Discussion - 3 hours. This course examines the federal constitutional limits on government authority to gather evidence and investigate crime. Topics to be covered include Fourth Amendment limits on search, seizure, and arrest; the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination; and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. While the course emphasizes current law and the evolution of Supreme Court doctrine, it also considers related policy questions on the role of police in a democratic society.
Final Assessment: Exam
Discussion - 4 hours. This course will focus primarily on criminal procedure at and after trial. It examines such topics as charging decisions and the grand jury, the right to counsel, discovery, plea bargaining, jury trials, double jeopardy, sentencing, and appeals. It will concentrate primarily on federal constitutional law with some coverage of state procedure. It is helpful to have taken Evidence but it is not required. The final grade will depend on the individual student’s class participation, a motions exercise, and a final exam.