CJA351 v1

McLean, K., Burke, A. S., Carter, D., Fedorek, B., Morey, T., Rutz-Burri, L., & Sanchez, S. (2019). Introduction to the U.S. Criminal Justice System. In psu.pb.unizin.org. Open Oregon Educational Resources. https://psu.pb.unizin.org/criminaljusticemclean/
This OER covers law enforcement, criminal courts, sentencing, penal institutions, and community-based sanctions. It also includes historical and contemporary perspectives on components of the criminal justice system, as well as the legal and constitutional frameworks in which they operate.

Required Readings:
Chapter 5

Kelly, R. (2021). CRIMJ 100. Unizin.org; Affordable Course Transformation: The Pennsylvania State University. https://psu.pb.unizin.org/crimj100/
The website provides an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook for Penn State's CRIMJ 100 course, offering a comprehensive overview of the U.S. criminal justice system, including its primary components: police, courts, and corrections. Developed with support from an Affordable Course Transformation grant, the textbook aims to deliver in-depth content comparable to traditional textbooks while ensuring accessibility and affordability for students.

Required Reading:
Chapter 1

Vollman, B., & College, B. of M. C. (n.d.). Criminal Justice. In library.achievingthedream.org. https://library.achievingthedream.org/bmcccriminaljustice/
"Criminal Justice" by Brenda Vollman provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. legal system, covering the elements of crimes, commonly encountered offenses, and most criminal defenses. It also examines pertinent sections of the U.S. Constitution and their application to criminal law, aiming to familiarize readers with the legal framework governing criminal justice professionals.

Required Readings:
III. Criminal Justice Systems and Processes
11. 7.3 Crime and the Law
12. An Overview of the System
13. Section 2.1: Dual Federalism

V. Justice and the Law
21. 1.2 Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
22. 1.3 The Difference between Civil and Criminal Law
23. 1.4 Classification of Crimes
24. 1.6 Sources of Law
25. 1.7 End-of-Chapter Material
26. Section 2.3: The Policymaking role of the Supreme Court
27. Section 2.4: The Civil Rights Revolution
28. Section 3.1: Sources of Criminal Law
29. Section 3.2: Substantive Criminal Law
30. Section 3.3: Elements of Crimes
31. Section 3.4: Legal Defenses
32. Section 3.5: Substantive Offenses

pretrial discovery. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/pretrial_discovery
​Pretrial discovery is a phase in civil and some criminal cases where parties exchange information about evidence to ensure mutual knowledge of relevant facts, facilitating fair litigation. Common methods include depositions, interrogatories, and requests for admission.

Appellate Procedure. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/appellate_procedure
Appellate procedure focuses on several main themes: which judgments are appealable, how appeals are brought before the court, what will be required for a reversal of the lower court (such as a showing of " abuse of discretion ” or " clear error "), and what rules will govern the appeals process.