Criminal Courts

CRJU110 – Criminal Courts Portfolio Project Directions and Rubric This Assessment is worth 20% of your overall grade Outcomes Completing this Assessment will help you to: Course Outcomes ï‚· Discuss the evolution of dispute resolution in the United States. ï‚· Illustrate various types of law, and debate several sociologic perspectives, including sociological jurisprudence, legal realism, critical legal studies, and feminist legal theory. ï‚· Compare and contrast subject matter, geographical, and hierarchical jurisdiction, and differentiate courts of general jurisdiction from courts of limited jurisdiction. ï‚· Describe the purposes, functions, qualifications, and ethics of the judiciary in the United States at the federal, district, circuit, and Supreme Court levels. ï‚· Explain the adversary system and the roles, functions, and legal limitations of the prosecution. ï‚· Analyze the requirements of the defense including the rights of the accused, attorney-client privilege, and confidentiality, functions performed by defense counsel, public defenders, and legal aid. ï‚· Explain the historical context, processes, roles, functions, and ethical issues related to juries in the United States. ï‚· Outline the trial and pre-trial processes. ï‚· Explain the function and process of sentencing and appeals. Program Outcomes ï‚· Apply basic theories of criminal justice operations and management. ï‚· Communicate effectively within the criminal justice system. ï‚· Understand the laws regulating public conduct. ï‚· Understand and apply concepts of community-oriented policing. ï‚· Identify and resolve ethical issues in criminal justice. ï‚· Follow criminal law and procedures. ï‚· Use information technology skills in criminal justice applications. Institutional Outcomes ï‚· Information Literacy and Communication – Please demonstrate how you utilized appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then illustrate how you communicated your findings in visual, written, and/or oral formats. ï‚· Relational Learning – Provide an example and discuss the ways in which you were able to transfer knowledge, skills, and behaviors acquired through formal and informal learning, and life experiences to new situations. ï‚· Thinking Abilities – Please provide an example of how you employed strategies for reflection on learning and practice. How did you utilize this process in order to adjust your learning process for continual improvement? ï‚· Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning – Provide an example and discuss the ways in which you followed established methods of inquiry and mathematical reasoning to form conclusions and make decisions. ï‚· Community and Career – Provide an example through which you were able to participate in social, learning, and professional communities for personal and career growth. Evaluate your participation and what you learned from your involve. Deadline Deliverable items for the Portfolio Project will be required at four different points during our course. The timeline is as follows: Directions Choose one criminal case that has been to court and been adjudicated. For your Portfolio Project, you will research this case including the process and the defendant. Before choosing your topic, read through the project expectations below. Possible topics include: ï‚· O.J. Simpson ï‚· Mapp v. Ohio ï‚· Miranda v. Arizona ï‚· Daniel McNaughten ï‚· Monte Durham ï‚· United States v. Brawner ï‚· Theodore John Kaczynski ï‚· Karla Homolka ï‚· Frank Abagnate Jr. ï‚· Bernie Madoff Portfolio Project Expectations Your research paper should be structured as follows: Section 1 – Introduction and Overview ï‚· Including an introduction and background of the case. The background provided should include the following: o Description of defendant and the crime o Brief description of the case including the court( level and geographic area) that issued the decision Section 2 ï‚· What are the details of the case? ï‚· Who is the defendant, what lead to the defendant being charged? Section 3 – Describe the pre-trial and trial process o What charges did the defendant face? o Who was the prosecutor and what role did they play in the case? o Who was the defense attorney and what role did they play in the case? o Who was the judiciary that presided over the trial o Provide information about the role the jury played in the case Section 4 Timeline Activity Grading Week 2 Review Portfolio Project Directions and Rubric in Activities folder. Begin planning and conducting research for your project. None Week 3 Saturday at 11:59 pm, ET Part 1 – Topic (criminal case) along with a brief description of the case and why you selected it. 30% of total project grade Week 4 Saturday at 11:59 pm, ET Part 2 — Submit an outline of your project along with APA citations for your three resources. For each resource include a short summary detailing how it will be used in your project. Week 5 Saturday at 11:59 pm, ET Part 3 – Submit a draft of your project to receive instructor feedback. You are responsible for making revisions before submitting your final project in Week 7. Week 7 Saturday at 11:59 pm, ET Part 4 –.Upload your Portfolio Project to your electronic portfolio account 70% of total project grade ï‚· Describe the sentencing and appeals process for this case ï‚· What was the outcome of the case (verdict and sentence)? Section 5 – Conclusion o Does this case have an impact on the current court system, why? o Do you believe that the verdict of the case was appropriate, why? o Do you believe that the sentence was appropriate, why? o What could have improved the process of the criminal case? Section 6 – Reflection o Reflect on and assess the value of what you have learned through the completion of this project. How could you apply what you learned in order to become more successful in the workforce? o How has your thought process changed as a result of working on this project? Describe what you might do differently if asked to complete similar projects in the future. o What advice would you give to a student who is just beginning this project? Section 7 – References o Include at least three resources (two scholarly) Your research paper should have the following formatting: ï‚· A minimum of three typed pages o Title and reference pages do not count ï‚· APA Format o 12 point Arial or Times New Roman font o One-inch margins o Double-spaced o Page numbers ï‚· APA Citations o Minimum of three sources, which may include books, journals, the Internet, and magazines.  At least two sources must be scholarly.  Use the Virtual Library to locate these sources. Refer to the Grading Rubric on the next page for specific grading criteria. CRJU110 – Week 7 Portfolio Project Rubric: Criteria Excellent Above Average Average Need Improvement Points Content 55 points 55-48 points All required elements/bullets of each section are thoroughly addressed. Each section is discussed in significant detail with integration of supporting scholarly research. 47-44 points All required elements of the paper are addressed with all sections supported by research. 45-42 points All required elements of the paper are met, although some sections lack supporting detail. 41-0 points Few elements of the paper are met. Organization 15 points 15-14 points Case overview thoroughly provides all necessary elements of information and sets clear expectations. Conclusion is decisive, provides a supported opinion of the outcome of the case, offers recommendations for improvement, and creates a fully satisfying sense of completion. Paper is clear, with transitions leading from point to point. 13-12 points Case overview provides necessary information, but may lack support and details, or expectations may be unclear. Conclusion includes opinion, ends paper clearly, and creates a reasonable sense of completion. Paper is mostly clear and includes smooth transitions to most new points. 11-10 points Case overview includes all necessary elements, but lacks details or clarity in setting up paper. Conclusion is missing, solely opinion or may poorly summarize paper. Paper is unclear in several areas and transitions from point to point are seldom included. 9-0 points Case overview is confusing, vague, or missing necessary information. Conclusion is weak or vague. Case overview or conclusion may be missing entirely. Reflection 10 points 10-9 points Reflection thoroughly addresses all reflection questions in detail and shows thoughtful analysis of the Portfolio Project process. 8 points Reflection addresses all reflection questions in detail and shows analysis of the Portfolio Project process. 7-6 points Reflection addresses most reflection questions and shows some analysis of the Portfolio Project process. 5-0 points Reflection addresses few reflection questions. Formatting 10 points 10-9 points Document adheres to all APA guidelines (Arial or Times New Roman 12-point font, one-inch margins, double–spaced, page numbers, title and reference page, three or more pages). 8 points Document adheres to most APA guidelines (Arial or Times New Roman 12-point font, one-inch margins, double–spaced, page numbers, title and reference page, three pages). 7-6 points Document does not adhere to two or more guidelines. Paper is two to three pages in length. 5-0 points Sources contain significant errors in APA formatting. Document does not adhere to APA guidelines. Sources & References 5 points 5 points Provides more than three references for research, two of which are scholarly. Direct quotes are less than 10% of the paper. In-text citations are used for support and clarity. 4 points Includes three required references for research, two of which are scholarly. Direct quotes are less than 15% of the paper. Good use of in-text citations, but with one or two errors. 3 points Includes three required references, at least one of which is scholarly. Direct quotes are more than 20% of the paper. Three in-text citation errors. 2-0 points Fewer than three or no required references. If references are included, none of them are scholarly. More than three in-text citation errors. Evidence of plagiarism. Mechanics 5 points 5 points No major grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. 4 points No major errors, but three or four minor problems with grammar, punctuation, and spelling. 3 points One major grammar, punctuation, or spelling error. 2-0 points Too many errors—make paper difficult to read/understand. Unclear or awkward sentences. Instructor Feedback: