POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Thursday 9/26, I distributed 2 handouts: my version of the Speelman case brief, and a set of hypotheticals based on Speelman. We first finished up our discussion of Glucksberg by going over Souter's concurrence. We discussed 3 kinds of institutional conflicts that frequently make their way to the courts: the rights of individuals versus the powers of government; the powers of the federal government versus the powers of state government; and the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. We then went through Speelman, and put it into our case brief format. We also discussed how a change in the wording of the notice BHA to Speelman might have made all the difference in terms of whether they knew that she was not in the residence on the date that they sent out the notice. We got up to the preliminary injunctive requirements beyond likelihood of success on the merits, which is where we'll pick up on Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 10/1 is to review today's handouts, consider the Speelman hypotheticals handed out, and then read and do a case brief (not handed in or graded) of Katko v. Briney, reading through p. 43 of the text.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Thursday 9/26, we picked up with the end of the Collins majority opinion, and then went through Thomas' concurrence and Alito's dissent. We then began our discussion of Carpenter. I talked about the line-up of the Justices in Carpenter, and then we discussed the requirements of the Stored Communications Act, subpoenas and warrants, and 4 levels of suspicion. We identified the issue in Carpenter, and that's where we'll pick up next Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 10/1 is to review Carpenter, and then read to the end of Chapter 3 of the text, including Hodari.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
September 24, 2019
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Tuesday 9/24 I distributed one handout, my version of the Glucksberg case brief. We went through the Glucksberg issues, including the characterization of the right asserted, the history and tradition of that right, and then the flow chart of high hurdles versus low hurdles depending on whether the asserted right is fundamental or not. We also looked at the argument by the doctors that the right has in any case already been established by precedent of the Court. We discussed mandatory versus persuasive authority, and then following, distinguishing, or overruling precedent. We looked at the summary of the Maine Death with Dignity Act passed this year, and we also discussed the possible significance of the growing trend of states to legislatively allow assisted suicide in terms of the constitutional analysis of whether the states must allow patients to have such a choice. We also went over the handout of the Obergefell excerpt, in which the majority and the dissent disagreed about how the Glucksberg precedent applied to the issue of same-sex marriage.
The assignment for Thursday 9/26 is to review Souter's concurrence in Glucksberg, and then to read in the text through p. 38 including Speelman v. Bellingham Housing Authority. Do a case brief of Speelman (not handed in or graded, but practice for composing a case brief).
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/24, I distributed one handout, my version of the Collins outline. We went through the Collins majority opinion up to III (B), which is where we'll pick up on Thursday. We'll finish the majority opinion, and then discuss the concurrence and dissent.
The assignment for Thursday 9/26 is to read through p. 83 of the text, including Carpenter v. U.S.
In class today, Tuesday 9/24 I distributed one handout, my version of the Glucksberg case brief. We went through the Glucksberg issues, including the characterization of the right asserted, the history and tradition of that right, and then the flow chart of high hurdles versus low hurdles depending on whether the asserted right is fundamental or not. We also looked at the argument by the doctors that the right has in any case already been established by precedent of the Court. We discussed mandatory versus persuasive authority, and then following, distinguishing, or overruling precedent. We looked at the summary of the Maine Death with Dignity Act passed this year, and we also discussed the possible significance of the growing trend of states to legislatively allow assisted suicide in terms of the constitutional analysis of whether the states must allow patients to have such a choice. We also went over the handout of the Obergefell excerpt, in which the majority and the dissent disagreed about how the Glucksberg precedent applied to the issue of same-sex marriage.
The assignment for Thursday 9/26 is to review Souter's concurrence in Glucksberg, and then to read in the text through p. 38 including Speelman v. Bellingham Housing Authority. Do a case brief of Speelman (not handed in or graded, but practice for composing a case brief).
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/24, I distributed one handout, my version of the Collins outline. We went through the Collins majority opinion up to III (B), which is where we'll pick up on Thursday. We'll finish the majority opinion, and then discuss the concurrence and dissent.
The assignment for Thursday 9/26 is to read through p. 83 of the text, including Carpenter v. U.S.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
September 19, 2019
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Thursday 9/19, I distributed 3 handouts: an article by Brittany Maynard about assisted suicide, the summary of the new Maine Death with Dignity statute, and an excerpt from the SCOTUS same-sex case of Obergefell v. Hodges regarding the recognition of fundamental rights. We began by going over the Maine sentencing statute, including statutory citation form. I talked about the due process clauses of the 5th and 14th Amendments, and the rise of substantive due process. We worked together through the case brief for Glucksberg down to the "issue", which is where we'll pick up next Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/24 is to figure out the rest of the Glucksberg case brief (not handed in or graded), and to read today's 3 handouts.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Thursday 9/19, I distributed 2 handouts: the 7th Circuit opinion in Whitaker, and the 2018 SCOTUS decision in Collins v. Virginia. We used the textbook's "You Decide" feature (p. 68) to discuss the Whitaker case, and examined the 7th Circuit's opinion that I handed out. We also went over the lines of authority in both the federal court system and the Maine court system, and differentiated mandatory authority from persuasive authority. We then went through the Kyllo decision, both majority and dissent.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/24 is to read the Whitaker decision, and read all of the Collins decision. In Collins, do an outline of the majority opinion (not handed in or graded, but do actually do it).
In class today, Thursday 9/19, I distributed 3 handouts: an article by Brittany Maynard about assisted suicide, the summary of the new Maine Death with Dignity statute, and an excerpt from the SCOTUS same-sex case of Obergefell v. Hodges regarding the recognition of fundamental rights. We began by going over the Maine sentencing statute, including statutory citation form. I talked about the due process clauses of the 5th and 14th Amendments, and the rise of substantive due process. We worked together through the case brief for Glucksberg down to the "issue", which is where we'll pick up next Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/24 is to figure out the rest of the Glucksberg case brief (not handed in or graded), and to read today's 3 handouts.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Thursday 9/19, I distributed 2 handouts: the 7th Circuit opinion in Whitaker, and the 2018 SCOTUS decision in Collins v. Virginia. We used the textbook's "You Decide" feature (p. 68) to discuss the Whitaker case, and examined the 7th Circuit's opinion that I handed out. We also went over the lines of authority in both the federal court system and the Maine court system, and differentiated mandatory authority from persuasive authority. We then went through the Kyllo decision, both majority and dissent.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/24 is to read the Whitaker decision, and read all of the Collins decision. In Collins, do an outline of the majority opinion (not handed in or graded, but do actually do it).
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
September 17, 2019
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Tuesday 9/17, we began by going over the Miller majority opinion again, stressing exactly what it was that the Court held. We went over the concurrence by Breyer, and the dissents by Roberts and Thomas. I talked about the difference between an concurrence in the opinion versus a concurrence in the judgment. I then discussed the 2016 case of Montgomery v. Louisiana, in which the Court dealt with the issue of whether the Miller holding was to be applied retroactively. I gave the line-up of Justices in both Miller and Montgomery, and speculated about the one Justice who "switched sides" between the two opinions. Then we went through the 2 handouts of the Summary of Argument in the current SCOTUS case of Mathena v. Malvo.
The assignment for Thursday 9/19 is to review the Maine sentencing statute handout from last week, and to read and prepare to discuss through p. 34 of the text, including Washington v. Glucksberg.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/17, I distributed one handout, my version of the outline of the Jardines dissenting opinion. We began, though, by both reviewing the majority opinion in Jardines, and then discussing Kagan's concurrence. We then went through Alito's dissenting opinion. As we went along, we put the dissent in the format of the outline. Along the way, I clarified the meaning of common law regarding the law of trespass that Alito discussed. I then went over the facts of the 1988 Maine Law Court opinion in State v. Cloutier, 544 A.2d 1277. We discussed how the case would come out under the Jardines intrusion test (rather than the privacy test that the Law Court did apply). Finally, we went back to the handout of the Maine statute regarding use of drones in law enforcement, and puzzled out the language of exceptions to the warrant requirement that's in the statute. We also went over Maine statutory citation form.
The assignment for Thursday 9/19 is to read through p. 72 of the text, including Kyllo v. U.S.
In class today, Tuesday 9/17, we began by going over the Miller majority opinion again, stressing exactly what it was that the Court held. We went over the concurrence by Breyer, and the dissents by Roberts and Thomas. I talked about the difference between an concurrence in the opinion versus a concurrence in the judgment. I then discussed the 2016 case of Montgomery v. Louisiana, in which the Court dealt with the issue of whether the Miller holding was to be applied retroactively. I gave the line-up of Justices in both Miller and Montgomery, and speculated about the one Justice who "switched sides" between the two opinions. Then we went through the 2 handouts of the Summary of Argument in the current SCOTUS case of Mathena v. Malvo.
The assignment for Thursday 9/19 is to review the Maine sentencing statute handout from last week, and to read and prepare to discuss through p. 34 of the text, including Washington v. Glucksberg.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/17, I distributed one handout, my version of the outline of the Jardines dissenting opinion. We began, though, by both reviewing the majority opinion in Jardines, and then discussing Kagan's concurrence. We then went through Alito's dissenting opinion. As we went along, we put the dissent in the format of the outline. Along the way, I clarified the meaning of common law regarding the law of trespass that Alito discussed. I then went over the facts of the 1988 Maine Law Court opinion in State v. Cloutier, 544 A.2d 1277. We discussed how the case would come out under the Jardines intrusion test (rather than the privacy test that the Law Court did apply). Finally, we went back to the handout of the Maine statute regarding use of drones in law enforcement, and puzzled out the language of exceptions to the warrant requirement that's in the statute. We also went over Maine statutory citation form.
The assignment for Thursday 9/19 is to read through p. 72 of the text, including Kyllo v. U.S.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
September 12, 2019
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Thursday 9/12, I distributed 4 handouts: my version of the Miller case brief; the Maine sentencing statutes; and the Petioner and Respondent briefs in the current SCOTUS case that follows up on Miller, Mathena v. Malvo.
I began class by going through some of the concepts in the introductory section of the test, including natural law, equity, common law. and the tension between what's just and what's speedy. I also went through the organization of the Maine court system, with our 2 trial courts and no intermediate appellate court. I discussed 4 juvenile sentencing cases that preceded Miller: Thompson v. Oklahoma; Sanford v. Kentucky; Roper v. Simmons; and Graham v. Florida. We then went through the majority opinion in Miller, putting it into the format of our case brief.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/17 is to read the other (concurring and dissenting) opinions in Miller, and to read today's 4 handouts.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Thursday 9/12, I distributed one handout, my version of the outline of the Jardines majority opinion. On the reverse side of the handout is my guide to the format that I'm looking for in an outline.
We went through the Jardines majority opinion and created an outline of it. Along the way, I went over a few of the cases discussed in Jardines, including Whren (§17), Jones (§8), and Kyllo (§21).
The assignment for Tuesday 9/17 is to review the the concurring and dissenting opinions in Jardines, and to do an outline of the dissenting opinion in Jardines (not handed in or graded).
In class today, Thursday 9/12, I distributed 4 handouts: my version of the Miller case brief; the Maine sentencing statutes; and the Petioner and Respondent briefs in the current SCOTUS case that follows up on Miller, Mathena v. Malvo.
I began class by going through some of the concepts in the introductory section of the test, including natural law, equity, common law. and the tension between what's just and what's speedy. I also went through the organization of the Maine court system, with our 2 trial courts and no intermediate appellate court. I discussed 4 juvenile sentencing cases that preceded Miller: Thompson v. Oklahoma; Sanford v. Kentucky; Roper v. Simmons; and Graham v. Florida. We then went through the majority opinion in Miller, putting it into the format of our case brief.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/17 is to read the other (concurring and dissenting) opinions in Miller, and to read today's 4 handouts.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Thursday 9/12, I distributed one handout, my version of the outline of the Jardines majority opinion. On the reverse side of the handout is my guide to the format that I'm looking for in an outline.
We went through the Jardines majority opinion and created an outline of it. Along the way, I went over a few of the cases discussed in Jardines, including Whren (§17), Jones (§8), and Kyllo (§21).
The assignment for Tuesday 9/17 is to review the the concurring and dissenting opinions in Jardines, and to do an outline of the dissenting opinion in Jardines (not handed in or graded).
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
September 10, 2019
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Tuesday 9/10, I distributed one handout, my version of the case brief for Rutherford. We went over the process of putting the Rutherford opinion in the format of the case brief. We discussed whether the prosecution can now re-try Rutherford, or whether that would be barred by Double Jeopardy, and saw how the SCOTUS case of Lockhart v. Nelson resolved that question. I talked about the use of precedent in Rutherford in terms of following, distinguishing, or overruling precedent. We went over how both the police and the prosecution can learn from the Rutherford opinion how to do things better next time. Finally, I went over fn.2 of the opinion (about State v. McKenney) and discussed the concept of dictum.
The assignment for Thursday 9/12 is to read in the text pp. 1-19, including the majority opinion in Miller v. Alabama.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/10, I distributed one handout, the Maine statute regarding the use of drones in law enforcement. We went through the Katz case in terms of the 3 major definitional issues addressed: "search"; "person, house, paper, effect"; and "unreasonable". We saw how the Court changed after Katz, to produce a lack of protection for open fields, information shared with third parties, and abandoned property. We looked at the Bangor garbage ordinance (handed out last week) and asked (without an answer) whether such a strong municipal condemnation of taking someone's garbage has any effect on whether society is prepared to accept the expectation of privacy in garbage as reasonable. Finally, we began our discussion of Jardines by going over Scalia's definition of "search". We will continue with the majority opinion in Jardines on Thursday.
The assignment for Thursday 9/12 is to read all three Jardines opinions (majority, concurrence, dissent). For the majority opinion, using Scalia's outline as the bare bones of the structure of the opinion (I, IIA, IIB, III) first put labels on those segments, and then see if there's additional structure (outline) in the majority opinion. For each piece of the outline, figure out what question is being asked, and also the answer that Scalia provides (not handed in or graded).
In class today, Tuesday 9/10, I distributed one handout, my version of the case brief for Rutherford. We went over the process of putting the Rutherford opinion in the format of the case brief. We discussed whether the prosecution can now re-try Rutherford, or whether that would be barred by Double Jeopardy, and saw how the SCOTUS case of Lockhart v. Nelson resolved that question. I talked about the use of precedent in Rutherford in terms of following, distinguishing, or overruling precedent. We went over how both the police and the prosecution can learn from the Rutherford opinion how to do things better next time. Finally, I went over fn.2 of the opinion (about State v. McKenney) and discussed the concept of dictum.
The assignment for Thursday 9/12 is to read in the text pp. 1-19, including the majority opinion in Miller v. Alabama.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/10, I distributed one handout, the Maine statute regarding the use of drones in law enforcement. We went through the Katz case in terms of the 3 major definitional issues addressed: "search"; "person, house, paper, effect"; and "unreasonable". We saw how the Court changed after Katz, to produce a lack of protection for open fields, information shared with third parties, and abandoned property. We looked at the Bangor garbage ordinance (handed out last week) and asked (without an answer) whether such a strong municipal condemnation of taking someone's garbage has any effect on whether society is prepared to accept the expectation of privacy in garbage as reasonable. Finally, we began our discussion of Jardines by going over Scalia's definition of "search". We will continue with the majority opinion in Jardines on Thursday.
The assignment for Thursday 9/12 is to read all three Jardines opinions (majority, concurrence, dissent). For the majority opinion, using Scalia's outline as the bare bones of the structure of the opinion (I, IIA, IIB, III) first put labels on those segments, and then see if there's additional structure (outline) in the majority opinion. For each piece of the outline, figure out what question is being asked, and also the answer that Scalia provides (not handed in or graded).
Thursday, September 5, 2019
September 5, 2019
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Thursday 9/5, I distributed one handout, the template for the case brief format that we'll be using. We went back to the Rutherford questions, and got through the concept of precedent. On the way there, we went over citation form a little more (both Maine and SCOTUS), the definition of hearsay, the role and discretion given to the trial court versus the role of the appellate court, missteps by the prosecution, and how the facts in Rutherford compared with those in the precedent cited by the Court. That is where we'll pick up next Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/10 is to review and re-read Rutherford (over and over) and, using the Case Brief Template distributed today, try your hand at (not handed in or graded, but really try to produce) a case brief in the format given of Rutherford.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Thursday 9/5, I distributed two handouts: an except from the Bangor rules regarding going through someone's garbage, and the SCOTUS opinions in Florida v. Jardines. I began by going through some of the concepts of Chapters 1 and 2 (that were not assigned): the organization of the federal and Maine court system; the concept of mandatory authority between the federal courts of appeal and the state supreme courts; the treatment of precedent in terms of following. distinguishing, or overruling precedent; the 14th Amendment's long strange journey; and the incorporation of the protections of due process as protections as against the states. We then began our discussion of what the term "search" means in Supreme Court precedent.We talked about Olmstead and Goldman from the text, and I also discussed Silverman v. U.S., the 1961 spike mike case. We then began our discussion of Katz v. U.S. We clarified that the first issue was whether there had been a "search" by the placement of the listening device. We saw how the police carefully structured their activities to come within the existing precedent, and then how the Court changed the question that defined whether there had been a search. We will pick up with the specifics of the the Katz test on Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/10 is to review the previously assigned portion of the text (pp.48-67), and to read and consider the effect of the Bangor ordinance on the Greenwood analysis. In addition, as time permits, read the majority opinion in Jardines.
In class today, Thursday 9/5, I distributed one handout, the template for the case brief format that we'll be using. We went back to the Rutherford questions, and got through the concept of precedent. On the way there, we went over citation form a little more (both Maine and SCOTUS), the definition of hearsay, the role and discretion given to the trial court versus the role of the appellate court, missteps by the prosecution, and how the facts in Rutherford compared with those in the precedent cited by the Court. That is where we'll pick up next Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/10 is to review and re-read Rutherford (over and over) and, using the Case Brief Template distributed today, try your hand at (not handed in or graded, but really try to produce) a case brief in the format given of Rutherford.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Thursday 9/5, I distributed two handouts: an except from the Bangor rules regarding going through someone's garbage, and the SCOTUS opinions in Florida v. Jardines. I began by going through some of the concepts of Chapters 1 and 2 (that were not assigned): the organization of the federal and Maine court system; the concept of mandatory authority between the federal courts of appeal and the state supreme courts; the treatment of precedent in terms of following. distinguishing, or overruling precedent; the 14th Amendment's long strange journey; and the incorporation of the protections of due process as protections as against the states. We then began our discussion of what the term "search" means in Supreme Court precedent.We talked about Olmstead and Goldman from the text, and I also discussed Silverman v. U.S., the 1961 spike mike case. We then began our discussion of Katz v. U.S. We clarified that the first issue was whether there had been a "search" by the placement of the listening device. We saw how the police carefully structured their activities to come within the existing precedent, and then how the Court changed the question that defined whether there had been a search. We will pick up with the specifics of the the Katz test on Tuesday.
The assignment for Tuesday 9/10 is to review the previously assigned portion of the text (pp.48-67), and to read and consider the effect of the Bangor ordinance on the Greenwood analysis. In addition, as time permits, read the majority opinion in Jardines.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
September 3, 2019
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Tuesday 9/3, I distributed 4 handouts: the syllabus (reproduced below), the Maine Supreme Court case of State v. Rutherford, some questions to guide your reading of Rutherford; and an excerpt from the Maine Rules of Evidence. We went over the Syllabus, and then began our investigation of the Rutherford case. We went over several different types of enacted rules: constitutions; statutes; regulations; ordinances; executive orders; rules of court; and contracts. We went over the vocabulary of plaintiff/defendant and of cause of action. We discussed Maine citation form, and the Maine rule about the order of the parties listed in the citation to a case.
The assignment for Thursday 9/5 is to read the 4 handouts from today. We had gotten partway through the Rutherford questions, and so think about those questions as you make your way though the Rutherford case.
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW Fall 2019
Sol Goldman e-mail: solomon.goldman@maine.edu
Blog: www.goldmanmaine.blogspot.com
Office Hours: I will be in 241B N. Stevens from 8:00-9:15 and 11:00-12:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment.
Description: This course is designed to educate students in the American legal system, focusing on its evolution and function as a dynamic social instrument.
Textbook: Introduction to Law and the Legal System, 11th edition, Schubert, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2015.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify our various court systems, both federal and state
2. Understand the role of appellate and trial courts (e.g. findings of fact v. findings of law)
3. Identify various levels of review by appellate courts (e.g. de novo, clear error)
4. Identify stages of litigation (e.g. summary judgment, trial) and their implications for appellate review
5. Identify and critically analyze the use of precedent (e.g. mandatory v. persuasive; distinguish v. follow)
6. Identify the interplay between legislative and judicial lawmaking (e.g. common law, legislative intent)
7. Produce a case brief that succinctly leads to a statement of a court opinion’s holding
8. Critically analyze judicial decisions
9. Identify and critically analyze a sampling of substantive and procedural legal rules.
Grading:
1. Two homework assignments, each 21.25% of the final grade
2. Two tests, each 21.25% of the final grade
3. Class participation and attendance 15% of the final grade
[Grading plan is subject to change]
How I calculate the final grade:
I first convert each grade to a number on a 4.0 scale. So, for example, an A- is 3.67, B is 3.00, C+ 2.33, and C- is 1.67. I multiply that number by the percentage that the individual grade makes up of the final grade (here, 21.25%). So the A- is .78, the B is .64, the C+ is .50 and the C- is .35. Add them together for 2.27.
Attendance and participation is the remaining 15% of the grade. I take your unexcused absences and assign a letter grade (A-F). If you have participated usefully in class discussions, I can raise that grade by an appropriate amount. So, in our example, let’s say that you’ve had three unexcused absences during the semester, and I assign a preliminary grade of B. But you’ve participated unusually well in our class discussions, and so I raise that to an A. I convert that A to a 4.00, and multiply by the 15% of the final grade for participation and attendance. That’s .60. Added to the 2.27, that’s now 2.87.
An A is 3.83 to 4.00. A- is 3.50 to 3.82. B+ is 3.15 to 3.49. B is 2.83 to 3.14. B- is 2.50 to 2.82. And so on. In the example, 2.87= B as the final grade. Note that if there had not been the participation boost, the attendance grade of B would have converted to .45, which added to 2.27 would have yielded 2.72, or B-. If the student had say, 9 unexcused absences, that would be an F for participation and attendance, and the resulting 2.27 would leave a final grade of C+.
Policies:
1. Homework should be typed. Homework that is not typed may be rejected, at the discretion of the instructor.
2. There are no extra credit assignments.
3. Homework that is not passed in by the time it is due may receive a zero, at the discretion of the instructor. If homework is accepted late, then it may have a grade or more deducted. Even if homework is accepted late once, you should expect that a second assignment will not be accepted late. Even if you are absent from class, you should still, if at all possible, get the homework that is due for that class meeting to me on time. If you must be absent from class, you may e-mail your homework to me. At the discretion of the instructor, alternative homework assignments may be given in lieu of the original assignment.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
I will confirm any work that is submitted to me by e-mail. If you do not get a confirmation from me, the work has not been considered submitted.
4. I expect everyone to take the exams when they are given. If an emergency arises, it is your responsibility to be in touch with me as soon as possible. The decision on whether you will be allowed to make up a missed exam is at the discretion of the instructor. If you are allowed to make up an exam, you must have completed the make-up exam before the beginning of the class period in which the exam is handed back (generally, the next class).
Make-up examinations, if allowed, will be scheduled at the instructor’s discretion.
5. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students who cheat will be subject to a range of penalties, from grade deductions to failure of the assignment to failure of the course, at the discretion of the instructor. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: copying from another student’s papers, exams or homework assignments; reading from another student’s notes or written materials during an exam; allowing work to be copied by another student; collaboration on homework assignments; plagiarism. Do not discuss your work with other students; do not show your work to other students or look at their work. If we have discussed some aspect of the homework in class, do not talk to other students about our classroom discussion. In addition to any academic action taken by an instructor, these violations are also subject to action under the University of Maine Student Conduct Code. The maximum possible sanction under the student conduct code is dismissal from the University.
Special Accommodations: If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility Services, 121 East Annex, 581.2319, as early as possible in the term. Students who have already been approved for accommodations by SAS and have a current accommodation letter should meet with me (the instructor of the course) privately as soon as possible.
Attendance Policy-
I expect that you will attend all classes. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class and monitored throughout the semester. Students who regularly attend classes are more likely to succeed in the class overall.
If you have a good reason for being absent from class, so that I should consider the absence to be an excused absence, it is your responsibility to e-mail me before or immediately following the missed class, to explain why you believe that the absence should be excused. The decision to excuse the absence will be at the discretion of the instructor. Each absence requires a separate, timely email to me. I keep track of excused absences only by the e-mail record, so e-mail is the only acceptable method of letting me know about absences that should be excused.
I will respond by email to every email notice of absence sent to me. If you get no timely response from me (usually, end of the day) it means that I have not received your absence notice, and therefore cannot consider it for an excused absence
Students will be responsible for the material covered in each class, including lecture notes. Therefore, I encourage you to get to know your classmates and to make sure that you have a complete set of lecture notes.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get the assignment for the following class. You can get it from the blog, from a fellow student, or you can e-mail me, but I expect you to come to the following class prepared. At the end of each class session the assignment for the following class will be announced. That assignment will also be posted on the blog.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get any handouts that were distributed to the class.
Homework Assignments and Exams:
This syllabus does not contain a schedule of specific class-by-class homework assignments and exam schedules, because I have found that I invariably stray from such a schedule. Instead, I will announce in class the actual dates, and also post that information on the blog. If you miss class, always check the blog for information on what we covered in class, and what the assignment is for the future classes.
NO CELL PHONE USE AND NO COMPUTER USE FOR OTHER THAN APPROVED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES IS ALLOWED IN CLASS.
Sexual Discrimination Reporting
The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell a teacher about an experience of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct or any form of gender discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, please contact these resources:
For confidential resources on campus: Counseling Center: 207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at 207-581-4000.
For confidential resources off campus: Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800-863-9909.
Other resources: The resources listed below can offer support but may have to report the incident to others who can help:
For support services on campus: Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406, Office of Community Standards: 207-581-1409, University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911. Or see the OSAVP website for a complete list of services at http://www.umaine.edu/osavp/
In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/3, I distributed 3 handouts: the syllabus (reproduced below), some questions raised by the text of the 4th Amendment; and a list of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices. We went over the Syllabus, the SCOTUS Justices, and the 4th Amendment text and questions.
The assignment for Thursday 9/5 is to read in the text pp. 48-67, including Katz and Greenwood.
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
POS 484 AMERICAN CONSTITUTION AND CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS Fall 2019
Sol Goldman e-mail: solomon.goldman@maine.edu
Blog: www.goldmanmaine.blogspot.com
Office Hours: I will be in 241B N. Stevens from 8:00-9:15 and 11:00-12:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment.
Description: This course examines the development of Supreme Court doctrines governing the jurisprudence of constitutional rights afforded the criminally accused. Areas examined include the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments to the Constitution and their applicability to the states via the 14th Amendment.
Textbook: Matthew Lippman, Criminal Procedure, 4th Edition, Sage Publications
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to
1. Identify and critically analyze constitutional rules regarding criminal procedure.
2. Identify and critically analyze implementation arguments in favor of certain judicial outcomes and philosophies (e.g. ease of implementation of a rule; consistency v. flexibility; broad v. narrow scope of decisions).
3. Identify and critically analyze approaches to constitutional analysis (e.g. textualism, originalism, evolving standards).
4. Understand the process by which precedent is followed, extended, limited or overruled.
Grading:
1. Two homework assignments, each 21.25% of the final grade
2. Two tests, each 21.25% of the final grade
3. Class participation and attendance 15% of the final grade
[Grading plan is subject to change]
How I calculate the final grade:
I first convert each grade to a number on a 4.0 scale. So, for example, an A- is 3.67, B is 3.00, C+ 2.33, and C- is 1.67. I multiply that number by the percentage that the individual grade makes up of the final grade (here, 21.25%). So the A- is .78, the B is .64, the C+ is .50 and the C- is .35. Add them together for 2.27.
Attendance and participation is the remaining 15% of the grade. I take your unexcused absences and assign a letter grade (A-F). If you have participated usefully in class discussions, I can raise that grade by an appropriate amount. So, in our example, let’s say that you’ve had three unexcused absences during the semester, and I assign a preliminary grade of B. But you’ve participated unusually well in our class discussions, and so I raise that to an A. I convert that A to a 4.00, and multiply by the 15% of the final grade for participation and attendance. That’s .60. Added to the 2.27, that’s now 2.87.
An A is 3.83 to 4.00. A- is 3.50 to 3.82. B+ is 3.15 to 3.49. B is 2.83 to 3.14. B- is 2.50 to 2.82. And so on. In the example, 2.87= B as the final grade. Note that if there had not been the participation boost, the attendance grade of B would have converted to .45, which added to 2.27 would have yielded 2.72, or B-. If the student had say, 9 unexcused absences, that would be an F for participation and attendance, and the resulting 2.27 would leave a final grade of C+.
Policies:
1. Homework should be typed. Homework that is not typed may be rejected, at the discretion of the instructor.
2. There are no extra credit assignments.
3. Homework that is not passed in by the time it is due may receive a zero, at the discretion of the instructor. If homework is accepted late, then it may have a grade or more deducted. Even if homework is accepted late once, you should expect that a second assignment will not be accepted late. Even if you are absent from class, you should still, if at all possible, get the homework that is due for that class meeting to me on time. If you must be absent from class, you may e-mail your homework to me. At the discretion of the instructor, alternative homework assignments may be given in lieu of the original assignment.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
I will confirm any work that is submitted to me by e-mail. If you do not get a confirmation from me, the work has not been considered submitted.
4. I expect everyone to take the exams when they are given. If an emergency arises, it is your responsibility to be in touch with me as soon as possible. The decision on whether you will be allowed to make up a missed exam is at the discretion of the instructor. If you are allowed to make up an exam, you must have completed the make-up exam before the beginning of the class period in which the exam is handed back (generally, the next class).
Make-up examinations, if allowed, will be scheduled at the instructor’s discretion.
5. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students who cheat will be subject to a range of penalties, from grade deductions to failure of the assignment to failure of the course, at the discretion of the instructor. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: copying from another student’s papers, exams or homework assignments; reading from another student’s notes or written materials during an exam; allowing work to be copied by another student; collaboration on homework assignments; plagiarism. Do not discuss your work with other students; do not show your work to other students or look at their work. If we have discussed some aspect of the homework in class, do not talk to other students about our classroom discussion. In addition to any academic action taken by an instructor, these violations are also subject to action under the University of Maine Student Conduct Code. The maximum possible sanction under the student conduct code is dismissal from the University.
Special Accommodations: If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319, as early as possible in the term. Students who have already been approved for accommodations by SAS and have a current accommodation letter should meet with me (the instructor of the course) privately as soon as possible.
Attendance Policy-
I expect that you will attend all classes. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class and monitored throughout the semester. Students who regularly attend classes are more likely to succeed in the class overall.
If you have a good reason for being absent from class, so that I should consider the absence to be an excused absence, it is your responsibility to e-mail me before or immediately following the missed class, to explain why you believe that the absence should be excused. The decision to excuse the absence will be at the discretion of the instructor. Each absence requires a separate, timely email to me. I keep track of excused absences only by the e-mail record, so e-mail is the only acceptable method of letting me know about absences that should be excused.
I will respond by email to every email notice of absence sent to me. If you get no timely response from me (usually, end of the day) it means that I have not received your absence notice, and therefore cannot consider it for an excused absence
Students will be responsible for the material covered in each class, including lecture notes. Therefore, I encourage you to get to know your classmates and to make sure that you have a complete set of lecture notes.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get the assignment for the following class. You can get it from the blog, from a fellow student, or you can e-mail me, but I expect you to come to the following class prepared. At the end of each class session the assignment for the following class will be announced. That assignment will also be posted on the blog.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get any handouts that were distributed to the class.
Homework Assignments and Exams:
This syllabus does not contain a schedule of specific class-by-class homework assignments and exam schedules, because I have found that I invariably stray from such a schedule. Instead, I will announce in class the actual dates, and also post that information on the blog. If you miss class, always check the blog for information on what we covered in class, and what the assignment is for the future classes.
NO CELL PHONE USE AND NO COMPUTER USE FOR OTHER THAN APPROVED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES IS ALLOWED IN CLASS.
In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.
Sexual Discrimination Reporting
The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell a teacher about an experience of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct or any form of gender discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, please contact these resources:
For confidential resources on campus: Counseling Center: 207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at 207-581-4000.
For confidential resources off campus: Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800-863-9909.
Other resources: The resources listed below can offer support but may have to report the incident to others who can help:
For support services on campus: Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406, Office of Community Standards: 207-581-1409, University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911. Or see the OSAVP website for a complete list of services at http://www.umaine.edu/osavp/
In class today, Tuesday 9/3, I distributed 4 handouts: the syllabus (reproduced below), the Maine Supreme Court case of State v. Rutherford, some questions to guide your reading of Rutherford; and an excerpt from the Maine Rules of Evidence. We went over the Syllabus, and then began our investigation of the Rutherford case. We went over several different types of enacted rules: constitutions; statutes; regulations; ordinances; executive orders; rules of court; and contracts. We went over the vocabulary of plaintiff/defendant and of cause of action. We discussed Maine citation form, and the Maine rule about the order of the parties listed in the citation to a case.
The assignment for Thursday 9/5 is to read the 4 handouts from today. We had gotten partway through the Rutherford questions, and so think about those questions as you make your way though the Rutherford case.
POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW Fall 2019
Sol Goldman e-mail: solomon.goldman@maine.edu
Blog: www.goldmanmaine.blogspot.com
Office Hours: I will be in 241B N. Stevens from 8:00-9:15 and 11:00-12:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment.
Description: This course is designed to educate students in the American legal system, focusing on its evolution and function as a dynamic social instrument.
Textbook: Introduction to Law and the Legal System, 11th edition, Schubert, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2015.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify our various court systems, both federal and state
2. Understand the role of appellate and trial courts (e.g. findings of fact v. findings of law)
3. Identify various levels of review by appellate courts (e.g. de novo, clear error)
4. Identify stages of litigation (e.g. summary judgment, trial) and their implications for appellate review
5. Identify and critically analyze the use of precedent (e.g. mandatory v. persuasive; distinguish v. follow)
6. Identify the interplay between legislative and judicial lawmaking (e.g. common law, legislative intent)
7. Produce a case brief that succinctly leads to a statement of a court opinion’s holding
8. Critically analyze judicial decisions
9. Identify and critically analyze a sampling of substantive and procedural legal rules.
Grading:
1. Two homework assignments, each 21.25% of the final grade
2. Two tests, each 21.25% of the final grade
3. Class participation and attendance 15% of the final grade
[Grading plan is subject to change]
How I calculate the final grade:
I first convert each grade to a number on a 4.0 scale. So, for example, an A- is 3.67, B is 3.00, C+ 2.33, and C- is 1.67. I multiply that number by the percentage that the individual grade makes up of the final grade (here, 21.25%). So the A- is .78, the B is .64, the C+ is .50 and the C- is .35. Add them together for 2.27.
Attendance and participation is the remaining 15% of the grade. I take your unexcused absences and assign a letter grade (A-F). If you have participated usefully in class discussions, I can raise that grade by an appropriate amount. So, in our example, let’s say that you’ve had three unexcused absences during the semester, and I assign a preliminary grade of B. But you’ve participated unusually well in our class discussions, and so I raise that to an A. I convert that A to a 4.00, and multiply by the 15% of the final grade for participation and attendance. That’s .60. Added to the 2.27, that’s now 2.87.
An A is 3.83 to 4.00. A- is 3.50 to 3.82. B+ is 3.15 to 3.49. B is 2.83 to 3.14. B- is 2.50 to 2.82. And so on. In the example, 2.87= B as the final grade. Note that if there had not been the participation boost, the attendance grade of B would have converted to .45, which added to 2.27 would have yielded 2.72, or B-. If the student had say, 9 unexcused absences, that would be an F for participation and attendance, and the resulting 2.27 would leave a final grade of C+.
Policies:
1. Homework should be typed. Homework that is not typed may be rejected, at the discretion of the instructor.
2. There are no extra credit assignments.
3. Homework that is not passed in by the time it is due may receive a zero, at the discretion of the instructor. If homework is accepted late, then it may have a grade or more deducted. Even if homework is accepted late once, you should expect that a second assignment will not be accepted late. Even if you are absent from class, you should still, if at all possible, get the homework that is due for that class meeting to me on time. If you must be absent from class, you may e-mail your homework to me. At the discretion of the instructor, alternative homework assignments may be given in lieu of the original assignment.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
I will confirm any work that is submitted to me by e-mail. If you do not get a confirmation from me, the work has not been considered submitted.
4. I expect everyone to take the exams when they are given. If an emergency arises, it is your responsibility to be in touch with me as soon as possible. The decision on whether you will be allowed to make up a missed exam is at the discretion of the instructor. If you are allowed to make up an exam, you must have completed the make-up exam before the beginning of the class period in which the exam is handed back (generally, the next class).
Make-up examinations, if allowed, will be scheduled at the instructor’s discretion.
5. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students who cheat will be subject to a range of penalties, from grade deductions to failure of the assignment to failure of the course, at the discretion of the instructor. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: copying from another student’s papers, exams or homework assignments; reading from another student’s notes or written materials during an exam; allowing work to be copied by another student; collaboration on homework assignments; plagiarism. Do not discuss your work with other students; do not show your work to other students or look at their work. If we have discussed some aspect of the homework in class, do not talk to other students about our classroom discussion. In addition to any academic action taken by an instructor, these violations are also subject to action under the University of Maine Student Conduct Code. The maximum possible sanction under the student conduct code is dismissal from the University.
Special Accommodations: If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility Services, 121 East Annex, 581.2319, as early as possible in the term. Students who have already been approved for accommodations by SAS and have a current accommodation letter should meet with me (the instructor of the course) privately as soon as possible.
Attendance Policy-
I expect that you will attend all classes. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class and monitored throughout the semester. Students who regularly attend classes are more likely to succeed in the class overall.
If you have a good reason for being absent from class, so that I should consider the absence to be an excused absence, it is your responsibility to e-mail me before or immediately following the missed class, to explain why you believe that the absence should be excused. The decision to excuse the absence will be at the discretion of the instructor. Each absence requires a separate, timely email to me. I keep track of excused absences only by the e-mail record, so e-mail is the only acceptable method of letting me know about absences that should be excused.
I will respond by email to every email notice of absence sent to me. If you get no timely response from me (usually, end of the day) it means that I have not received your absence notice, and therefore cannot consider it for an excused absence
Students will be responsible for the material covered in each class, including lecture notes. Therefore, I encourage you to get to know your classmates and to make sure that you have a complete set of lecture notes.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get the assignment for the following class. You can get it from the blog, from a fellow student, or you can e-mail me, but I expect you to come to the following class prepared. At the end of each class session the assignment for the following class will be announced. That assignment will also be posted on the blog.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get any handouts that were distributed to the class.
Homework Assignments and Exams:
This syllabus does not contain a schedule of specific class-by-class homework assignments and exam schedules, because I have found that I invariably stray from such a schedule. Instead, I will announce in class the actual dates, and also post that information on the blog. If you miss class, always check the blog for information on what we covered in class, and what the assignment is for the future classes.
NO CELL PHONE USE AND NO COMPUTER USE FOR OTHER THAN APPROVED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES IS ALLOWED IN CLASS.
Sexual Discrimination Reporting
The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell a teacher about an experience of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct or any form of gender discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, please contact these resources:
For confidential resources on campus: Counseling Center: 207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at 207-581-4000.
For confidential resources off campus: Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800-863-9909.
Other resources: The resources listed below can offer support but may have to report the incident to others who can help:
For support services on campus: Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406, Office of Community Standards: 207-581-1409, University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911. Or see the OSAVP website for a complete list of services at http://www.umaine.edu/osavp/
In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.
POS 484 CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS
In class today, Tuesday 9/3, I distributed 3 handouts: the syllabus (reproduced below), some questions raised by the text of the 4th Amendment; and a list of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices. We went over the Syllabus, the SCOTUS Justices, and the 4th Amendment text and questions.
The assignment for Thursday 9/5 is to read in the text pp. 48-67, including Katz and Greenwood.
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
POS 484 AMERICAN CONSTITUTION AND CRIMINAL DUE PROCESS Fall 2019
Sol Goldman e-mail: solomon.goldman@maine.edu
Blog: www.goldmanmaine.blogspot.com
Office Hours: I will be in 241B N. Stevens from 8:00-9:15 and 11:00-12:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment.
Description: This course examines the development of Supreme Court doctrines governing the jurisprudence of constitutional rights afforded the criminally accused. Areas examined include the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments to the Constitution and their applicability to the states via the 14th Amendment.
Textbook: Matthew Lippman, Criminal Procedure, 4th Edition, Sage Publications
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to
1. Identify and critically analyze constitutional rules regarding criminal procedure.
2. Identify and critically analyze implementation arguments in favor of certain judicial outcomes and philosophies (e.g. ease of implementation of a rule; consistency v. flexibility; broad v. narrow scope of decisions).
3. Identify and critically analyze approaches to constitutional analysis (e.g. textualism, originalism, evolving standards).
4. Understand the process by which precedent is followed, extended, limited or overruled.
Grading:
1. Two homework assignments, each 21.25% of the final grade
2. Two tests, each 21.25% of the final grade
3. Class participation and attendance 15% of the final grade
[Grading plan is subject to change]
How I calculate the final grade:
I first convert each grade to a number on a 4.0 scale. So, for example, an A- is 3.67, B is 3.00, C+ 2.33, and C- is 1.67. I multiply that number by the percentage that the individual grade makes up of the final grade (here, 21.25%). So the A- is .78, the B is .64, the C+ is .50 and the C- is .35. Add them together for 2.27.
Attendance and participation is the remaining 15% of the grade. I take your unexcused absences and assign a letter grade (A-F). If you have participated usefully in class discussions, I can raise that grade by an appropriate amount. So, in our example, let’s say that you’ve had three unexcused absences during the semester, and I assign a preliminary grade of B. But you’ve participated unusually well in our class discussions, and so I raise that to an A. I convert that A to a 4.00, and multiply by the 15% of the final grade for participation and attendance. That’s .60. Added to the 2.27, that’s now 2.87.
An A is 3.83 to 4.00. A- is 3.50 to 3.82. B+ is 3.15 to 3.49. B is 2.83 to 3.14. B- is 2.50 to 2.82. And so on. In the example, 2.87= B as the final grade. Note that if there had not been the participation boost, the attendance grade of B would have converted to .45, which added to 2.27 would have yielded 2.72, or B-. If the student had say, 9 unexcused absences, that would be an F for participation and attendance, and the resulting 2.27 would leave a final grade of C+.
Policies:
1. Homework should be typed. Homework that is not typed may be rejected, at the discretion of the instructor.
2. There are no extra credit assignments.
3. Homework that is not passed in by the time it is due may receive a zero, at the discretion of the instructor. If homework is accepted late, then it may have a grade or more deducted. Even if homework is accepted late once, you should expect that a second assignment will not be accepted late. Even if you are absent from class, you should still, if at all possible, get the homework that is due for that class meeting to me on time. If you must be absent from class, you may e-mail your homework to me. At the discretion of the instructor, alternative homework assignments may be given in lieu of the original assignment.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
I will confirm any work that is submitted to me by e-mail. If you do not get a confirmation from me, the work has not been considered submitted.
4. I expect everyone to take the exams when they are given. If an emergency arises, it is your responsibility to be in touch with me as soon as possible. The decision on whether you will be allowed to make up a missed exam is at the discretion of the instructor. If you are allowed to make up an exam, you must have completed the make-up exam before the beginning of the class period in which the exam is handed back (generally, the next class).
Make-up examinations, if allowed, will be scheduled at the instructor’s discretion.
5. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students who cheat will be subject to a range of penalties, from grade deductions to failure of the assignment to failure of the course, at the discretion of the instructor. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: copying from another student’s papers, exams or homework assignments; reading from another student’s notes or written materials during an exam; allowing work to be copied by another student; collaboration on homework assignments; plagiarism. Do not discuss your work with other students; do not show your work to other students or look at their work. If we have discussed some aspect of the homework in class, do not talk to other students about our classroom discussion. In addition to any academic action taken by an instructor, these violations are also subject to action under the University of Maine Student Conduct Code. The maximum possible sanction under the student conduct code is dismissal from the University.
Special Accommodations: If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319, as early as possible in the term. Students who have already been approved for accommodations by SAS and have a current accommodation letter should meet with me (the instructor of the course) privately as soon as possible.
Attendance Policy-
I expect that you will attend all classes. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class and monitored throughout the semester. Students who regularly attend classes are more likely to succeed in the class overall.
If you have a good reason for being absent from class, so that I should consider the absence to be an excused absence, it is your responsibility to e-mail me before or immediately following the missed class, to explain why you believe that the absence should be excused. The decision to excuse the absence will be at the discretion of the instructor. Each absence requires a separate, timely email to me. I keep track of excused absences only by the e-mail record, so e-mail is the only acceptable method of letting me know about absences that should be excused.
I will respond by email to every email notice of absence sent to me. If you get no timely response from me (usually, end of the day) it means that I have not received your absence notice, and therefore cannot consider it for an excused absence
Students will be responsible for the material covered in each class, including lecture notes. Therefore, I encourage you to get to know your classmates and to make sure that you have a complete set of lecture notes.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get the assignment for the following class. You can get it from the blog, from a fellow student, or you can e-mail me, but I expect you to come to the following class prepared. At the end of each class session the assignment for the following class will be announced. That assignment will also be posted on the blog.
If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to get any handouts that were distributed to the class.
Homework Assignments and Exams:
This syllabus does not contain a schedule of specific class-by-class homework assignments and exam schedules, because I have found that I invariably stray from such a schedule. Instead, I will announce in class the actual dates, and also post that information on the blog. If you miss class, always check the blog for information on what we covered in class, and what the assignment is for the future classes.
NO CELL PHONE USE AND NO COMPUTER USE FOR OTHER THAN APPROVED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES IS ALLOWED IN CLASS.
In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.
Sexual Discrimination Reporting
The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell a teacher about an experience of sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct or any form of gender discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, please contact these resources:
For confidential resources on campus: Counseling Center: 207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at 207-581-4000.
For confidential resources off campus: Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800-863-9909.
Other resources: The resources listed below can offer support but may have to report the incident to others who can help:
For support services on campus: Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406, Office of Community Standards: 207-581-1409, University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911. Or see the OSAVP website for a complete list of services at http://www.umaine.edu/osavp/
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