TEXT, REFERENCES, AND SUPPLIES:

TEXT - REQUIRED: Swanson, C. R., Chamelin, N. C., and Territo, L. (2006). Criminal Investigation (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 139780073212784

REFERENCE MATERIALS USED BY INSTRUCTOR:
Moenssens, A. A., Moses, R. E., and Inbau, F. E. (1973). Scientific Evidence in Criminal Cases. New York: Foundation Press.
Swanson, et. al. Criminal Investigation (previous eds.)
Texas, State of. (Current ed.). Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
Texas, State of. (Current ed.). Texas Penal Code.
Texas, State of. (Current ed.). Texas Rules of Criminal Evidence.
Texas, State of. (Current ed.). Texas Health and Safety Act.

Other texts, slides, films, articles and materials appropriate to subject matter

NOTE: Do not delay getting the textbook from the College Bookstore. There is no guarantee that there will be any available after the third week of class.

SUPPLIES: Students will bring notebooks, pens, pencils, and Scantron® sheets for examination to class. It is suggested that students purchase several Scantron® sheets, both objective-type and essay-type, at the beginning of the semester, and have them available during class, in the event an unannounced quiz is given.


COURSE GOALS/ OBJECTIVES:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Explain the purpose, role, and functions of a criminal investigation unit and investigator

(By nature, all police officers are investigators; it is essential that they fully understand the many roles officers have, and how intra-agency units function to accomplish the mission)

Explain the Crime Victims Compensation Act

(Officers must be familiar with victim’s compensation, as they must be able to inform victims of their rights)

Explain the effects of evidence tampering, making false reports

(Officers must understand the dangers of dealing with evidence, and dealing with those who are not completely honest. Knowledge of all tools available make officers better able to effectively handle situations)

Explain techniques and purposes of conducting investigations

(Conducting investigations requires special techniques, and skills needed to be an effective investigator must be learned, developed, practiced and honed)

ACTIVITY: students will research and submit a term paper on an assigned topic relevant to criminal investigation
Discuss crime scene searches

(Crime scene searches must be properly conducted if evidence is to be admissible in court)

Explain the importance of proper case preparation

(Proper case preparation, and management of case loads, is essential to successfully solving and proving cases)

Explain the techniques of using informants

(Police officers must rely on many people to provide information; informants represent a special category, and dealing with them effectively is essential to getting more information and protecting the informant)

Define various terms applicable to investigative procedures

(Investigators deal with many people, including victims, suspects, other investigators, medical and scientific specialists, and attorneys; knowing and using jargon is essential to success)

Discuss legal issues concerning interrogations and the use of confessions

(Interrogating suspects is fundamental to criminal investigations; knowing proper procedure results in fewer confessions being held inadmissible)

Identify levels of proof

(Investigators must be able to identify levels of proof to know when they have developed their case sufficiently far to submit it to the prosecutor)

Discuss the use of behavioral science in criminal investigations

(A relatively new development in investigations, behavioral science is an effective tool in the hands of knowledgeable investigators when identifying types of offenders)

Discuss techniques used to investigate various crimes

(Techniques, sources, evidence, and proof vary among the different types of crimes. Effective investigators learn various techniques to enhance their skills and improve flexibility)

ACTIVITY: students will research and submit a term paper on an assigned topic relevant to criminal investigation
Discuss proper procedures for preparing for and giving courtroom testimony

(The hallmark of a successful investigation includes convicting the offender; much of the success of a case depends on the investigator’s preparation and presentation in court)

STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS AND CLASS POLICIES:

Students must dedicate themselves to learning while in college. You should follow the syllabus, read each chapter before it is discussed in class, and use the study questions at the end of the syllabus to your advantage, completing the answers as the are addressed in class. Additional time is required for preparing for examinations. Attendance is important in this class.
Portable cellular phones, beepers, and similar paging devices are disruptive to the class, and you are encouraged NOT to bring them into the classroom. If you do bring them to class, please make sure they are turned off. Should they become a nuisance, you will be asked to remove them from the classroom.
Students missing a major examination must make up the examination before the next class period unless other arrangements are made with the instructor. Make-up examinations may be the same as, or different from, the examination given in class. Make-up examinations will cover the same material as the scheduled examination. Failure to make up an examination within the next week will result in a grade of zero for the missed exam. Any assigned make-up work must be completed and turned in by Wednesday of the fifteenth week of the semester. No make-up work will be allowed during finals week.

Final exams are not given early or late.
The instructor reserves the right to give quizzes, announced or unannounced, at any time. There is no opportunity to make up quizzes that are missed.

NOTICE: The instructor reserves the right to drop students who stop attending or have an excessive number of absences. As a rule, however, the instructor does not drop students, and it is your responsibility to drop a class if you no longer plan to attend and complete the semester. Check the Midland College catalog for last day to drop. If you are in a TASP developmental course, and have excessive absences, you may be dropped from that course. That will automatically result in your being dropped from all courses at Midland College. Your instructor has no control over this.

WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Specific instructions for preparing and submitting a required writing assignment are found further in this syllabus. Writing papers is an integral part of your learning and preparation for a career in criminal justice. Follow these instructions carefully. If you are unsure of yourself, and have questions, make an appointment to see your instructor.

EVALUATION OF STUDENTS:

This is a guide and subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

COURSE SCHEDULE:

The class meets for three lecture hours per week.
An outline of the course is attached. This is a guide and is subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

SCANS INFORMATION:

The following SCANS* skills are taught and/or reinforced in this course:
Information: Acquires and uses information. Students will: learn data on crime rates/clearance rates from available statistical data and relate it to the investigation of crime and probabilities of solving reported crimes.
Reading: Locates, understand and interprets written information. Students will: demonstrate ability to research and read assigned materials pertinent to course work.
Writing: Communicates thoughts, ideas, information and messages in writing. Students will: prepare and submit a term paper on an assigned topic, using the proper format.
Listening/Speaking: Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages in ways appropriate to the purpose; organizes ideas and communicates appropriate messages. Students will: participate in class discussion, answer questions directed at them, participate in reviews and ask questions as necessary to clarify material.
Personal Qualities: Displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity and honesty. Students will: assess personal strengths and weaknesses in interpersonal communication, interviewing and interrogation, and professionalism in law enforcement.
*SCANS are workplace competencies established by the federal government; documentation of them is required in each program.


INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Office Hours: Subject to change each semester, office hours are posted and announced in class.

PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION

Two principles should guide you through your education. First, from your education you should learn how to think, not “what to think.” The second is from Dr. Gennaro Vito (1999), and has 10 parts:

1. Work is good. Hard work is even better.
2. Preparation is the key to success.
3. Quality and presentation count.
4. Revision improves all things.
5. Learn to use all the tools available to you.
6. Work must be completed on time.
7. Time is more valuable than money.
8. Do not become an educated fool.
9. Nothing stays the same. Either you get better or your get worse.
10. The classroom is no place for democracy.

COURSE OUTLINE CRIJ 2314 Fall 2007: (This is subject to change)

This course meets from 11:00 am - 12:20 pm Tuesday & Thursday

This course schedule is for Swanson, Chamelin, & Territo’s Criminal Investigation (9th ed.).

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TERM PAPERS

This course, Criminal Investigation, has, as a requirement for successful completion, one writing assignment, a term paper. The topic of the paper will be selected in a drawing.
Effective coverage of your topic will necessarily require some research of the material. You must use at least three resources for your paper. You may use your text book as one source of information for this paper.
This report must be a minimum of four (4) typewritten, double spaced pages, not including the title page and reference page (both required). Credit will be deducted for papers less than four full pages in length, and those less than three full pages in length will automatically earn a zero, without further consideration.
Grading will be based upon the content, the apparent effort put forth, the data reported, the accuracy of information, the composition, style and grammar used. Special attention should be given to sentence structure and vocabulary.
In the social sciences (sociology, criminology, psychology, etc) the preferred style of writing papers is the American Psychological Association (APA) Style. For students interested in learning this style, the manual for writing in the APA style is available through the Midland College bookstore. If you have questions about the APA style, contact your instructor. You are not required to write in this style. You must, however, cite all references and use an accepted citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, Terabian, etc.). It is suggested that you start with a style with which you are familiar, and progress to new styles.

THIS PAPER IS DUE BY WEDNESDAY OF THE SEVENTH WEEK OF INSTRUCTION.
IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LATE FOR ANY REASON.

This paper counts forty percent (40%) of your final grade.
Only original copies of the paper will be graded. Carbon/Xerox copies are not acceptable. Papers must be stapled in the upper left corner, and not be enclosed in any type of plastic or paper folder.

MAKE A COPY OF YOUR PAPER BEFORE SUBMITTING IT.

WARNING
In the past, students have procrastinated, on both term papers and other assignments. Students have had such problems as typing papers on the night before they are due and having the electricity go out, losing not only the power, but the whole report; or having relied on another student to type a paper on the morning it is due, the typist arrived at school late, and the paper was not ready on time. You are responsible for your work, and excuses such as these will not cause a paper to be accepted late!

Review for Examination 1
Chapters 1, 2

1. What do the police do, and how much of their time is spent catching criminals?
2. What are the significant years in the development of the organization now known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
3. What is the study of fingerprints called? The study of weapons? The study of crime?
4. What are the functions and duties of investigators?
5. Explain what it means when crimes are said to be exceptionally cleared?
6. What traits or characteristics identify a successful investigator? A successful investigation?
7. What is the first thing an effective investigator does upon being assigned a case to investigate? Differentiate between immediate notification and being assigned via paper routing.
8. Those things necessarily proved in court to sustain a conviction are called .
9. Discuss the effect of Mincey v. Arizona on criminal investigations.
10. What, according to the text, is the hallmark of the competent investigator?
11. With whom does the responsibility for the preliminary, or initial investigation rest?
12. What are the major functions to be completed at the scene of a crime?
13. How many, and what are the search patterns described in the text, and discussed in class, and what are their uses?

Review for Examination 2
Chapters 4, 5, 6

1. Discuss the use of hypnosis as an investigative tool.
2. List the various types of witnesses as discussed in class or in the text.
3. Explain the importance of the time, place and setting of the interview, as well as the purpose of the interview.
4. List the major, or significant questions that should be answered when completing the police report.
5. Explain the uses of police reports.
6. Discuss the differences between interviews and interrogations.
7. List and explain the objectives of the Miranda warning to the admissibility of a confession.
8. List and explain the objectives of an interrogation.
9. Define custody.
10. Explain the “free and voluntary rule.”
11. Explain the purpose of having rules of evidence.
12. Explain the differences between relevancy, materiality, admissibility.
13. Discuss the concept of judicial notice.
14. Explain the hearsay rule.
15. List the noted exceptions to the hearsay rule.

Review for Examination 3
Chapters 9, 10, 11

1. List the different categories of murderers as described in the text, and explain the motives behind each one.
2. Explain the importance of the use of a death scene checklist by investigators.
3. Explain the purpose of an autopsy.
4. Explain the cause of rigor mortis and post mortem lividity.
5. Discuss the importance of being able to determine of a gunshot wound is an entry or exit wound.
6. Discuss the concept of “defensive wounds.”
7. List the common methods of suicide as given in the text or in class.
8. Discuss the aspects of sudden infant death syndrome, including symptoms and investigatory procedures.
9. List the personalities of rapists by the typology offered in class.
10. Discuss the concept of profiling criminals.
11. Discuss the truths and myths of child molestation and behavioral signs of an incestuous relationship.
12. Discuss autoerotic deaths.
13. Discuss the use of psychics in criminal investigations.
14. How many and what are the purposes of Satanic rituals?
15. Distinguish between spree, serial and mass murderers.
16. Discuss what factors seem to be present in virtually all rape cases.
17. Discuss why the police cannot rely in the presence of bodily fluids as evidence in sexual assault cases.

Review for the Final Examination
Chapters 12, 13, 14, 21 and selected material from course

NOTE: The final examination may include questions from previous materials. You should, therefore, review all course material, paying special attention to the review questions provided in this syllabus.
1. Review all the steps that must be taken in an investigation. Synthesize all the steps learned, and the procedures studied in this course, into a complete criminal investigation.
2. Who commits robberies, and where are they most likely to occur?
3. Approximately what percentage of property crimes, such as robbery and burglary, are cleared by the police?
4. What are the characteristics of the typical burglar? Robber?
5. From where do investigators get useful information against property criminals, such as thieves and burglars?
6. What means of force are used by robbers, and how frequently are each of these types of force employed?
7. Discuss whether the police officer is entitled to greater credibility than other witnesses.
8. List several things that the officer should avoid in court, and explain why?
9. With whom must the effective property crimes investigator maintain good working relationships?