Spring 2026
Court Systems and Practices
Approved: TNS 1/14/26 Court Systems & Practices CJSA 1313 9W1 12014 Spring 2026 CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Face to Face PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: None COURSE DESCRIPTION A study of the purpose and structure of American courts, Courtroom actors and the courtroom work group and court processes COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: • Explain the law and judicial function • Describe the sources of law • Explain the types of law • Describe the organization and structure of American Courts • Explain the roles of each member of the courtroom work group Explain the Court processes INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Chuck Barth Email: chuck.barth@woodvilleeagles.org Office Phone: Instructor’s Office Phone # Office Location: WHS room 23 Office Hours: *:45am- 10:25am REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Courts, Systems & Practices-Criminal Courts: A contemporary Perspective 5th edition ISBN 976-1-0718-3309-6 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 date as listed in the College Calendar on the Student Success web page. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS 1/20/2026 Syllabus 01/20/2026 Syllabus Quiz 1/21/2026 Chapters 1 The purpose & structure of American Courts 1/23/2026 1/25/2026 Chapter 1 assignment 1/26/2026 Chapters 2& 3 Sources of Law. Types of Law 01/28/2026 2/1/2026 Chapters 2 & 3 assignment 2/2/2026 Chapters 4 Organization & structure 2/4/2026 2/8/2026 Chapter 4 assignment 2/9/2026 Chapter 1-4 Exam 2/9/2026 Chapter 1-4 Exam 2/10/2026 Chapter 5- Prosecutors 2/12/2026 2-15-2026 Chapter 5 assignment 2/16/2026 WHS Winter break 2/23/2026 Chapter 6 Defense attorneys 2/25/2026 3/1/2026 Chapter 6 assignment 3/2/2025 Chapter 7 Judges 3/4/2026 3/8/2026 Chapter 7 assignment 3/9/2026 Chapter 8 Criminal Defendants and Crime Victims 3/11/2026 3/15/2026 Chapter 8 assignment 3/16/2026 Chapter 9 The Jury 3/18/2026 3/22/2026 Chapter 9 Assignment 3/23/2026 Chapter 5-9 Exam Exam 3/23/2026 3/24/2026 Chapter 10 Pre-trial procedures 3/26/2026 3/29/2026 Chapter 10 assignment 3/30/2026 WISD Spring Break 4/6/2026 Chapter 11 The Criminal Trial 4/8/2026 4/12/2026 Chapter 11 assignment 4/13/2026 Chapter 12 Sentencing 4/15/2026 4/19/2026 Chapter 12 assignment 4/20/2026 Chapter 13 The appellate process 4/22/2026 4/26/2026 Chapter 13 assignment 4/27/2026 Chapter 14 Specialized Courts 4/29/2026 5/1/2026 Chapter 14 assignment 5/1/2026 Review 5/3/2026 Final Exam 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 For the latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc., review the Minimum Computer and Equipment Requirements on the LIT Online Experience page. 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 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 Insert additional course policies/information specific to your section here.