Categories: Criminal Law

Instructor(s)

Prosser, Mary

Course Data

Room 2225
TR 12:05pm-2:05am

Course Description

This small section course focuses on the how legislatures define criminal conduct and how criminal laws are interpreted and applied in courts of law. Emphasis is placed on teaching students to carefully read and interpret statutes and to understand how statutory codes govern the ability of prosecutors to bring criminal charges and seek sanctions against criminal suspects. Students will gain an understanding of the roles of prosecutor, judge, and jury in adjudicating criminal cases, and of the Constitutional and statutory constraints on the ability of the State to pursue criminal charges. Students will also develop an appreciation for the law's limits in preventing and controlling undesirable conduct.

In addition to a traditional end-of-semester examination, students will be required to complete one short writing assignment and two drafts of a legal memorandum on an assigned topic relevant to the class. During the course of the semester, students will also be expected to observe several court proceedings.

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