Northeastern State University

Crimnial Justice (CRJ)

1013 Introduction to Criminal Justice #

An examination of the major components of the Criminal Justice system - law enforcement, courts and corrections - including historical and social perspectives; the roles and functions of various agencies; and the processes involved in the administration of justice.

1513 Introduction to Paralegalism #

An introduction to the legal system and the paralegal profession. Course familiarizes the student with the foundations and fundamental concepts associated with legal research, litigation and trial practice for the paralegal, civil and criminal procedures, torts, contracts, judicial remedies, estate planning and basic constitutional law.

3013 Criminal Law I #

The basic concepts of the theory of substantive criminal law including sources, classification of crimes, anticipatory offenses, parties to crime, uncompleted crimes, criminal liability and defenses.

3023 Criminal Law II #

An examination of the nature of the criminal acts of substantive criminal law including defining the necessary elements and punishments of each act.

3043 Police Systems #

Police systems established in America and abroad; divisions and subdivisions with responsibilities and functions of each. Contrasting of structures, with a view of transitions. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

3053 Criminal Justice Organizations and Management

Theoretical and practical aspects of the management and organization of Criminal Justice agencies. Current theories, research, problems and new managerial perspectives. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

3063 Police Traffic Services #

Analysis of the police role in highway traffic safety activities. Theories, structure and process of enforcement, engineering and education in accident prevention and loss reduction. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

3073 Criminal Justice Supervision

A systematic view of Criminal Justice organizations focusing specifically on the supervisory role. Topics covered include: nature of the organizations, supervisory role, motivation, leadership, planning, personnel deployment, decision making, dealing with employee stress, counseling, discipline, performance evaluation, and managing change. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

3083 Criminal Procedure #

Rules, principles, and concepts governing the enforcement of arrest, search, and seizure. Procedural controls incidental to the investigation of criminal offenses - arrest, search, and seizures in the administration of justice.

3103 Introduction to Security

An analysis of major security concerns in business and industry. Identification and evaluating of techniques, hardware, and personnel utilized to reduce and eliminate security problems.

3123 Forensics I

The scope and methods of forensic science. Topics covered include the basics of the crime scene, physical evidence, physical properties, glass, soil, hair fibers, paint and drugs. No prerequisities are required.

3133 Police Operations

Identification of functional units within police organizations, resource allocation, and measures of program effectiveness. Special emphasis on the patrol function, crime analysis and innovative programs. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

3153 Criminal Justice Community Relations #

Basic concepts and principles of community relations with major emphasis on understanding human beings and how to utilize this information in a practical way. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013

3213 Criminal Investigation #

An overview of the investigative process from first responder through the follow-up investigation and case preparation. Practical exercises in the basics of crime scene photography, sketching, and locating and collecting physical evidence associated with various crimes may be included. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

3223 Evidence

An analysis of the rules of evidence with an emphasis on the conceptual and definitional issues of admissibility, relevancy, materiality, weight, burden of proof, presumptions, types of evidence, judicial notice, evidentiary privileges, best evidence, opinion evidence, and hearsay evidence and its exceptions.

3243 Police Report Writing

Practice and theory in preparation of police reports with emphasis on composition and clear, concise communication. Types of police reports and communications. Preparation of cases and reports for trial use. An examination of police records and identification systems. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (Components I and II) must be met prior to enrollment.

3313 Native American Criminal Justice #

An examination of the major components of the Native American Criminal Justice System including historical and social perspectives, the roles and functions of various agencies, and the processes involved in the administration of American Indian Law.

3343 Corrections #

A survey of corrections. Topics include correctional issues, ideologies, theories, and applications concerning offenders. Field trips. Credit may not be earned in both SOC 3343 and CRJ 3343.

3413 Legal Research and Writing

A study of the processes involved in legal research and writing. Students will gain experience in researching areas of law and in drafting summaries of findings. Prerequisite or concurrent enrollment: CRJ 1513.

3543 Criminal Justice Computer Applications

Introduction to computer technology and its applications within the criminal justice environment. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

3553 Paralegal Computer Applications

Computer technology applications in the legal environment. Prerequisite: CRJ 1513.

3603 Introduction to Homeland Security #

An overview of natural, technological and man-caused crises and disasters. Includes analysis of the roles of local, state, tribal, industry and federal responsibilities in planning for and responding to disasters and crises. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013 or permission of the instructor.

3613 Emergency and Disaster Planning

A study of the planning process involved in vulnerability analysis, hazards, and resource assessments. Includes methodology of planning and political considerations. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013 or permission of the instructor.

3633 Terrorism

An introduction to domestic and international terrorism, its historical and current foundations, including applications. Course will provide an introduction to preparation and planning for responses to terrorist activities. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013 or permission of the instructor.

3663 Disaster Response and Recovery

Course centers on how people, groups, organizations, communities and governments deal with short and long-term disasters including businesses, social infrastructure, plus organization problems and interactions. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013 or permission or the instructor.

3673 Emergency Management Skills

A topical approach to emergency management. Topics include program management and planning; managing information, people and time; personality types; leadership and followership styles; decision-making and team-building skills; group dynamics, negotiating and communication skills; and emergency management ethics. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013 or permission of the instructor.

4041 Independent Study (Criminal Justice/Legal Studies)

Supervised individual readings either in Criminal Justice or in Legal Studies, focusing on issues of contemporary interest. The scope of the readings is determined by the directing instructor. Course may be repeated with different topics for a maximum of three credit hours in Criminal Justice and three credit hours in Legal Studies. Prerequisites: Criminal Justice credit requires CRJ 1013 and consent of instructor; Legal Studies credit requires CRJ 1513 and consent of instructor.

4090 Workshop (Criminal Justice/Legal Studies) #

Course consists of workshops, institutes, and focused topics designed for students and practitioners in Criminal Justice, Legal Studies and Homeland Security. May be repeated with different topics up to six hours credit in criminal Justice, six hours credit in Legal Studies and six hours credit in Homeland Security. CRJ 4091 is graded Pass/Fail.

4113 American Court System

Organization and administration of the adjudication function on both federal and state levels. Analysis of the roles of court personnel and adjudication process and relationships with the other Criminal Justice functions. Prerequisite: Criminal Justice majors - CRJ 1013; Paralegal majors - CRJ 1513.

4233 Senior Research Seminar #

A capstone course focusing on research methodology used to evaluate the impact of policy and structural changes in criminal justice agencies, and to conduct crime and public opinion surveys. Students are also provided with a review of material covered in the core courses in order to prepare for the Area Concentration Achievement Test. Prerequisite: Senior Standing and completion of the following core courses: CRJ 1013, 3013, 3023, 3083, 3223, 3343, 4113, 4253; and SOC 4223, or with Permission of the Instructor. Concurrent enrollment allowed.

4253 Juvenile Justice System #

A survey of the juvenile justice system; including the historical, philosophical, and organizational background of the system. The course incorporates research and evaluation of the system. Also included are the functions, jurisdiction, and roles of juvenile justice agencies. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

4263 Victimology #

A study of the patterns of victim-offender relationships and the process of victimization. The following themes are explored: role of victims in the criminal process, problems of adjustment to victimization; and issues of victim compensation, restitution, and advocacy. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013.

4313 Forensics II

The scope and methods of forensic science. Topics covered include the basics of the crime scene, forensic toxicology, arson, DNA, fingerprints, tool marks and firearm identification. No prerequisites are required, and the class may be taken before CRJ 3123 Forensics I.

4433 Civil Procedure and Pleadings

Selection of the proper forum, analysis of jurisdiction and venue requirements; gathering an organization of evidence by discovery methods and contact with clients and parties; and the study of pleadings required in civil litigation including petitions, answers, counter-claims, and set-offs as organizations for effective presentation at trial. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413

4443 Professional Ethics

Duties and responsibilities of private attorneys, prosecutors, government lawyers, and judges. Also, the role and responsibilities of the legal assistant. Examination of the Code of Judicial Conduct with emphasis on legal research and ethical issues. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413.

4453 Domestic Relations

Pre-marital controversies; marriage and annulment rights, duties, and liabilities of the parties during marriage; divorce, alimony, property division, custody, child support, pendente lite actions, separate maintenance, and children. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413.

4463 Torts and Litigation

Survey of the law of torts and the role of the legal assistant in preparation and trial of a torts suit. Negligence, products liability, and intentional torts emphasized. Includes pre-trial preparation, interviewing techniques, preparation and filing of pleadings and use of various discovery methods as well as a discussion of trial and appellate procedure and the function of the legal assistant in those areas. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413.

4483 Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Remedies

The debt collection process, including final judgments and enforcement, prejudgment remedies, statutory liens, bankruptcy, and other elements in the collection process. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413.

4493 Wills, Trusts and Probate

Introduction of the basic law, terminology, and forms used in will, trusts plus probate procedure. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413 or permission of the instructor.

4503 Environmental and Wildlife Law

Introduction to environmental topics including environmental and wildlife regulation and their relationship to the legal system. The course includes both federal and state applications. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413 or permission of instructor.

4513 Legal Analysis

Course provides the paralegal with advanced legal research and analysis skills, and experience in computer aided legal research. It also provides advanced experience in the writing of legal documents, including case and appellate briefs. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413.

4523 Property Law

Examination of the nature and meaning of property law. Course will cover possessory interests in land, future interests in land, concurrent ownership estates, adverse possession, eminent domain and other related topics. Prerequisite: CRJ 3413.

4593 Paralegal Practice

A capstone course in the paralegal program, bringing together the student’s educational experiences to provide the groundwork for the effective utilization of the legal team in the law office or in court. Prerequisite: Paralegal Studies major, senior standing, final semester.

4613 Social Dimensions of Disasters #

The study of human behavior in disasters. Topics include group disaster behavior; community social systems and disasters; and cultures, demographics, and disaster behavior distinctions. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013 or permission of instructor.

4623 Community Management of Hazardous Materials

An introduction to the community management of hazardous materials and wastes. Includes the legal requirements of handling, storing, transportation and disposal of wastes; the politics of hazardous materials; and the protection of the public from these threats. Prerequisite: CRJ 3603 or permission of the instructor.

4663 Disaster Response Operations and Management #

A study of the process of implementing a disaster plan. Includes warning systems, emergency center operations, public health issues, communications issues, and interaction with other agencies. Prerequisite: CRJ 3603 or permission of the instructor.

4683 Legal Aspects of Terrorism and Disaster Response

An overview of Patriot Act (FISA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) focusing on court decisions, administrative rules and regulation pertaining to government surveillance and the role of law enforcement in disaster response. Pertinent state and local laws will also be studied. Prerequisite: CRJ 1013 or permission of the instructor.

4693 Senior Seminar in Homeland Security

A capstone course focusing on current research in homeland security. Students will be required to research and present a senior project dealing with homeland security issue. Prerequisite: Senior Standing.

4993 Internship

On-the-job experience in an approved criminal justice or legal agency. Procedures for the course are outlined in the INTERNSHIP MANUAL. Available to students with major in Criminal Justice, senior standing, and approval of Intern Coordinator. Not for major or minor credit. Graded by Pass/Fail.