This course provides a rigorous and detailed examination of the constitutional and procedural rules that govern the criminal investigative process in the United States. Emphasizing the balance between law enforcement authority and individual constitutional rights, the course explores police practices from investigation through arrest and interrogation, focusing on the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments.
Students will analyze U.S. Supreme Court precedent governing search and seizure, arrests, Miranda rights, right to counsel, and due process, while also considering practical challenges and broader social implications. This course builds a deep understanding of how constitutional law shapes real-world policing and criminal justice administration, and how courts mediate tensions between public safety and personal liberty.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
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Explain and apply the constitutional doctrines governing police conduct during criminal investigations.
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Analyze Fourth Amendment search and seizure principles, including warrant requirements and exceptions.
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Understand the Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination and the rules established by Miranda v. Arizona.
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Apply Sixth Amendment right to counsel jurisprudence in pretrial and trial contexts.
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Interpret how the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment regulates identification procedures, coercive tactics, and fairness in interrogation.
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Assess how constitutional criminal procedure interacts with systemic issues such as race, class, and prosecutorial discretion.
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Critically evaluate policy justifications for criminal procedure rules and their real-world consequences.
