Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice

CJE 360 - Criminal Investigation

Breyer State University

Instructor: Jackie Sexson, J.D., MBA

SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW: Welcome to Criminal Investigation, an undergraduate level course in the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Degree curriculum.  This course is an exciting exploration of the procedures, techniques, and applications of private and public investigation.  Many important topics will be examined such as terrorism and homeland security, cybercrime, forensics and physical evidence, federal law enforcement investigations, report writing, crimes against children, investigative photography and sketching, preparing and presenting cases in court, identity theft, white-collar crime and much more.  This course also presents an overview of the fundamentals of criminal investigation and introduces the student to a variety of investigative procedures and techniques. It also examines the collection, handling, and preservation of evidence and trace materials. The course traverses the initial investigative steps of information, interrogation, and instrumentation to collect and assemble detailed information. An overview of specific offenses, and special investigative techniques and methods are also studied.  This course is designed specifically for students planning a career as a criminal justice professional.

TIME FRAME:  This is a ten (10) semester hour course.  This course is allotted 10 weeks of time.  You must complete all of the requirements for the course successfully by the end of the 10-week period.  The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course, or the day which you notify me that your textbooks have arrived and you are ready to begin your studies.  Please be cognizant of the time frame.  It is rare that extensions of time are permitted, unless you have good justification.  Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded ten (10) semester hours of credit and, of course, your degree in Bachelor of Criminal Justice.

TEXTBOOKS:  There is one (1) required books for this course. Please obtain this book as soon as possible.

Book 1: Criminal Investigation, 8th edition.  Bennet, W. & Hess, K.  Thomson Wadsworth 2007: ISBN # 978-0-495-09340-4.

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EXAMINATIONS: There are two examinations for this course, a mid-term exam (completed during the 5th week) and a final exam (completed during the 9th week).  The mid-term exam covers Chapters 1 - 12 and the final exam covers Chapters 11 – 21.  The examinations are “open” book and will be thought-provoking discussion type of questions.  A simple one or two sentence answer will not be sufficient to make a good grade on the exams.  I expect graduate level writing to be used in completing your examinations.

The mid-term examination must be taken by the end of the 5th week in the course.
The final examination must be taken by the end of the 9th week in the course.

GRADING:  The grading scale for this course is as follows:

90-100 %    =    A
80-89  %     =    B
70-79  %     =    C
Below 70% =    Fail

Midterm Exam (25% of final grade)
Final Exam      (25% of final grade)
Case Studies  (50% of final grade)

COMMUNICATION: You are encouraged to communicate with me.  I am available as an instructor, coach and mentor to assist you in meeting your goals for this course.  Primarily, communication is through email.  However, I am available by telephone during my stated office hours below.  Our classroom for this course has a “chat” room.  With prior notice, I am very willing to meet with you one-on-one in the chat room upon your request.  From time to time, depending how many students are enrolled in this course at a particular time, we will have some scheduled group chats.  You will receive more detailed information at the time such chat sessions are scheduled.  If at any time during this course, you change your email address, please be sure to notify me right away.

When communicating via email, ALWAYS put the course number (CJ 360) in the subject line of your email AND “sign” your email with your full name.  If you do not follow these instructions, your email may be deleted, believing that it is spam.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: In addition to teaching several courses in the criminal justice program for Breyer State University, I also teach at several other institutions online and enjoy the online experience tremendously.  I am a practicing attorney and am the managing partner and executive director of a legal and human resources consulting firm, The Sexson Group.  I have held management positions in Fortune 500 companies as well as management positions in state government.  Early in my legal career, I was a defense counsel, handling drug cases.  As for hobbies, I enjoy hiking and snow skiing as well as other outdoor activities.  My dogs and I enjoy long walks in parks. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives for this course are:

1). Recall the evolution of criminal investigation and criminalistics. 
2). Describe the impact of crime and the importance of the investigative function. 
3). Describe typical crime scene problems. 
4). Recognize the importance of field notes, complete reports, and follow up investigations 
5). State the rules of evidence. 
6). Describe the methods of modern crime scene search techniques. 
7). List various types and categories of criminal evidence. 
8). Recognize the importance of the collection and care of evidence. 
9). Describe ways of preserving the crime scene. 
10). Describe methods of interviewing and interrogating witnesses. 
11). Discuss legal implications regarding confessions and admissions. 
12). Describe the role of the crime laboratory and the criminal investigation process. 
13). Describe local, state, and federal crime laboratories. 
14). Discuss specialized investigations in the United States.

ASSIGNMENTS:  For specific assignments, please click on the link “Assignments”

QUESTIONS:  If you have any questions concerning this syllabus and/or the course, please contact me at sexson@aol.com

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