Fall 2025
Criminal Investigation
Approved: TNS 8/11/25 Criminal Investigations (CJSA 1342-9W1) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hour (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Face to Face PREREQUISITE/COREQUISITE None COURSE DESCRIPTION investigative theory; collection and preservation of evidence; sources of information; interview and interrogation; uses of forensic sciences; case and trial preparation. COURSE OBJECTIVES • Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to • Define the goals and objectives of criminal investigation. • Demonstrate ability to conduct proper crime scene investigations. • Organize the criminal case including field notes, reports, and crime scene. • Students will define the responsibilities of Law Enforcement and Constitutional restraints. • Students will analyze landmark supreme court cases that impacts law enforcement. • Demonstrate understanding of the daily functioning of the criminal justice system. • Students will be able to compare and contrast current supreme court cases to past supreme court cases. • Students will discuss how do Law enforcement effects society. • Students will discuss probable cause, stop and frisk, Miranda Warning and what is needed for a search warrant. • Students will demonstrate the basic knowledge to prepare for a law enforcement career activities. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Criminal Investigation by Karen M. Hess, Christine Hess Orthmann and Henry Lim Cho (11TH edition) ATTENDANCE POLICY WISD Attendance policy DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. Approved: TNS 8/11/25 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Chuck Barth Email: cbarth@lit.edu chuck.barth@wodvilleeagles.org Office Phone: n/a Office Location: WHS room 23 Office Hours: 2nd period DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) 08/26/2025 Orientation 08/26/2025 08/26/2025 Orientation assignment 1 08/27/2025 Chapters 1 08/28/2025 08/30/2025 Chapter 1 assignment 09/02/2025 Chapter 2 09/05/2025 09/6/2025 Chapter 2 assignment 09/8/2025 Chapters 3 & 4 09/10/2025 09/13/2025 Chapters 3 & 4 assignment 09/15/2025 Chapter 5 09/17/2025 09/20/2025 Forensics Quiz 09/22/2025 Chapter 6 09/24/2025 09/27/2025 Chapter 6 assignment 09/29/2025 WISD Autumn Break 10/6/2025 Chapter 7 10/08/2025 10/11/2025 Chapter 7 Assignment 10/13/2025 Search & Arrest Exam 10/13/2025 Search & arrest quiz 10/13/2025 Chapters 8 & 9 10/15/2025 10/18/2025 Chapters 8 & 9 Assignment 10/20/2025 Chapters 10 & 11 10/22/2025 10/25/2025 Chapter 10 &11 Assignment 10/27/2025 Chapter 12 & 13 10/29/2025 11/01/2025 Chapter 12 & 13 Assignment 11/03/2025 Chapters 14 & 15 11/05/2025 11/08/2025 Chapters 14 & 15 Assignment 11/10/2025 Exam 2 11/10/2025 Exam 2 11/10/2025 Chapters 16 & 17 11/15/2025 Chapters 16 & 17 Assignment due 11/17/2025 Chapters 18 & 19 11/19/2025 11/22/2025 Chapters 18 & 19 assignment 11/24/2025 Thanksgiving break 12/1/2025 Chapters 20 & 21 12/09/2025 Final Test Approved: TNS 8/11/25 COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Final Grades will be calculated using the following: Assignments 40% Tests 50% Final Exam 10% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Approved: TNS 8/11/25 Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION .