Monday, January 12th, 2026 thru May 14th, 2026
6:00pm - 8:30p.m.
Relationship to academic programs and transferability:
(This course) was designed to meet specific student needs either individually or within a program and is designed to transfer to other colleges and universities. KCC participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide transfer agreement for general education courses. All colleges and universities participating in the IAI agree to accept a collective “package” of IAI general education courses; transfer of courses separately is not guaranteed. For more information about IAI and the transferability of courses to specific four-year institutions, go to www.itransfer.org and My Credits Transfer/Transferology.
Faculty Contact Information
TBD
Michael Johnston
(815) 954-3179
Dean Paul Carlson
Office: V105
815-802-8858
pcarlson@kcc.edu
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe America’s legal history and the role the common law has in American life, as well as describe the structure of the American legal system.
- Explain what a crime is and know the basic elements of most crimes, including murder, crimes against the person, crimes against property, crimes against the state, social crimes, and crimes involving terror.
- Describe the Constitutional protections afforded by the common law, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
- Describe the criminal trial process, from investigation to conviction, appeal, incarceration, and release.
Criminal Law Today, 7th Edition, Schmalleger & Hall
Evaluation
Attendance 80 points
Case Briefs 260 points
Midterm Exam100 points
Final Exam 100 points
100% - 90%= A
89% - 80%= B
79% - 70% = C
69% - 60% = D
Business, Technology & Human Services
Dean, Paul Carlson; 815-802-8858; V105; pcarlson@kcc.edu; Division Office – W102; 815-802-8650
Attendance (on time) at all scheduled class sessions is expected. Attendance will be taken for each virtual or on campus meeting. Virtual and/or campus meetings will take place at least every two weeks to provide an opportunity for the instructor and students to meet and communicate.
Permission to make up an exam may be permitted by the instructor when an absence has been unavoidable and prior arrangements are made with the instructor.
In the event extra credit is offered, students must submit all required coursework on time, for the extra credit points to be included in the calculation of the student’s final grade.
Code of Conduct
Students are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct located in the college catalog.
Email Policy
To ensure a student's privacy under all applicable education laws and to facilitate timely interactions, two College-authorized methods of electronic communication exist: KCC-issued student email accounts (using the domain name of: student.kcc.edu) and the Canvas Learning Management System. Students are expected to regularly check their KCC email accounts and Canvas for important incoming communication from the college or from individual instructors. Students understand that emails they send from personal email accounts (other than those listed above) may not be delivered to the KCC recipient, and students should have no expectation that such messages will be answered.
Course Calendar
Week 1 The Nature & History of Criminal Law
What is Criminal Law?
Historical and Philosophical Perspectives
Criminal Law
Common Law
Types of Crimes
The Purposes of Criminal Law
Sources of Criminal Law
Week 2 Criminal Liability and the Essence of Crime
The Legal Essence of Criminal Conduct
The Criminal Act
State of Mind
Criminal Law in the News: Man shooting gun into air accidentally kills girls.
Strict Liability and Mens Rea
Concurrency
Week 3 Expanding the Concept of Crime
Corpus Delicti
Additional Principles of Criminality
Causation
Resulting Harm
The Principle of Legality
Criminal Law in the News: Was Honeymooner Tried twice for Wife’s Death?
Week 4 Criminal liability: Inchoate Offenses and Parties to Crime
Criminal Attempt
Defense to charge in criminal attempts.
Completed Offenses
Punishment for Criminal Attempts
Criminal Conspiracy
Doctrine of Complicity
Criminal Law in the News: Can Hearsay Be Primary Evidence in Murder?
Elements of the crime
Plurality Requirement
Required Intent
Parties to a Conspiracy
Acts in Furtherance of conspiracy
Criminal Solicitation
Parties to Crime
Week 5 Justifications as Defenses
Types of Defenses
The Nature of Defenses
Justification as a Defense
Defense of Others
Defense of Home and Property
Defense of Home and Property
Resisting Unlawful Arrest
Consent
Week 6 Defenses: Excuses and Insanity
The Nature of Excuses
Forms of Excuses
Entrapment
Syndrome-Based Defenses
Mental Incompetency
Criminal Law in the News: Is Some Shoplifting an Addiction?
Competent to Stand Trial
Insanity at the Time of the Crime
The Insanity Defense: A Common Misunderstanding
What is Insanity?
History of the Insanity Defense
Diminished Capacity
How Widely Used Is Insanity Defense?
Consequences of an Insanity Finding
Abolishing the Insanity Defense
Civil Commitment
Week 7 Crimes Against Persons: Homicide (Midterm Exam)
Criminal Homicide
Corpus Delicti
The Taking of a Life
Defining Death
The Time of Death
Proximate Cause and Homicide
Murder
Manslaughter
Involuntary Manslaughter
Involuntary Manslaughter
Criminal Law in the News: Abortion Doctors Charged with Murder in Maryland
Negligent Homicide
Suicide
Week 8 Crimes Against Persons: Assault, Sex Offenses, and Other Crimes
Assault, Battery, and Mayhem
Aggravated Assault
Attempted Assault
Battery
Aggravate Battery
Mayhem
Sex Offenses
Rape
Sexual Assault
Kidnapping and False Imprisonment
Kidnapping
False Imprisonment
Week 9 Property and Computer Crimes
Theft Crimes
Larceny
Embezzlement
False Pretenses
Forgery
Receiving Stolen Property
Robbery
Extortion
Identity Theft: A Twenty-First-Century Version of Theft
Consolidation of Theft Crimes
Grading of Theft Crimes
Burglary
Arson
Computer and High-Technology Crimes
Criminal Law in the News: Kim Dotcom of Megaupload Arrested for Piracy
Types of Computer Crimes
Federal Cybercrime Enforcement Agencies
Internet-Based Crime
Week 10 Offenses against Public Order & Administration of Justice
Crimes against Public Order
Breach of Peace and Disorderly Conduct
Fighting and Affray
Alcohol and Drug Crimes
Riot and Unlawful Assembly
Vagrancy and Loitering
Teenage Curfew
Weapons Possession
Second Amendment
Immigration Crimes
Crimes against the Administration of Government
Treason
Perjury and Contempt
Obstruction of Justice
Escape
Misconduct in Office and Bribery
Environmental Crimes
The Clear Water Act
The Clean Air Act
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, Liability Act
The Toxic Substances Control Act
The Endangered Species Act
Week 11 Offenses against Public Morality
Crimes against Public Decency and Morality
Prostitution
Pornography, Obscenity, and Lewdness
Criminal Law in the News: California Same-Sex Marriage Band Overturned
Gambling and Gaming
Controlled Substances
Anti-Drug Legislation
The Controlled Substance Act of 1970
Other Federal Antidrug Laws
State-Level Antidrug Laws
Asset Forfeiture
Week 12 Terrorism and Human Trafficking
Terrorism, Treason, and Sedition
Terrorism Laws
Constitutional Issues
Human Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons
Federal Immigration and Trafficking Legislation
Week 13 Victims and the Law
Who is a Victim?
A Short History of the Victim
Victims’ Rights Legislation
The Growth of Victims’ Rights
Victim Statistics
The National Crime Victimization Survey
Violence against Women
Young Black Male Victims
Elderly Victims
The Uniform Crime Reporting Program
Week 14 Punishment & Sentencing
Sentencing Rationales
Retribution
Deterrence
Rehabilitation
Restoration
Incapacitation
Constitutional Limitations
Imposing Criminal Sanctions
Imposing Criminal Sanctions
Federal Sentencing Practices
The Role of the Jury in Sentencing
Truth in Sentencing
Plea Bargaining
Traditional Sentencing Options
Less Traditional Sentencing Options
Sentencing Enhancements
Capital Punishment
Intermediate Sanctions
Week 15 TBA
Week 16 Final Exam Week
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.