Constitutional Issues

Midterm Paper Utilizing class materials and individual research students will write a 5-6 page paper which examines an important Supreme Court case. The paper will consider the effect of the case on our criminal justice system and on our overall criminal justice policies.

All papers should be fully referenced with in-text citations and a complete reference page that follows APA citation guidelines. All papers should have an introductory and concluding paragraph. Please note that grammar, spelling, and good writing are key components of this assignment. Students should provide subheadings for the following when writing their paper: o Introduction: An introductory paragraph which introduces the reader to the student’s topic and provides an overview on what the student’s reader will learn by reading his/her paper. It should have three basic elements: a) a topic sentence which defines the topic and “grabs” the reader (i.e., the attention getter); b) a thesis statement which is the argument that will be presented (i.e., the main point of the paper), and c) outline sentences which describe the main topics in the “body” (i.e. other) paragraphs. o Summary: Students must read, comprehend, analyze and summarize a Supreme Court Case. They must research relevant literature on their case topic, using information from previous courses, as well information gathered from systematic research. What were the facts of the case, what was the Court’s decision, and what was the basis for the Court’s decision? Students should carefully consider previous cases, existing statutory law, etc. (LO 1 &LO 2). o Policy Impact: Students must put forth a reasonable and empirically substantiated argument and demonstrate how the case impacts criminal justice policy and practitioners. Students must understand the rationale for its basis and be able, not only to apply the theoretical model to an area of the criminal justice system, such as policing, the judiciary/courts (including the prosecutor and defense offices), or corrections, but be able to show how the Court’s decision impacts current practices, in addition to their own career. Students should discuss the case’s impact on criminal justice policy by reviewing its theoretical and practical implications for criminal justice professionals. Students will research how this new law has affected criminal justice practice. For example, how did police practices change after Miranda? How it did affect potential suspects? What do scholars say about its significance? This part should be well researched and it is recommended that the students utilize journals to acquire their information. Students are required to cite properly according to APA guidelines with both in-text citations and a full reference page (LO 1, LO 2 & LO 3). o Summary Statement: Students should devise an argument agreeing or disagreeing with the Supreme Court decision. When writing this portion of the paper, which is persuasive, students should use facts of law, legal precedent, scientific data, etc., to substantiate their position, without writing in the “I” format (LO 2 & LO 3)

Grading: The learning outcomes (LO) for this assignment are the following: Assessment Goals:

7 of 11 The purpose of this assessment was to determine whether the following four learning outcomes were achieved: • The ability to conduct formal research as it relates to thesis development with documented and substantive empirical support (LO 1) • The ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills when examining Constitutional issues and how they impact the criminal justice system (LO 2) • The ability to apply both theoretical and practical principles in a concrete and material way (LO 3) • The ability to communicate well, via effective and comprehensible writing skills (LO 4) Learning Outcome Measures: Students must read, comprehend, analyze and summarize the Supreme Court Case. They must research relevant literature on their case topic, using information from previous courses, as well information gathered from systematic research (LO 1 &LO 2). Students must put forth a reasonable and empirically substantiated argument and demonstrate how the case impacts criminal justice policy and practitioners. Students must understand the rationale for its basis and be able, not only to apply the theoretical model to an area of the criminal justice system, such as policing, the judiciary/courts (including the prosecutor and defense offices), or corrections, but be able to show how the Court’s decision impacts current practices, in addition to their own career (LO 2 & LO 3). The paper must be well organized, grammatical sound and easily understandable (LO 4).

Midterm Paper Utilizing class materials and individual research students will write a 5-6 page paper which examines an important Supreme Court case. The paper will consider the effect of the case on our criminal justice system and on our overall criminal justice policies.

All papers should be fully referenced with in-text citations and a complete reference page that follows APA citation guidelines. All papers should have an introductory and concluding paragraph. Please note that grammar, spelling, and good writing are key components of this assignment. Students should provide subheadings for the following when writing their paper: o Introduction: An introductory paragraph which introduces the reader to the student’s topic and provides an overview on what the student’s reader will learn by reading his/her paper. It should have three basic elements: a) a topic sentence which defines the topic and “grabs” the reader (i.e., the attention getter); b) a thesis statement which is the argument that will be presented (i.e., the main point of the paper), and c) outline sentences which describe the main topics in the “body” (i.e. other) paragraphs. o Summary: Students must read, comprehend, analyze and summarize a Supreme Court Case. They must research relevant literature on their case topic, using information from previous courses, as well information gathered from systematic research. What were the facts of the case, what was the Court’s decision, and what was the basis for the Court’s decision? Students should carefully consider previous cases, existing statutory law, etc. (LO 1 &LO 2). o Policy Impact: Students must put forth a reasonable and empirically substantiated argument and demonstrate how the case impacts criminal justice policy and practitioners. Students must understand the rationale for its basis and be able, not only to apply the theoretical model to an area of the criminal justice system, such as policing, the judiciary/courts (including the prosecutor and defense offices), or corrections, but be able to show how the Court’s decision impacts current practices, in addition to their own career. Students should discuss the case’s impact on criminal justice policy by reviewing its theoretical and practical implications for criminal justice professionals. Students will research how this new law has affected criminal justice practice. For example, how did police practices change after Miranda? How it did affect potential suspects? What do scholars say about its significance? This part should be well researched and it is recommended that the students utilize journals to acquire their information. Students are required to cite properly according to APA guidelines with both in-text citations and a full reference page (LO 1, LO 2 & LO 3). o Summary Statement: Students should devise an argument agreeing or disagreeing with the Supreme Court decision. When writing this portion of the paper, which is persuasive, students should use facts of law, legal precedent, scientific data, etc., to substantiate their position, without writing in the “I” format (LO 2 & LO 3)

Grading: The learning outcomes (LO) for this assignment are the following: Assessment Goals:

7 of 11 The purpose of this assessment was to determine whether the following four learning outcomes were achieved: • The ability to conduct formal research as it relates to thesis development with documented and substantive empirical support (LO 1) • The ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills when examining Constitutional issues and how they impact the criminal justice system (LO 2) • The ability to apply both theoretical and practical principles in a concrete and material way (LO 3) • The ability to communicate well, via effective and comprehensible writing skills (LO 4) Learning Outcome Measures: Students must read, comprehend, analyze and summarize the Supreme Court Case. They must research relevant literature on their case topic, using information from previous courses, as well information gathered from systematic research (LO 1 &LO 2). Students must put forth a reasonable and empirically substantiated argument and demonstrate how the case impacts criminal justice policy and practitioners. Students must understand the rationale for its basis and be able, not only to apply the theoretical model to an area of the criminal justice system, such as policing, the judiciary/courts (including the prosecutor and defense offices), or corrections, but be able to show how the Court’s decision impacts current practices, in addition to their own career (LO 2 & LO 3). The paper must be well organized, grammatical sound and easily understandable (LO 4).