LAW 16 - CIVIL & CRIMINAL EVIDENCE

COURSE SYLLABUS  

Student Responsibility: Our online law program requires a comprehensive and complete understanding of a number of details, procedures and information. Students are assumed to have carefully read all of our procedures and policies located at our "Welcome Message" at http://welcome.pbwiki.com - which is a comprehesive collection of materials for our program. Students are held fully responsible for information contained at this central location.

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

see information on your instructor including website, phone no. etc. http://lamission.edu/law/lawfaculty.htm

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

Catalog: Law 16 is a study of the rules of civil and criminal evidence and the admissibility of such evidence in court, as well as deposition comprehension and use in court, and interrogatory summarizing and use in court.

Law 16 also introduces the student to admissibility of evidence. The student will learn how to distinguish between relevant and non-relevant evidence, hearsay, and exceptions to hearsay, and will learn to pose objections both at the time of trial, at depositions, and in answering discovery. 

The student will prepare objections to the introduction to evidence, and also review transcripts for evidentiary objections. 

COURSE TEXT

EVIDENCE FOR PARALEGALS 3rd edition by Joelyn D. Marlowe & Suzanne Cummins, Aspen Law & Business.

ISBN: 0735540500 , you can order the book from the bookstore on campus or online. see http://lamission.edu/law/textbooks .                       

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the class, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate their knowledge in the substantive law and procedures of civil and criminal evidence including Relevance, Hearsay, Exceptions to Hearsay, Habit and Custom, Witness and Competency, Authentication, Identification and Exhibits, Constitutional Constraints, Common Law Privileges, preparing objections to trial transcripts

2. "think critically" in law, and in the area of civil and criminal evidence

3. brief a law case in civil and criminal evidence

4. prepare certain legal documents, forms or papers in the area of Civil and Criminal Evidence.   

GRADING & EVALUATION

The class will be composed of quizzes, postings to an "electronic bulletin board" - threaded discussions, and written projects.The student should work off of the due dates for the class. The deadlines are clearly posted on the schedule. Quizzes will be posted and students are expected to fill in their answers to the multiple choice questions during a deadline period. After the time period has expired, the quiz link will no longer be available, and the student will NOT be allowed to take the quiz (certain exceptions might be made if the student emails his/her online instructor regarding exceptional family circumstances or situtations - not just "not enough time", or "late", and the instructor will decide and determine each request on the facts of the circumstances).

The "letter grade" scale is as follows.

A =  90-100 percent of total points

B =  80-89

C =  70-79

D =  60-69

F =  Below 60

Office Hours: see Faculty page at http://lamission.edu/law/lawfaculty.htm - Office Hours, Mon. - Friday 9-5 pm at the Office Telephone number of each Faculty member, or upon special appointment - email the faculty member for your appointment date and time.

Course Structure: This course will be offered under a course management system online. The student should login at the Mission College online portal located at http://lamission.edu/online

LATE ASSIGNMENTS: ASSIGNMENTS SUBMITTED LATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNLESS PRIOR APPROVAL IS REQUESTED AND GRANTED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.

EXTRA CREDIT: Since the law is in constant change, along with the advent of the Internet, issues may arise that are timely and germane to our class. Therefore, opportunities may arise during the term that allow for extra credit, although no extra credit is presently offered.

INCOMPLETE: If you require a grade of "incomplete," you must advise me as soon as possible and discuss the terms of its removal.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Academic honesty is highly valued at Mission College, just as it is at all colleges and universities. A student must always submit work that represents his or her original words or ideas. If any words or ideas are used that do not represent the student's original words or ideas, the student must cite all relevant sources. The student should also make it clear to what extent such sources were used. Words or ideas that require citations include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communications when the content of such communications clearly originates from an identifiable source. All submissions to any public meeting or private mailbox fall within the scope of words and ideas that require citations if used by someone other than the original author.

Course Assignments: see assignments at duedates - http://duedates.pbwiki.com

Course Evaluation:

The final grade will be determined by: averaging quizzes, discussion questions and written assignments, each assigned 100 or more points.

* This syllabus is subject to change. Please note revision dates ("updated") above. Students are responsible for the most recent updated version of this syllabus.

updated: 10-21-08