The Criminal Procedure Specialist

Criminal procedure specialists focus on the actions or inactions taken by law enforcement, the legal system and the penal system throughout the investigation and adjudication of a crime. Focusing primarily on the protections of the accused as dictated by the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution, this course covers the various ways in which the US criminal adjudication system defines the roles of police, prosecutors, grand juries, defendants and victims.  At the center of the American criminal justice system lies the criminal court system that serves to ensure our community and our society remain protected from both criminals and the law itself.  With its unique procedures and processes, the American criminal courts are designed to ensure we have a fair and balanced system for criminal prosecution that focuses primarily on the rights of the accused. As developed over hundreds of years, the criminal codes of both the federal and state governments are adjudicated in separate courts from civil or family controversies given the grave nature of a criminal case. Special judges, lawyers, criminal justice specialists, defendants and victims require certain protections that the criminal courts are best suited to provide and ensure that the gravest of legal processes are carried out by experts in these fields.

The Criminal Procedure Specialist Program

The legitimacy of American criminal jurisprudence lies in the function and fairness of its criminal courts and students will examine exactly how these institutions uphold the most basic of constitutional rights and values in their daily application.  The course takes students through the often-controversial and complex procedures balancing individual rights against the protection of everyone as it pertains to 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 necessary throughout the criminal process.

The program offers students an overview of the criminal justice system and its processes. It examines the courtroom work group, the trial process, and challenges to the process. It also provides an overview of the juvenile court system.  Students will also gain a thorough understanding of the court procedures for criminal trials, basic evidentiary considerations, rights afforded to the accused and the basic protections available to all individuals who move through the criminal courts. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the purpose and function of criminal courts and the prosecution process, jurisdictional requirements and limits, the unique aspects of adjudication and evidence as well as the sentencing of convicted offenders.

Program Objectives

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

• Distinguish between the due process and crime control perspectives including the impact on criminal procedure
• Examine what can be done when constitutional rights are violated including civil, criminal, and non-judicial remedies
• Examine how the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments protect individual rights
• Analyze criminal procedure prior to trial describing the roles of prosecutors, grand juries, and defense attorneys
• Analyze criminal procedure from first contact to appeals
• Define terms related to criminal courts
• Describe the impact history has had on the criminal courts
• Describe how laws are created
• Explain the relationship between laws and the court system
• Analyze the court process from the committing of a crime through post convictions
• Examine how courts operate
• Differentiate the people involved in the court system
• Examine juvenile courts
• Use Microsoft Office