Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is designed to provide a broad overview of Constitutional Law as it relates to criminal justice with a focus on the Bill of Rights. Most of the legal analysis will be done through the study of judicial opinions from case law interpreting the Constitution. Students will be provided with opportunities to evaluate the purpose, intent and effectiveness of the various amendments and US Supreme Court cases.
This course is a requirement for completing an A.A.S. degree. Course work may include, but is not limited to, the use of texts, the US and Oregon Constitutions, journal articles, lecture, group discussions and activities, videos, guest speakers, field trips, community volunteer work and student presentations.

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Discuss constitutional rights and how to assert them during police-citizen encounters.
• Evaluate evidence to be offered at trial to determine whether exclusion is a viable option as the result of unlawful police conduct.
• Identify constitutional violations during police-citizen encounters in order to assess possible remedies.

Examinations, written assignments and projects.

This course will address topics including but not limited to:

• The History, Structure, and Content of the United States Constitution
• State and Federal Constitutional Freedoms of Speech", Press, Religion and Assembly
• State and Federal Constitutional Authority to Detain and Arrest and Requirements for Stops and Arrests by Law Enforcement Personnel
• State and Federal Constitutional Requirements for Search and Seizure of Persons, Vehicles, and Other Property
• State and Federal Constitutional Right to Counsel for the Accused in a Criminal Action
• State and Federal Constitutional Rights in the Trial and Punishment Phases
• State and Federal Criminal and Civil Remedies for Unconstitutional Conduct of Criminal Justice Personnel
• Major Judicial Decisions in Federal Constitutional Law