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3140C Tydings Hall
Fall 1999 Office Hours:
T/Th, 8:30-9:30, or by appointment
Office Phone: 301.405.4134
e-mail: wmcintosh@gvpt.umd.edu
Fall 1999 Office Hours:
Wed, 4:00-5:00
1136 Tydings Hall
email: mbi7750763@aol.com
This course is a study of the American judicial system, examining the role and functions of various institutions and the activities occurring in and around them. We will consider operations at all levels of the judicial system, ranging from individual police officers and private civil litigants, to the U.S. Supreme Court. We will also discuss a variety of issues such as the ideology of law, the politics of criminal justice, the consequences and impacts of judicial decisions, etc.
In addition, the course will entail some hands-on computer assisted exercises, designed to acquaint you (if you are not already acquainted), in a rather painless way, with the "information processing age." The exercises are also designed to demonstrate the uses and potential uses of the computer with regard to law, the judicial process, and related research.
By the end of the term you should have a solid grasp of how our legal system is structured, have a better understanding of the range of influences that shape agendas and ultimate decisions at various stages of the process, and have a bit of direct experience with approaching and manipulating a computerized data base.