Pattern 1 Syllabus of Criminal Evidence

OURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE

http://cpbucket.fiu.edu/cjl4133vc1131/syllabus.html

This course will provide the student with an overview of the rules of evidence applicable in
criminal cases. The course will begin with an overview of the criminal trial process. Basic
evidence concepts will then be explored, with particular emphasis placed upon the Federal
Rules of Evidence. The course will then specifically focus on evidence concepts including,
but not limited to: witness competency and impeachment, hearsay, admissions &
confessions, circumstantial evidence, documentary & physical evidence and the
exclusionary rule.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
After successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

Understand the basic rules of evidence applicable to criminal cases

Discuss various methods for impeaching witness testimony
Describe the hearsay rule and its exceptions in detail
Conceptualize how documentary and physical evidence is admitted at trial
Understand the rationale for various evidentiary rules
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
POLICIES
Please review the policies page as it contains essential information regarding guidelines
relevant to all courses at FIU and additional information on the standards for acceptable
netiquette important for online courses.

COURSE PREREQUISITES
There are no prerequisites for this course.

TEXTBOOK
Textbook cover
Criminal Evidence: Principles and Cases (Required)
Gardner & Anderson
Cengage (Wadsworth) 8th ed.

ISBN 10: 1111838038

ISBN 13: 978-1111838034
Click here to buy your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore.

EXPECTATIONS OF THIS COURSE

This is an online course, meaning that most of the course work will be conducted online.
Expectations for performance in an online course are the same as for a traditional course;
in fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology
skills that can make them more demanding for some students.

Students are expected to:

Review the how to get started information located in the course content
Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self introduction in the
appropriate discussion forum
Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Blackboard
Interact online with instructor/s and peers
Review and follow the course calendar
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS & SKILLS
One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy.
By computer literacy we mean being able to manage and organize computer files
efficiently, and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly
and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course; but students enrolled
in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go
to the "What's Required" page to find out more information on this subject.

For detailed information about the technical requirements, please click here.

ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION

For detailed information about the specific limitations with the technologies used in this
course, please click here.

For more information about Blackboard's Accessibility Commitment, click here.

For additional assistance please contact our Disability Resource Center.

PROCTORED EXAM POLICY
Please note that the information contained in this section applies only if your course
requires a proctored exam.

It is the student’s responsibility to determine whether this online course requires

proctored exams by carefully reviewing this syllabus. For detailed instructions please visit
our Proctored Exam Resources page on the FIU Online website.

COURSE DETAIL
COURSE COMMUNICATION
Communication in this course will take place via Email.

The Email feature is an external communication tool that allows users to send emails to
users enrolled within the course including the instructor and other students. Emails are
sent to the students' FIU email on record. The Email tool is located on the left side Course
Menu (Blackboard user interface).

For more information on professional writing and technical communication click here.

PARTICIPATION
Participation: Each week I will monitor the amount of time each student spends on the
course site. I will monitor how often you sign on; how much time you spend on the site;
how many pages you review; how many discussion posts you compose. Simply put, you
should treat this course like it is your job!

Each student must post two response comments per week on the Blackboard course
discussion board. Each comment must contain a minimum of 200 words and must
demonstrate critical thinking and analysis. Simply stating your opinion is not sufficient
for the purposes of thisassignment. Furthermore, the content of each discussion post
must be your own.

You are prohibited from simply cutting and pasting material from the internet onto the
discussion board. This constitutes academic dishonesty and will result in a failing grade
for the course.

A post may ONLY be posted Monday at 9am through Friday at 5pm for the week of the
assigned reading. Late posts are not accepted.
There are 11 weeks wherein discussion posts are required. Given that you must post twice
per week, it is expected that you will have a total of 22 discussion posts in this course.

Posts are not individually graded. I will review them to let you know that you are on the
right track (I will email you if you are not).

Keep in mind that forum discussions are public, and care should be taken when
determining what to post.

EXAMS
Exams: There will be two essay exams in this course. Such exams will require the
student to answer questions in a narrative/prose format, wherein the student will engage
in critical thinking and analysis. Each exam will be comprised of at least 15 essay
questions.

All exams in this course will be submitted via the Turn It In link in the course. Any exam
not submitted through the Turn It In link will not be accepted.

NOTE: It is expected that each exam will require approximately 20-25 pages of writing in
order to adequately complete the exam.

**If you do not enjoy writing, this may not be the class for you.**

NOTE: Evidence is a conceptual course and requires SIGNIFICANT critical thinking. I

cannot stress enough that this course is challenging and that you should prepare to work!
You will learn copious amounts of information! The intellectual journey will be worth the
ride!!

Each exam is worth 100 points. See grading scale in the relevant section below.

Academic Dishonesty: Students must take each exam individually and are not allowed to
collaborate with one another while taking the exam. Taking the exam as a group or
sharing answers is strictly prohibited in this course.

Cheating on an exam will result in a failing grade for the course.

Make Up Exams: Failure to take an exam by the specified date and time in the syllabus
will result in a score of “0” for that exam. Make-up exams will be given only in
extraordinary situations and the request must be made in advance of the missed exam.