The Criminal Law & Procedure Specialist

Numerous crimes such as homicide, theft, and conspiracy make up the state and federal penal statutes by which the state prosecutes individuals for actions we’ve collectively decided are not acceptable to civil society.  Likewise, criminal law addresses the various defenses available to individuals accused of committing such crimes such as self-defense and insanity and the way in which these defenses can be applied.  At the core of criminal law, however, is the interpretation of a criminal statute ensuring that an individual cannot be convicted of a crime unless they are guilty of every element included in the statute.  To ensure these prosecutions and enforcement are carried out in a way that does not threaten our individual liberties, Criminal Law and Procedure professionals work at the intersection between the criminal justice system and the United States Constitution.

The Criminal Law & Procedure Specialist Program

This program examines key provisions of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments as they apply to police investigation and interrogation as well as to the circumstances under which defendants are prosecuted.  The program takes students through the often-controversial and complex procedures balancing individual rights against the protection of an entire citizenry.  To this end, students will explore search and seizure of individuals or property, due process requirements for the accused and how these requirements have evolved over the last century through landmark cases interpreted by the US Supreme Court that produced Miranda rights, Terry stops and other common-place considerations that define criminal process.

This program deals with both substantive criminal law and the legal procedures that govern its enforcement in order to safeguard individual liberties. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the rights afforded to the accused and the basic protections available to all individuals who move through the criminal justice system.

Program Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, students will be able to:

• Examine the criminal law judicial system
• Explain the criminal trial process
• Relate criminal law, criminal procedure, and the United States Constitution
• Classify criminal offenses
• Analyze crimes against the person
• Analyze crimes against property
• Analyze crimes against security
• Analyze crimes against the state
• Analyze social crimes
• Create defense scenarios
• Analyze the ethical issues raised in the criminal justice process
• Examine the constitutional rights of the accused before arrest
• Examine the constitutional rights of the accused after arrest
• Examine the constitutional rights of the accused at trial
• Examine the constitutional rights of a convict
• Assess criminal law and procedure