American nationals committing (or attempting to commit) terrorist acts on foreign soil?
You have read the first fourteen amendments to the U.S. Constitution. These Amendments afford certain rights to individuals. What are your thoughts about U.S. Constitutional rights being applied to:
- Non US citizens/Permanent Residents on U.S. soil generally;
- foreign terrorists acting on U.S. soil;
- American nationals committing (or attempting to commit) terrorist acts on foreign soil?
Should the rule of law change when being applied in these situations?
Should the practical application of the law by the courts differ in any of these situations?
Saint Leo University
CRM/POL 123 Introduction to Law and the Legal System
Course Description: This course is an introductory survey of the history, structures, and processes of the U.S. legal system. It is designed to be taken as a first University-level course in law and should precede more specialized courses such as criminal, business, or constitutional law. Covered are basic legal concepts such as due process, the structure of the U.S. court system, and the major subdivisions of law such as civil procedure, criminal procedure, and the law of torts. The role of law in society, the analysis of judicial reasoning, and the application of legal concepts to factual situations are stressed. Prerequisite: None Textbook: The textbook information which appears on our Saint Leo Bookstore ordering site is as follows: Schubert (2015). Introduction to Law and the Legal System 11thEdition. Loose-leaf (Custom) ISBN-13: 978-1-337-68560-3 Schubert (2015). Introduction to Law and the Legal System 11thEdition. E-Book (Custom) ISBN-13: 978-1-337-56847-0 Your custom textbook was created from the following National text(s): Schubert (2015). Introduction to Law and the Legal System 11th Edition ISBN-13: 978-1-285-43825-2 Ch. 1-9 Samaha (2015). Criminal Procedure 9th Edition ISBN-13: 978-1-285-45787-1 Ch. 1-8, 10 & 15 Course Objectives:
1. Students must demonstrate a basic understanding of legal concepts such as substantive and procedural due process, constitutional interpretation, appellate review, and the history of the U.S. legal system.
2. Students must be familiar with the structure and jurisdiction of the U.S. court systems. 3. Students must demonstrate a basic familiarity with civil procedure. 4. Students should be able to demonstrate that they can brief and understand appellate court
decisions. 5. Students should be able to demonstrate that they know how to apply case and statutory law to
factual situations. 6. Students must demonstrate a basic familiarity with criminal law and procedure. 7. Students must be aware of the applications of equity and the spectrum of judicial remedies. 8. Students must demonstrate a basic familiarity with alternative dispute resolution. 9. Students must demonstrate a basic familiarity with contracts. 10. Students must demonstrate a basic familiarity with the law of torts. 11. Students must demonstrate a basic familiarity with the relationship between legislation and court
law. 12. Students must be aware of the applications of administrative regulations.
Core Value:
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Personal Development: Saint Leo University stresses the development of every person’s mind, spirit, and body for a balanced life. All members of the Saint Leo University community must demonstrate their commitment to personal development to help strengthen the character of our community.
Evaluation: Assignment % of Grade Discussions (8) 8
Case Briefs (4) 32 Case Analyses (5) 60
Total 100% Grading Scale
Grade Score (%) A 94-100% A- 90-93% B+ 87-89% B 84-86% B- 80-83% C+ 77-79% C 74-76% C- 70-73% D+ 67-69% D 60-66% F <60%
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Module 1 Introduction to the Law Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to:
▪ Prepare a written case brief. Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post introduction to the class Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post an initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Submit Case Brief assignment Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Module 2 Due Process Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to:
▪ Evaluate facts in a hypothetical legal scenario. ▪ Apply case and statutory law based on due process analysis.
Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Submit Case Analysis assignment Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
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Module 3 Civil Procedure Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to:
▪ Order the steps in the civil litigation process. ▪ Prepare a written case brief. ▪ Evaluate facts in a hypothetical legal scenario. ▪ Apply case and statutory law based on civil procedure analysis.
Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Submit Case Analysis assignment Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Module 4 Criminal Law Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to:
▪ Identify the four components of a criminal offense. ▪ Define actus reus and mens rea. ▪ Prepare a written case brief.
Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Module 5 Criminal Procedure
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Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to: ▪ Describe the preliminary stages of criminal proceedings prior to trial. ▪ Order the procedural steps in a typical criminal trial. ▪ Evaluate facts in a hypothetical legal scenario. ▪ Apply case and statutory law based on criminal procedure analysis.
Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Submit Case Analysis assignment Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Module 6 Intentional Torts Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to:
▪ Identify the historical origins of modern tort law. ▪ Identify the three types of civil wrongs that comprise modern tort law. ▪ Identify the different types of intentional torts. ▪ Prepare a written case brief.
Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Module 7 Negligent Torts Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to:
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▪ Identify the elements necessary to establish negligence. ▪ Identify the defenses to negligence. ▪ Evaluate facts in a hypothetical legal scenario. ▪ Apply case and statutory law based on tortious analysis.
Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Submit Case Analysis assignment Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Module 8 Ethics Objectives: When you complete this module, you should be able to:
▪ Identify ethics as a branch of philosophy that studies morality. ▪ Apply to egoist perspective to an ethical scenario. ▪ Evaluate facts in a hypothetical legal scenario. ▪ Apply case and statutory law based on ethical analysis.
Assignments:
Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than:
Read assigned materials
Post initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Post responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
Submit Case Analysis assignment Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT
