LET 260 - Procedural Criminal Law

1. explain the role of the United States Constitution in determining procedural requirements for the criminal justice system, including the Bill of Rights;
2. explain the role of the United States Supreme Court in determining procedural requirements for the criminal justice system, including due process of law, judicial review, judicial interpretation, and the rule of law;  
3. compare and contrast the state and federal court system in the United States, including the role each has in the criminal justice system;
4. explain the sources of rights including the United States Constitution, common law, statutory law, and case law;
5. describe the significance of the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and fourteenth amendments to the United States Constitution and outline their relationship to procedural criminal law; 
6. analyze the major constitutional levels of proof, including reasonable suspicion, probable cause, and proof beyond reasonable doubt;
7. explain the procedural requirements and major court decisions related to arrest, including arrest with and without a warrant;
8. explain the procedural requirements and major court decisions related to searches including the exceptions to the search warrant requirement;
9. explain the procedural requirements and major court decisions related to custodial and non-custodial interrogation;
10. describe the procedural requirements and major court decisions related to identification including lineups, showups, and the use of DNA evidence;  
11. describe the exclusionary rule and its exceptions;
12. describe the stages and procedures of the pre-trial processes, including the purpose of the grand jury and preliminary hearing, and the procedural requirements for guilty pleas and plea-bargaining;
13. describe the stages of the trial process including jury selection; 
14. explain the Constitutional safeguards relating to the pre-trial and trial processes and the effect major court decisions have on their procedural requirements;
15. describe the sentencing process, including capital cases; 
16. explain the major court decisions related to sentencing, including capital cases;
17. describe the appeal process.