLICY:

Failure to take exams or complete assignments, and to verify illness/emergency will result in an "F" course grade.

An "Incomplete" Grade will be permitted only in case of verified illness/emergency, and instructor approval.

Class Participation:

PARTICIPATION in your Online class IS ESSENTIAL! Online classes require self-discipline and attention to stated deadlines and assignments.

Instructor On-Campus Office Hours: TBA, via Email

West Valley College Disability Statement: West Valley College makes reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. College materials will be available in alternate formats (Braille, audio, electronic format, or large print) upon request. Please contact the Disability and Educational Support Program at (408) 741-2010 (voice) or (408) 741-2658 (TTY) for assistance.

marge_faulstich@westvalley.edu