Tuesdays/Thursdays 11am-12:15pm
This course covers constitutional and statutory guidelines for arrest, detention, use of force, search and seizure, warrant requirements, line-ups and identification procedures, confessions, admissions and interrogation. Emphasis is on the procedural considerations affecting law enforcement actions as restricted by the constitution, statutes, and case law. Illinois criminal procedure will also be covered.
This course will assist students to have a better understanding of case studies, the Supreme Court, the Amendments, and the structure of the federal government. The student will relate knowledge of basic criminal law to the procedures necessary for arrest, use of force, search and seizure, admissions, and confessions.
American criminal procedure is made up of an extensive framework of rules and principles that govern how individuals suspected or accused of crimes are managed and processed within the justice system. The U.S. Constitution serves as the primary source of rights that shape criminal procedure.
Beyond the Constitution, other significant sources include judicial decisions, legislative statutes, and state constitutions. Understanding criminal procedure also requires recognizing the balance between federal authority and state authority. Because the United States operates under a two-tiered system of government, the interaction between federal and state levels creates a distinctive structure for how criminal justice is carried out.
Faculty Contact Information
Mon-Thurs 12:30pm-2pm
Dr. Melvina Calvin-Edwards
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Articulate the significance of the U.S. Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights and Fourteenth Amendment, as they affect the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of government officials.
- Effectively discuss the civil rights of citizens and the responsibilities of police agencies and officers when reasonable and unreasonable intrusions of citizens’ lives occur.
- Display a working knowledge of the terminology associated with felony and misdemeanor statutes.
- Recognize and define the rules of evidence for admission and exclusion of evidence during legal proceedings.
- Explain in writing the principles of Federal and Illinois Criminal Procedure.
- Discuss and explain in writing the limitations on the use of force and the liabilities of police officers when specified constitutional rights of citizens have been violated by the police during the course of enforcement, with and without the use of force.
- Apply criminal procedure terminology and concepts correctly.
- Recognize and explain procedural constitutional rights of the accused.
- Preview of criminal procedure in the age of the digital revolution
- Text-Case Method
- Searches and seizures
- Stop and frisk
- Seizure of persons: arrest
- Searches for evidence
- "Special needs" searches
- Self-incrimination
- Identification procedures
- Remedies for constitutional violations: exclusionary rule
- Constitutional violations: other remedies against official misconduct
- Court proceedings: before trial
- Court proceedings: trial and conviction
- After conviction: sentencing, appeals, and habeas corpus
- Criminal procedure in times of crisis
Criminal Procedure: From First Contact to Appeal. 7th ed. Worral, John L., Pearson.
Attendance (10 pts/week)
Writing assignments (4) 3-4 page (25pts each) with journal article review
attachments
Quiz (4) (25pts each)
Final exam
100-90= A
89-80= B
79-70= C
69-60= D
59-0= F
Business, Technology & Human Services
Dean, Paul Carlson; 815-802-8858; V105; pcarlson@kcc.edu; Division Office – W102; 815-802-8650
KCC continues to comply with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health as we teach and learn in the COVID-19 era. Masks are optional.
At a minimum, the average person can expect to spend one to two additional hours outside of class. This time will be dedicated to reading the textbook chapter(s), answering study questions, studying for quizzes and tests.
Regular attendance at all scheduled class sessions is expected. To receive full class attendance points, you must not be late or leave early on a continuous basis. Reading assignments are indicated on the schedule and should be finished before the topic is covered in class. Some important information provided during the lecture does not appear in your textbook, but you will find it useful for completing your labs, quizzes or tests. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain handouts and information presented for any class for which he/she is absent. If a student misses four or more classes in one semester, he/she will receive an automatic “F”.
Use of cell phones during class is not permitted. Use of tablets or laptops during class is not permitted. Please turn off or set cell phones to vibrate. If a call must be answered, please leave the classroom quietly.
If you violate any of these policies, you will lose that day’s attendance points and be asked to leave the class. Students need to adhere to the Code of Conduct located in the college catalog.
Study Questions can NOT be made up. Study Questions must be submitted by the date/time due. Any student failing to submit Study Questions by the date/time due will receive a zero.
Students may earn extra credit by participating in approved activities outside of regular class time. Opportunities include, but are not limited to, attending Teen Court sessions, volunteering at police agency events, or other community-based criminal justice activities as announced by the instructor.
Extra credit will be awarded in the form of points added to course assignments or overall grade at the instructor’s discretion.
Students must provide verification of attendance or participation (e.g., signed documentation, supervisor confirmation, or a brief reflection paper) within one week of the event to receive credit.
Extra credit is intended to enhance learning and cannot replace required coursework. Points earned through extra credit are limited to a maximum of 5% of the final grade.
Extra credit points are added on top of the 460 required course points. However, they are capped at a maximum of 23 points (5%), depending on the instructor’s chosen limit. Extra credit cannot replace required assignments.
All extra credit opportunities must be pre-approved by the instructor to ensure fairness and relevance to course objectives.
All student athletes will be granted attendance points while participating in KCC sporting events, not practices. All missed labs, quizzes and tests due to sporting events must be completed within one week of the scheduled quiz or test. All missed quizzes and tests due to sporting events must be rescheduled during posted office hours.
All course requirements must be completed by the end date of the course. An incomplete grade will NOT be granted regardless of the extenuating circumstances.
KCC defines plagiarism: Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else. In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as CHATGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. Students who use ChatGPT and other AI writing assistance should use it as a tool (generate ideas for writing) and not use it to complete a writing assignment. If you are unsure about whether something may be plagiarism or academic dishonesty, please contact your instructor to discuss the issue. First violation will result in a zero for the assignment. The second violation will result in “F” failing of the course.
| Learning Objective and Activity | |||
Week 1: | Introduction to Criminal Procedure | Chapter 1 | |
Week 2: | Remedies | Chapter 2 | |
Week 3: | Introduction to Search and Seizure | Chapter 3 | Writing Assignment #1 |
Week 4: | Searches and Arrests with Warrants | Chapter 4 | Quiz #1 |
Week 5: | Searches and Arrests without Warrants **Search warrant activity | Chapter 5 | |
Week 6: | Actions Based on Reasonable Suspicion | Chapter 6 | Writing Assignment #2 |
Week 7: | Actions Based on Administrative Justification and Consent | Chapter 7 | Quiz #2 |
| Week 8: | Interrogations and Confessions | Chapter 8 | |
| Week 9: | Identification Procedures and the Role of Witnesses | Chapter 9 | Writing Assignment #3 |
| Week 10: | The Pretrial Process | Chapter 10 | Quiz #3 |
| Week 11 | Prosecutors, Grand Juries, and Defense Attorneys | Chapter 11 | |
| Week 12: | Plea Bargaining and Guilty Pleas | Chapter 12 | Writing Assignment #4 |
| Week 13: | Rights at Trial | Chapter 13 | Quiz #4 |
| Week 14: | More Rightsat Trial | Chapter 14 | |
| Week 15: | Sentencing, Appeals, and Habeas Corpus | Chapter 15 | |
| Week 16: | The Overview of Criminal Procedure | Final Exam | Final Exam |
**Several classroom presenters may be present to cover some of the material
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.