AJ 4    CRIMINAL LAW

Professor Gary A. Sokolow
gary-sokolow@redwoods.edu
 

This course fulfills a core course requirement for the Associate of Science Degree in Administration of Justice.  It is worth four units of college credit.

Course Description:  An overview of the development of the criminal law .   Topics include: historical development, philosophy of law and constitutional provisions; definitions, classifications of crimes and legal defenses and their applications to the system of administration of justice; legal research, review of case law methodology and concepts of law as a social force.   

THE ON-LINE EXPERIENCE

Please read the following before enrolling in this course:

Taking on-line classes are a new experience for many students.  It offers some advantages and disadvantages for all students.  First, the good news: 

v    You can work on the class at any time and any place

v    You have great flexibility to work at your own pace (within the time-limits for getting assignments done).

v    Your “virtual” class discussions allow you plenty of time to think and absorb ideas before you write and respond

v    Upon successful completion of the course, you will have learned and contributed at least as much (maybe more) as the traditional face to face classes. 

v    You won’t need to drive and come to school dealing with the possibility of heavy rain showers, rain, or sleet.

v    You will save money with this telecommute. 

v    We don’t use much in the way of videos and other “bells and whistles” in this class, so basic file downloading and uploading skills will be sufficient. 

 

Now, some of the “bad” (or not really so bad) news: 

v    You will need a reliable computer and internet connection – 56K dial-up modem speed is adequate, but  DSL or broad band is much better

v    You will need to have good study habits and self-discipline.  Unfortunately, the instructor, “me”, won’t be around to nag you in person and in a class.

v    You won’t get instant feedback from me or fellow students as you would in face to face classes – It is unrealistic to expect this, but barring highly unusual circumstances such as extended illness on my part, you should expect a response to any e-mail within 48 hours (often much sooner).

v    You will need to possess some basic computer skills such as navigating the WWW, opening up and downloading file attachments, and participating in discussion boards (chat rooms).
 

To further help you decide whether on-line learning is for you:  Please take the short quiz at the following web link:_ 

http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/selfEval.asp

Summary of good manners on the web: 

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html 

If you are still interested (and I hope you are), please read on: 

The textbook for this class is:  Criminal Law – 8th Edition by John C. Klotter & Joycelyn M. Pollock, Lexis-Nexis Publishing (2006).  ISBN  1593453248 .    Due to considerable changes in the textbook content, earlier editions are not acceptable.  You will need to have the book in your possession by the first day of the semester.  This is when the class will begin on line with a welcome from me and some housekeeping details I will discuss with everyone. 

Quizzes will be given on average of one per month.  You will have  one week to complete them.  You will need to use your textbook, notes and other materials to complete them.    

Discussion Board Questions are questions posed to the class on specific rules of evidence and crime scenarios are “crime scenes” which ask you to deal with multiple evidence issues which arise as a result of the crime.  Both of these exercises are designed to illustrate areas of criminal law such as murder, theft, assault, conspiracy, fraud, etc.    

Some Suggestions to Get the Most Out of Your online experience: 

v    Get familiar with the Blackboard platform and enroll right away.  Spend some time on the main Blackboard page (http://bb.redwoods.edu) and get acquainted with some of the features. 

v    Check your e-mail on a daily or every other day basis for comments from me on your work. 

v    PLEASE, PLEASE, always feel free to call me or e-mail me if problems arise, either of a technical nature or the subject matter.

v    Above all, don’t put off doing the assignments for very long --- unlike face to face classes – the work can pile up pretty quickly!

 

Accommodations: If you need accommodations to succeed in the online class you should contact Disabled Students' Program and Services  (DSPS) at 707-476-4280. This course is designed to be accessible to students who have visual or auditory impairments. For example, all audio files are also available in text.