Survey Of Criminal Court Systems –

cja491

(3 credits)

This course is a survey to the historical aspects of the courts and various components of the legal system. It examines the different types of court at the state and federal levels, courtroom players, courtroom processes, and post conviction process of the court system. Additionally, it illustrates the correlation among all courtroom participants, differentiates roles and responsibilities, and examines how they relate to one another.

This undergraduate-level course is 5 weeks. To enroll, speak with an Enrollment Advisor.

Topics and Objectives

History and Development of the Courts
- Explain the historical evolution of the American legal system.
- Summarize the history of courts in the United States.
- Differentiate between the trial court and appellate court.
- Compare state court systems and the federal court system.
Crime Committed, Arrest, and Post Arrest Procedures
- Apply the elements of a crime to the criminal procedure process.
- Determine appropriate application of different legal defenses.
- Analyze the steps in the process after a crime has been committed.
- Evaluate the adversarial system.
- Determine the role of due process in the American legal system and its supporting laws.
Participants in Courtroom Drama
- Distinguish between the roles of defense and prosecution lawyers, including responsibilities and ethical duties.
- Analyze the role of attorney–client confidentiality in different stages of the process.
- Determine the roles, responsibilities, and ethical duties of judges.
- Determine the roles, responsibilities, and ethical duties of jurors and other courtroom participants.
Courtroom Process
- Describe the models of the criminal justice process.
- Assess the use of discretion at key points in the criminal justice process, including attrition, bail, and plea bargaining.
- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of bench and jury trials.
Post Conviction Process
- Evaluate different punishment philosophies and their associated sanctions.
- Evaluate factors in sentencing.
- Analyze the appeals process.
- Analyze the juvenile court process.

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.
While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Advisor.
Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

Survey Of Criminal Court Systems –

cja491

History and Development of the Courts

Crime Committed, Arrest, and Post Arrest Procedures

Participants in Courtroom Drama

Courtroom Process

Post Conviction Process

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