Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Criminal Law (Online)

CJ 1330-SW1

Course: CJ 1330-SW1
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 32582

Course Description

An examination of substantive criminal law which includes definition of law, definition of crime, general principles of criminal responsibility, elements of the principle crimes, punishments, and conditions or circumstances which may excuse the accused from criminal responsibility or mitigate punishment. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): CJ 1010 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D-

Required Texts

Criminal Law Core Concepts, By G. Larry Mays, Jeremy Ball, Laura Fidelie; Published by Wolters Kluwer, Aspen College Series; ISBN 978-1-4548-4127-2 

Learning Outcomes

  1. Define criminal law.
  2. Define general principles of liability.
  3. Define absolute liability, concurrence, causation, and result.
  4. Classify parties to a crime under Common Law.
  5. Classify parties to a crime under the Model Penal Code.
  6. Recognize and define property crimes.
  7. Define homicide and recognize the different types.
  8. Identify different types of person crimes.
  9. Discuss/define street crimes.
  10. Recognize and distinguish between crimes against the state, white collar crime, and cybercrime.
  11. Define and recognize different inchoate crimes.
  12. Identify justification defenses.
  13. Identify excuse defenses.
  14. Describe theories/types of punishment in criminal law.
  15. Discuss sentencing guidelines and legal restrictions on sentencing.
  16. Write persuasively about legal topics.

Course Requirements

ASSIGNMENTS
There will be thirteen (13) homework assignments in this course. Each homework assignment will vary in its point value, with most being worth 75 points each. Homework assignments must be typed, 12 font size, double-spaced, and between 1-2 full pages in length. Students must submit their finished homework assignments by uploading them to Canvas on or before the due date, unless otherwise instructed by the instructor. Correct spelling and proper grammar are expected in all assignments. The instructor has discretion to dock points for the use of improper grammar, spelling errors, incomplete or run-on sentences, etc.

Discussions

There will be seven (7) discussion prompts, one for each module (not including the final exam module). These discussion prompts will require the student to discuss a particular prompt with their peers via a discussion board. Each discussion prompt will be worth fifty (50) points, and a student will be required to respond to the particular prompt, as well as comment on other students’ responses for that particular prompt, in order to receive full credit for each prompt.

Persuasive Essay

Students will be required to write a four to five (4-5) page, double spaced, persuasive/opinion essay on one of the following criminal law topics: 1) With arguably high recidivism rates for criminal offenders, is the criminal justice system broken and in need of reform? Or does the problem lie with the individuals and not with the system/culture of criminal justice? Is it a combination?; 2) Much like prohibition did with alcohol, the war on drugs has failed to curb drug use/offenses in society, and arguably, has increased drug-related violence, deaths, and wealthy cartels profiting off society’s drug-induced demise. Is the war still worth fighting, or are there other options/answers to combat the continual drug epidemic in our society?; and 3) Is the adage “innocent until proven guilty” an accurate representation of today’s criminal justice system? Or does our current society demand that one prove his/her innocence? The persuasive essay is worth four hundred fifty (450) points and will be due on or before 25 April 2022, at 11:59PM, and must be uploaded to Canvas on or before that date.

Quizzes

There will be twelve (12) quizzes in this course. Each quiz will consist of ten (10) multiple-choice questions, worth five (5) points each, making each quiz worth fifty (50) points. Students will have thirty (30) minutes and one (1) attempt to complete each quiz, unless otherwise instructed by the instructor. Quizzes must be submitted no later than the assigned due date. The quizzes will be open-book and students may use their textbook, notes, etc., to complete the quiz.

Exams

There will be two (2) exams in this class, the Mid-Term Exam and the Final Exam. Each exam will be worth three hundred (300) points. The Mid-Term Exam will cover chapters 1-6, while the Final Exam will cover chapters 7-12. 

Course Outline

WEEK 1: Undertanding the general principles of criminal liability. Mens rea, actus reus, concurrence, and concepts relating to the notion of the American system of Criminal Law. 
WEEK 2: Parties to Crime: Victims, Witnesses, Police, Criminals, and the introduction of property crimes: theft, burglary, etc. 
WEEK 3: Personal Crimes, Homicide, Sexual Crimes, and other Assault crimes
WEEK 4: Street Crimes, Crimes Against the State, and Cyber Crime
WEEK 5: Inchoate Crimes, what they are, how they work, and their relationship to the basic principles of Criminal Law such as mens rea and actus reus. 
WEEK 6: Defenses: Justification Defenses, and Excuse Defenses
WEEK 7: Punishment and Sentencing

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

All work is expected to be turned in on time. 
Late work is accepted with a mandatory 5% per day deduction in the grade. 

Attendance Policy

This is an online course, and as such students are expected to track their due dates and maintain their work up to date. 

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.