Criminal Law in High Schools

[DedEnimuls]

Writing a paper for Administration of Justice Senior Seminar. Topic is "Criminal Law taught in High Schools" wondering how others would feel on this topic.
1. Should it be manditory?
2. If it wasn't would you take it?
3. General thoughts on the issue
I'll even give you credit in the paper if I use your post.

[Mr1337Duck]

Hmm... explain this to me, how it works.

[Rayder]

Criminal law as in, teachers teaching students how do perform criminal acts? Or teachers teaching students about the laws?

[Glaynor]

I've been involved in criminal law since college. Interned at various criminal law agencies etc. I then spent a few years as a prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office and now work for a judge that does felonies in Brooklyn. If you have any questions send me a pm. Or post some more info about the topic and I'll gladly give you any advice or info that I have

[Happy lil Elf]

Criminal law as in, teachers teaching students how do perform criminal acts? Or teachers teaching students about the laws?Puns are bad, you should be shot.

[Rayder]

Puns are bad, you should be shot.
/me slaps Happy lil' Elf around a bit with a large trout

[worldvengence]

Criminal Law is not something that should be taught in some High Schools (Make it the choice of the individual school, make it an elective) but it should never be mandatory, for this sole reason, required HS courses are supposed to suit a broad range of students (I.E. Home Ec., Who cannot get that? Seriously?). Criminal Law is a very very complex subject, and is constantly changing, and legalise speak is way over most peoples heads. The Class might even qualify as an AP Class. Now CIVIL law on the other hand, can be in a sense "Paraphrased" into a simple required class, because it is less complex (Sueing and the sort).


Sorry if that is repetative and rambling.

[ZeusCali]

i agree with worldvengence, making criminal law mandatory is not particularly possible especially because most students wouldn't be able to handle the class. But what about the fact that punk youths would know the law enough to either: a) not break any laws as they know there cover to much B) find loop holes and screw the system.

i wouldn't have taken it if it was in my school. That would be a very AP class. So i recommend making it a AP non mandatory Class as WorldVengence said before+

[Glaynor]

Civil Law is much more complex than Criminal Law is. Most people are familiar with some criminal law - i.e. burglary, roberry, homicide etc. While Civil Law may involve personal injury (tort law), strict products liability, intellectual property etc.

It is also possible to teach criminal law not as a law course but as a sociology course. Law is both substantive and procedural. The procedural part concerns itself with speedy trial time, the proper time to bring suppression motions, manner of taking a plea etc. Substantive is the various defenses available (self-defense, duress, justification etc.), the difference between robbery and grand larceny, 4th Amendment protections against search and seizure, etc.

Most college and high school classes go into the substantive areas of criminal law. Those areas can be simplified to give the students a general understanding of the concepts of criminal law without it being over complicated with "legalise". It is actually the most interesting concepts of criminal law, i.e. constructive possession vs. actual possession, 4th Amendment etc.

[worldvengence]

When i was refering to civil law, i was not refering to the complete study there of. I would say reccomend something similar to the class alot of high schools have "Business Law". This would cover the simple liabilities, contracts, and the such, but not the whole section of law, so i guess if u kinda look at it that way, we already have that class, but your post also reminded me of an idea someone had for a class, it was kind of under criminal law, it was about just teaching students how to defend themselves in simple midemenor cases and things of the sort. He reccomended teaching the students how to be their own defence in traffic court, small claims court, etc. and he also reccomented that it be non-manditory. The school considered it, but turned him down because none of the business department teaches wanted to take on the project, and they did not want to hire someone else

{edit} it is nice to actually have an intelectual thread here

[DedEnimuls]

Originally posted by Mr1337Duck
Hmm... explain this to me, how it works.

I was thinking along the lines of Criminal Law watered down a bit, though I did take a freshman level Criminal Law class and it really isn't that difficult.
The class would teach how to read and understand criminal law cases: what elements were included in the crime, how the way the crime happened fits into those elements, whether the punishment fit the crime, that sort of thing.
It would be state specific, though general issues would be covered. I was thinking that someone here may be able to post what else should be included, or excluded if I'm putting too much of a burden on the typical high school student. :p

[Glaynor]

They are very good criminal law books out there for what you are looking for. I teach a criminal law class at a technical college for para legal students.

I teach initially about the criminal process - what happens at arraignment, burdens of proof etc.

Then there is the general theories - mens reus and acteus reus

The components of every crime in existence - intentional; negligent; reckless

Defenses - duress, self-defense, entrapment etc.

4th amendment search and seizure - this can get very in depth if you want

There is a bunch more but these concepts can be watered down to give a high school student a good understanding of what criminal law entails. Send me a PM if you want more specifics. I'm glad to help. Let me also look for some of the books that I have used.