Course Syllabus

CRJ 2020 American Judicial Process

Community College of Vermont   Summer 2026

Anne E. Buttimer, MA, JD, Esq.– instructor

Anne.buttimer@ccv.edu

Course Description

This course provides students with an overview of the American judicial process, examining its history, structure, and operation. Topics considered include court organization and administration, the courtroom work group, the trial and appellate processes, problems that plague the courts, and alternatives to courts for conflict resolution. Prerequisite: Introduction to Criminal Justice

Essential Objectives

1. Describe the history and structure of the federal and state courts in addition to the court system in Vermont.
2. Discuss the role and functions of special courts and appellate courts.
3. Evaluate the constitutional protections in criminal law and their effects on criminal courts
4. Contrast the adversary law system with civil law systems.
5. Assess the professional and ethical obligations of prosecutors and judges, the role of defense attorneys, and the functions of other court personnel.
6. Discuss the role of judges in the courtroom and beyond and their role in balancing the rights of victims and defendants.
7. Evaluate current trends in sentencing and sentencing options and their impact on incarceration disparities, including mandatory minimums and three-strikes legislation at federal and state levels.
8. Analyze the need for use of bail and plea-bargaining in the criminal justice system.
9. Outline the evolution of the juvenile justice and juvenile courts system
10. Explore how inequities within the American judicial system both reflect and impact societal disparities of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation.

Textbook

 We use a free, open-source textbook from publisher OpenStax, part of Rice University in Texas.  You'll follow links each week to the readings for that week. There is nothing to buy and nothing to download.  We won't use all the chapters, just select ones that I'll give you links to weekly.  

American Government third edition from OpenStax at Rice University

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-3e/pages/1-introduction

The rest of our readings are from state and federal government websites, I provide the links to all.

How to Cite to Our Book

Remember to cite to our book as your first source for research and citations.

In-text:  (American Government 3^e p. 69 2024) If you download the book to your device  you’ll get page numbers.  If you don’t have page numbers, instead use the section number this way (American Government 3e sect. 6.2 2024)

References section: American Government 3e (2024) OpenStax Rice University 

https://openstax.org/books/american-government-3e/pages/1-introduction

Using APA in-text citations and a References section in all work, weeks 2-12

Any sources you use to include our book must be cited using APA citation format. There are no exceptions. All work that you post in weeks 2 through 12 must have APA in-text citations and a References section. 

How to Cite to other Sources and Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition) - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

Reference List: Basic Rules - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

Reference List: Electronic Sources - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University

A key rule for citations: If you cite a source in References there must be at least one in-text citation to it, otherwise there's no reason to have it in References. Likewise if you have an in-text citation there must be a corresponding References citation.

Authoritative research sources

Starting in week 2 our e-textbook is your first source for research in many weeks of our class, depending on the prompt you answer.  Using non-authoritative sources means your answers will likely be incorrect and you don't want that.

You may reliably use .gov sources, Vermont or federal, as well as Legal Information Institute (LII) at Cornell Law School LII Cornell Law School.   Investopedia (has lots beyond business research) Investopedia.  Also, Justia.com and Oyez.com for cases.  ScienceDirect.com for summaries of scholarly journals in law (not just science!).

Also, any relevant research that you find at CCV's library databases in working with our librarians or once you know how to conduct research on your own.  You may also use VT Digger VT Digge. or Vermont Public VT Public.  or National Public Radio and its affiliate stations NPR etc. or PBS News  Hour and other programs on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) PBS 

Also, Brennan Center for Justice; Death Penalty Information Center; Pew Research Center;  World Population Review;  American Immigration Council; The Sentencing Project; World Health Organization (use for US data only); Violence Policy Center; relevant scholarly journals (you'll want to work with our librarians to find these - use only journals that deal with US subjects); relevant law review articles (these are the scholarly journals of the legal profession, you'll want to work with our librarians to find these - use only articles that deal with US subjects); Equal Justice Initiative; Vera Institute for Justice;  National Sexual Violence Resource Center; RAINN (National Sexual Abuse Hotline). 

 Also, The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal. Be sure to use permalinks from our library for them. Do not use any sources behind a pay wall.  Do not use any sources or articles that are not based in the US. We learn and use only the US legal system.   Do not use any sources not listed here without emailing me first. This is to save you from using incorrect information from unreliable sources.

How to Create a Permalink to a Research Source from our Library

 https://libraries.vsc.edu/research/searching/saving-linking.  You'll need this for your Reference sections/citations.

Learning Methods

We use discussions every week to replicate the discussions we'd have in an in-person class. Our subject matter lends itself well to them. In addition to discussions based on our book we will also use:

Videos and two movies

TED Talks

Analysis of Vermont's court system and discussions about needed changes in our courts, Vermont and federal.

Research conducted with the assistance of our CCV librarians (great people!)

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.  Please note that work suspected of being done by AI will receive a grade of "0."

Modeling Professional Workplace Conduct

We model professional workplace conduct by being on time or early. These are time management skills and they are vital to use in criminal justice settings so we help you get a start on them by practicing them in our class.   We address everyone in a courteous and respectful manner in class and via video recordings and emails.  Part of your responsibility to self and others is knowing our syllabus thoroughly and following all prompts and instructions.

Weekly Schedule

Here's the schedule by day for each week all semester. Put these due times in your calendar now and set time earlier in the week to complete your work. This is a discussion based course where students and faculty interact several times each week through posts.

Monday - read all posts in class and review work for the coming week and start your reading.

Tuesday - per CCV’s schedule the new week starts.

Friday - post your Discussion answer by 6 pm VT time. Use college level writing skills (see Grading & Writing Rubric in week 1 in Canvas).  This is worth up to 70 points.

If you post your answer after 6 pm VT time you’ll have automatically taken 10 points off whatever your grade would have been. This applies even if your work is only a few minutes late.  Read my reply to you in class and view my Canvas grade book video comments to you as soon as I make them so you know what your follow up questions are.

Post your work by typing your answer into a posting. Do not use attachments.

Canvas is set so you must post your work before you're able to read anyone else's posts. Canvas is also set so that you can’t edit or delete your posts, this is to keep the rare not-honest student from reading classmates’ postings and then revising their work. If you post something in error and need it deleted, please email me.

Saturday – read all posts and decide which two classmates you’ll reply to. Respond to classmates who answered a different prompt than you did and who don’t already have a reply posted by someone else. Respond to my follow up questions.

Responses to classmates must explore their answer and the research sources they cited to include our book. Do not ask questions, posts with questions will receive an automatic grade of “0.” Why? Everyone has more than enough work so it’s not fair to have additional questions for them to answer. Each response to a classmate is worth up to 10 points.

Your response to my follow up questions must use APA in-text citations and a References section. Your follow up response is worth up to 10 points.  

Sunday – finish replying to two classmates and me. All are due by 6 pm Sunday VT time.

Monday - review our work for the coming week and start your reading. I will post your grade for the week sometime today.

It's Been One of Those Weeks!

Life happens while we're going to college. Someone gets sick, the boss piles on overtime, or we have one of our frequent Vermont power outages. If this happens to you, we have a twice-a-semester "it's been one of those weeks" option to post your work by 6 pm Sunday of that week (instead of the usual 6 pm Friday due time) and for me to not ask you a follow up question, and for you not to reply to classmates.

To take advantage of this offer you need to email me by 6 pm Friday of the week you're taking it so I know to adjust grading and attendance records correctly.  You don't need to tell me why you're taking the option, just that you are.  You are responsible to keep track of the weeks you use this option. Because 30 points of your grade each week is based on replies to classmates and me, and because you won't be doing that work and hence not earning those points, please only use this option when your circumstances tell you it's your best option.

Learning Center Online Live (LCOL)  

You can access a CCV learning coach in either real time virtually, or in-person (at some not all CCV centers), or remotely, to drop work and receive it back later.  These options are totally free to anyone taking a CCV class.  You access this service, called the Learning Center Online Live (LCOL) via a tile in your portal that has this title. This is your best option for help with writing.  Do not ask for tutoring in our subject matter, ask me for that. The best tutor for writing is Mr David White, a CCV English instructor who also works as a writing coach in our LCOL.  You can find his and all tutors' hours in the LCOL tile in the portal. 

Grades

A+ = an average of 98-100       A = an average of 93 -97      A- = an average of 90-92
B+ = an average of 87-89         B = an average of 83-86       B- = an average of 80-82
C+ = an average of 77-79         C = an average of 73-76       C- = an average of 70-72
D+ = an average of 67-69         D = an average of 63-67      D- = an average of 60 - 62
F = an average of 59 or lower

If you want to stop reading here you can, at least until class starts! If you want to know about our readings, discussions, and specific topics please read on.

Weekly Reading and Discussions

Week 1 Begins  Tuesday 5/26  Ends Monday  6/1  Introductions

Syllabus Reading  Read the course syllabus and related documents in the top of screen area of class. You are responsible for knowing and following all the information there.

Textbook  As noted at the start of our syllabus we'll use select chapters from a free, open-source textbook published by OpenStax at Rice University in Texas.   To give you needed context for our study of courts you must understand that courts are one of three branches of government, this is true in our federal government and in each of the 50 state governments in our country. This week read Chapter 11 Congress https://openstax.org/books/american-government-3e/pages/11-introduction  and Chapter 12 The Presidency   https://openstax.org/books/american-government-3e/pages/12-introduction 

 

Online Reading  We start our semester by studying our nation's federal courts and using our digital textbook. I give you links to each week's readings in the book.  In the second part of the course we study Vermont's court system, and consider justice reform issues.  We’ll use the Vermont Judiciary website extensively, bookmark it now.  Vermont Judiciary

Discussion  There are two parts of the discussion. Both are required. Post both in the same post with a line (-------------) between the two. Posts missing one part or the other will receive a grade of zero (0).

Part 1 - Write a 350-400 word introduction in which you discuss your education and career plans and goals, to include CCV, any college you plan to attend after CCV (or that you’ve already attended) and your professional working world plans. Discuss how you see your study of the material in this course assisting in each stage of your education and work. Include where you went to high school, prior college if relevant, current and past work experience.  What are you prepared to offer yourself, your classmates, and me so that our class is a success for you and everyone? What have you overcome to be here in college, ready to learn?

An answer of this length should be two to three correctly written paragraphs.  This assignment serves the dual purpose of us getting to know one another and gives me a chance to assess your writing skills. Writing at a full college level is vital to your success in our class. See the content/writing rubric in week 1 for details.

Part 2 - copy and paste all the policies starting with How to Cite to our Book and ending with Grades, from our syllabus into a post and at the end, type this statement "I have read and agree to abide by all policies in this class and all information in the syllabus."  Doing so is your commitment to doing so.

 This is due by Friday 6 pm VT time.   Same due times each week. Put the assignment due times in your phone or calendar now, set alerts, and set reminders for enough time in advance to complete your work before it's due.

THEN - answer any questions I ask you  by 6 pm Sunday VT time  and reply to two classmates posts, per the instructions earlier in the syllabus.  Note - these directions apply for the rest of the semester even when not specifically given.

Week 2 Begins  Tuesday  6/2  Ends Monday  6/8  Overview of our nation's courts

View:  This is a 30 min webinar from CCV's library about how to use APA citations. You will need to do this for every week, weeks 2-12, so watching the video now and reviewing it throughout the semester is required.  

 https://vsc.yuja.com/v/librariesAPAcitation.

Read:  In our digital textbook read Chapter 13 The Courts Overview of Courts. sections 13.1 Guardians of the Constitution and Individual Rights  and 13.2 The Dual Court System.

 Also, read and bookmark the Key Terms section for use the rest of the semester.  https://openstax.org/books/american-government-3e/pages/13-key-terms 

Discussion  Answer each of these questions using college level writing skills. Each answer should be 100-110 words long. Number your answers, do not type the questions into your answer. Post all answers together in one posting.

  As noted in the syllabus you must use correct and complete APA in-text citations and a References section. Read the APA guide posted in this week's module.  Work that doesn't meet this minimum standard will not be accepted.

  We use citations all semester, this week is the time to learn them if you don't yet have this skill.  You can also contact Mr David White, contact information is above, in CCV's Learning Center Online Live (LCOL). He's an excellent resource for all things about writing and citations. For any questions about course policies, procedures, and content, always ask me via email to my CCV account.

1. Explain one positive and one negative aspect of the lifetime term of office for judges and justices in the federal court system. Why do you believe the Constitution’s framers chose lifetime terms?
2. What do you find most significant about having a common law system?
3. The existence of the dual court system is an unnecessary duplication to some but beneficial to others. Provide at least one positive and one negative characteristic of having overlapping court systems in the United States.
4. Which court would you consider to be closest to the people? Why? Which court is most removed from the people, and why?

This is due by Friday 6 pm VT time.   Same due times each week. Put the assignment due times in your phone or calendar now, set alerts, and set reminders for enough time in advance to complete your work before it's due.

 Now, answer any questions I ask you, all by 6 pm Sunday VT time and reply to two classmates posts, per the instructions earlier in the syllabus.   These directions apply for the rest of the semester even when not specifically given.

Week 3 Begins Tuesday 6/9  Ends Monday 6/15  The Federal Courts and the US Supreme Court

Read: We're still in chapter 13. Federal Courts

Read section 13.3  The Federal Court System and section 13.4 The Supreme Court

Discussion  Answer each of these questions using college level writing skills. Each answer should be 100-110 words long. Number your answers, do not type the questions into your answer. Post all answers together.

1. What are the reasons why federal judges should not be elected rather than appointed? 

1. When it comes to filling judicial positions in the federal courts, why should the Court reflect the nation's racial, gender, religious, and ethnic variations? 
2. What do the appointments of three of the Supreme Court’s newer justices,  Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown-Jackson reveal about the changing selection process for the High Court?
3. What are the core factors that determine how judges decide court cases?

THEN – follow the directions from week 2 for this week and the rest of the semester.

Week 4 Begins  Tuesday 6/16   Ends Monday 6/22  How the US Supreme Court Makes Decisions

Read  Section 13.5 Judicial Decision-Making and Implementation by the Supreme Court)  US Supreme Court 

Discussion  Answer each of these questions using college level writing skills. Each answer should be 100-110 words long. Number your answers, do not type the questions into your answer. Post all answers together.

1. Discuss some of the difficulties involved in the implementation and enforcement of judicial decisions.
2. In what ways is the court system better suited to protect the individual than are the elected branches of the government?
3. On what types of policy issues do you expect the judicial branch to be especially powerful, and on which do you expect it to exert less power?

 Week 5 Begins Tuesday 6/23   Ends Monday 6/29  Summary of functioning of our federal courts

Read  Fully review chapter 13 using the links above.

Discussion   Answer each of these questions using college level writing skills. Each answer should be 125-150 words long. Number your answers, do not type the questions into your answer.

1 .Discuss the relationship of the judicial branch to the other branches of government. In what ways is the judicial more powerful than other branches? In what ways is SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) less powerful than other branches? Explain.

1. What should be the most important considerations when filling judge and justice positions at the federal level? Why?
2. The shirking of jury duty is a real problem in the United States. Give some reasons for this and suggest what can be done about it. What would be your response if called for jury duty? Have you ever been called? What was the experience like?
3. Take a closer look at some of the operational norms of the Supreme Court, such as the Rule of Four or the prohibition on cameras in the courtroom. Research this topic and explain them as long-standing traditions, and which (if any), should be changed? Explain your answer.

Week 6 Begins  Tuesday 6/30  Ends Monday 7/6  We begin our study of Vermont’s state court system and Ethics for Attorneys and Judges in Vermont

Online Reading  At the Vermont Judiciary website homepage Vermont Judiciary.   Look underneath the white search box for several light blue icons on a white background.  Find the Court Divisions icon and click it, read the material there, and then click on each of the green links below about the seven (7) divisions of state courts in Vermont. Be sure to click the greenish/blue box/link that appears because there’s a lot more information there.

Then go back to the screen with the light blue icons and look left where it says Find A Court and locate the courthouse or courthouses in your county. Vermont has 14 counties.  Each county has a Vermont Superior Court: Civil Division; a Vermont Superior Court: Criminal Division; a Vermont Superior Court: Family Division; and a Probate Court.  The Vermont Judicial Bureau (traffic court and other civil violation matters such as underage drinking violations and fish and game violations) travels around the state to hold court in each county.  Vermont Superior Court: Environmental Division also travels around the state to hold court in each county as needed. The Vermont Supreme Court is one court and has its courthouse in Montpelier, just to the right of the Vermont Statehouse.  

In some counties all the courts are in the same building. In some counties Civil Division, Probate Court, and Small Claims Court, which is a sub-unit of Civil Division are in one courthouse in one town in the county while Criminal Division and Family Division are in another courthouse in another town. This is just how courthouses developed over the decades and centuries of our state’s history.

Also read this short lecture about Vermont’s courts

We have a relatively simple process to understand courts in Vermont so it's a good place to learn about state courts, yet it includes several of the methods our book describes, meaning we can learn a lot in a compact manner.  First, go to    https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/about-vermont-judiciary for a quick introduction to our courts.

Here are our courts:

1) Vermont Supreme Court. One in the state, courthouse on State St. in Montpelier near the State Capitol buidling. Five justices. This is our state's sole appellate court meaning it hears appeals from trial courts. Justices are selected using the merit system and serve six year renewable and reviewable terms and must retire in the year during which they turn 70 years of age.

2) Vermont Superior Court: Civil Division. One in each of Vermont's 14 counties. This is a trial court that decides liability in civil cases (torts, contracts, etc.) Judges are selected using the merit system as above.  Juries are used in this court in some cases.

3) Vermont Superior Court: Criminal Division. One in each of Vermont's 14 counties. This is a trial court that decides culpability in criminal cases. Judges are selected using the merit system as above. Juries are used in this court in some cases.

4) Vermont Superior Court: Family Division. One in each of Vermont's 14 counties. This is a trial court that decides family law issues including divorce, child custody, child support. Judges are selected using the merit system as above.   Juries are never used.

5) Vermont Superior Court: Environmental Division.  There are two, one in the northern part of the state, one in the southern. This trial court hears cases related to Vermont's complex land use law called Act 250, they also hear appeals from town/city zoning board decisions.  Judges (there are two) are selected using the merit system as above.

6) Vermont Superior Court: Probate Division. One in each of Vermont's 14 counties. This is a court that decides cases about wills, trusts, estates of deceased people (called decedents), name changes of adults and children, and adoptions.  Judges are elected in non-partisan elections every four years by the people of each county.

7) Vermont Judicial Bureau. There is one court comprised of several judges, they travel to each county several days a month. This is traffic court.  They also hear underage drinking violation cases and fish and game violation matters.  There are no juries. Judges (called magistrates) are selected using the merit system as described above.

Vermont also has an odd holdover from the late 1700s when we first became a state. Back then there was great distrust of educated people (they were all white men) because it was thought they could interpret and decide the law for themselves at a time when many people couldn't read or write and had to trust those who could. This was the educated class of lawyers, judges, doctors, bankers.  

To counter this fear that educated people would harm or cheat the masses, comprised of farmers, loggers, tradesmen, the first Vermont Constitution, written in 1777, included something called an assistant judge, also called a side judge because they sat at the side of the real judge, one on each side. They were ordinary men from the farming, logging, tradesmen class who sat on cases in Superior Court.  Back then it was the only court in our state and it heard all cases, civil and criminal.  Side judges were elected by the voters of each county (all white men - voters and judges) to "assist" the real judges in making factual determinations in case. Side judges were not allowed to interpret the law (legal precedent) because they had no legal training and hence no ability to make legal decisions.  Instead their job was to make sure the real judges made honest and accurate factual determinations in the cases they heard.

We're long past the need for them but we still have them. In 2010 when the Vermont court system was completely updated and restructured there was a concerted effort to abolish this judgeship because there's no need for them. The people who hold these jobs get a nice paycheck and didn't want to lose it and they rallied Legislators, who had to vote on the terms of the restructuring, to keep them.  So today in the 2020s when judges in Vermont aren’t cheating anyone we still have side judges.  They've  turned out to be the cheats themselves in some cases, most notably Judge Jane Wheel in Chittenden County (Burlington) in the 1980s who padded her expense account outrageously, then denied it, and was prosecuted criminally and stripped of her seat.

Additional Online Reading  Each state has their own rules of professional conduct for attorneys, and a separate, additional set of rules of professional conduct for judges.

Here are Vermont's attorney ethical rules  Yes, it’s 157 pages and a three credit, 15 week semester required course in law school. There’s also a separate post-graduation exam all applicants to the Bar must take and pass, the MPRE (Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam https://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre

The American Bar Association has a separate code of ethics specifically for prosecutors because of the great power they hold.  American Bar Association

Each state also has its own rules of professional conduct for judges.  Ethical Rules for Judges

Please open and skim each of these four documents so you have familiarity with some of the ethics rules attorneys and judges must follow.  You can expect follow up questions from me to you about ethics this week.

Discussion Write a 350-400-word answer in which you  use college level writing skills. Pick any three (3)  of the seven (7)  courts and explain what types of cases that court hears, how judges are selected, whether or not there is a jury, and where, in the county you live in, those courthouses are found (street address and town/city).  Create a new paragraph for each court and use a bolded heading with the court's correct name, eg Vermont Superior Court: Civil Division.

 Week 7 Begins Tuesday 7/7 Ends Monday 7/13   Vermont's state courts cont. and courtroom work group

 Read  This is the second part of learning about Vermont’s state courts. The reading assignment is the same as it was last week, there’s enough information that having two weeks to read it will benefit you.  At the Vermont Judiciary website homepage Vermont Courts Look underneath the white search box for several light blue icons on a white background.   

The topic of judges and how they're selected in our state and nation is an important one.  Please read on, open the links, and read there, too.

Here is what  the American Bar Association (ABA) says about electing state court judges. ABA electing state court judges

What does the late Associate Justice (US Supreme Court) Sandra Day O'Connor say about the practice of electing judges? About 15 years ago after her retirement from the High Court (a nickname for the U.S. Supreme Court) she started a series of education and outreach efforts to reform the practice of elected judges.  Here are some of her interviews, talks, and materials on the subject. Please read and view each one.

(Late) Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on electing judges - a bad idea

(Late) Justice Sandra Day O'Connor further remarks

(Late) Justice Sandra Day O'Connor -i ideas about selecting judges

Judges in Vermont The best summary of how Vermont's judges are selected is found here. Selecting Vermont's Judges

Current career openings in Vermont’s Judiciary  Employment Opportunities | Vermont Judiciary  This isn't just for judges. The Judiciary employs a wide range of staff. This is a great way to work in criminal justice and still have a Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm career with weekends, nights, and holidays off.

Public Defenders in Vermont  Public Defenders in VT   Open the links at screen left and read to get a general understanding.  As you read this be thinking of possible careers!

Prosecutors in Vermont - Prosecutors  and Attorney General's Office  As you read both be thinking about possible careers!

 Discussion: Refer to week 6 and follow the same instructions generally, and specifically, pick the four (4) courts you didn’t write about last week (out of the seven (7)  courts Vermont has) and explain what types of cases that court hears, how judges are selected, whether or not there is a jury, and where, in the county you live in, those courthouses are found (street address and town/city).

 Week 8 Begins Tuesday 7/14  Ends Monday 7/20   Juries in Vermont's courts

Read  This is the history of Vermont's state courts.  History Vermont Courts

 Read At the Vermont Judiciary website homepage Vermont Courts Jurors

Look below the white search box for the box/link Jurors and click it open. Read what’s at the main page. Look screen right for boxes/links. Skip Jury Questionnaire as you need a pass # /badge # to access it, if you’d been contacted about jury duty, you’d have been given this number by the court clerk.  Everything at the Jury Services link/box and open and read all links you find as you work your way through that link. 

Come back to the main jury page and click the link/box labelled Jury Orientation in Vermont. This is an 18 min. video on YouTube by Vermont Supreme Court Justice Harold Eaton, watch it.

Discussion  Write a 350-400-word answer where you select the county where you live or work or go to college, your choice,  and explain 1) the county you selected and the street address of the courthouse;  2) whether you want to write about civil or criminal court (your choice); 3) the duties you’ll fulfill if selected for jury service, and  the expectations of you in serving, and what you can expect as part of the process and experience. What do you have to be able to do to effectively be a juror?  What would disqualify you from being a juror in Vermont?

 Week 9 Begins Tuesday 7/21  Ends Monday 7/27  Putting yourself in the role of a 'pro se' litigant, meaning someone without a lawyer representing themself.

Read  At the Vermont Judiciary website homepage Vermont Courts Pro Se Litigants

Look below the white search box for the box/link Self Help and click it open. These pages are for anyone planning to represent themselves in a civil, criminal, family, probate, environmental, judicial bureau, or even Vermont Supreme Court case.  You’ll find boxes/links at the right side and lower part of the screen.  Open and read all, you’ll be re-directed to outside websites for some organizations such as the Vermont Bar Association for their lawyer referral service, and to Vermont Legal Aid and Vermont Legal Services. This combined site has a lot of helpful information, it will take time to read it all so be sure to give yourself enough time.

Discussion  Write a 350-400-word where you put yourself in one (1) of these roles below and explain how you would prepare to represent yourself in court using these resources, and what other options to self-representation you have.  Note the Latin phrase for appearing in court by oneself without an attorney is called proceeding pro se. Here are your options for types of cases, begin your answer by stating which one you’re using.  What types of evidence will you offer the court, both physical and in the form of testimony from witnesses? What do you have to prove, or disprove, to win your case? 

If you're unsure how to proceed from here please email me no later than 12 noon on Thursday to ask your specific questions so I can guide you.

1) You are being sued in Vermont Superior Court: Civil Division in a breach (breaking) of contract case where the amount in dispute is $25,000.

2) You have been arrested for burglarizing your neighbor’s home and stealing $15,000 worth of electronics.

3) Your partner is suing you for divorce and custody of the two children you share and is seeking child support. 

4) Your aunt (never married, no children) died and named you as executor of her Will (capitalized because it’s the proper name of a document), you were aware of this and agreed to do it.  Now your three siblings are contesting the Will in probate court because your aunt left you $50,000, and each of them only $30,000.

5) You own a small family ski area in Vermont that the State is alleging has been polluting a nearby stream and river with runoff from the skiing operations. The case is heard in Environmental Court.

 6) You were stopped by a Vermont police officer on Interstate 89 for doing 20 miles an hour over the speed limit (speed limit is posted at 65 mph, officer says you were doing 85) in your 2009 Honda Civic Coupe. You know you weren’t going that fast because the car’s engine was partly blown and the car wouldn't do more than 55 miles an hour.

7) You rent a small house from Jose' Landlord under a one-year written lease for monthly rent of $1,500. The lease calls for Jose' to provide as part of your rent, snow plowing and shoveling and sanding/salting. He never once did so last winter despite plenty of snow and ice storms. You had to hire a plowing service and pay yourself and buy and spread sand/salt. You kept receipts from all that total $450. You're suing him to recover this amount.

There is no example for the Vermont Supreme Court.

Week 10 Begins Tuesday 7/28   Ends Monday 8/3  mock presentation about the Vermont Judiciary

Read:  1) Guide to the Vermont Judiciary

https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/sites/default/files/documents/Guide%20for%20New%20Legislators%20011619.pdf 

Download this and read it this week. 

2) Guide to the Vermont Constitution

The Guide to Vermont Judiciary mentions the Vermont Constitution in several places so you need that document to refer to. Here's the link.

  Vermont Legislature Guide to State Constitution

Download this and read it this week. 

Discussion Write a total of 700 -850 words (approx. 100-125 words per court) where put yourself in the role of law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court who’s assigned you to give a 15 minute briefing to newly elected Vermont legislators about the Vermont Judiciary. As always the bolded headings and citations do not count towards your word total.

*Your job in this briefing is to explain the points that will be most important to explain to these public officials.

*Write one short paragraph for each of Vermont's seven courts, use the court's full name, the primary subject matter jurisdiction of the court, and how judges are selected for that court. Be sure to include Small Claims Court as a unit of the larger court it belongs to and include how side/assistant judges are selected. Do not repeat information if it applies to more than one court, such as the justice and judge selection process that applies to several courts.

*If you're stuck on this question draft some ideas and email me early in the week and no later than 12 noon Thursday so we can talk it through via email or if you prefer, via a Zoom session. Don't guess, don't wait until late in the week because this answer will take longer than you think it will. It's about taking what you've learned about Vermont's court system, prioritizing that information, and writing the summary.

*Use this format of bolded headings in this order to give your answer organization.

"Good morning, Vermont legislators. I'm Anne Buttimer, Chief Justice Reiber's law clerk. Our presentation will provide you with a basic overview of Vermont's state court system.   [Use your name instead of mine and pick a Justice other than CJ Reiber.]

Vermont Supreme Court- xxxx

Vermont Superior Court: Civil Division - xxxx

Vermont Superior Court: Criminal Division - xxxx

Vermont Superior Court: Family Division - xxxx

Vermont Superior Court: Environmental Division - xxxx

Vermont Superior Court: Probate Division - xxxx

Vermont Judicial Bureau - xxxx

 

 Week 11 Begins Tuesday 8/4  Ends Monday 8/10   Criminal legal system reform - two documentaries

 View and Read This week you’ll view two online documentaries:  1) True Justice about the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and its founder and director, attorney Bryan Stevenson. Also read the EJI website. Note: there’s a lot of information at the site, give yourself plenty of time to read it all. Bookmark it for future use.    https://eji.org/projects/true-justice 

and

2) 13th by director Ava DuVernay about mass incarceration in the United States.  Documentary 13th

Discussion  Write a 350-400 word answer of three paragraphs about each documentary.  Clearly title each answer, and post both answers in the same posting. Remember citations.

First  write about any aspect of attorney Stevenson’s, and the EJI’s work. Explain why you viewed those issues and or cases as especially important and discuss how this week’s video and website readings have affected and influenced you.

Second  write about your response and reaction to Ms. DuVernay's film. What moved you?  What distressed you?  How will you use your career in criminal justice to change the current, sad reality in our nation that this film exposes?

Week 12 Begins Tuesday 8/11  Ends Monday 8/17   TED Talks to conclude our semester

 The primary goal of your work this week and next is to assess if students are able to use the critical thinking skill called issue spotting which means being able to understand what something is about (TED Talks) that relate directly to topics we studied over the semester.   If you think of this as a final exam-type assessment of your learning and skills you're accurate.

 Discussion TED Talks Week!     go to
TED Talks. and find the tab at top of screen Discover. First item is Topics.

At Topics scroll to C and open topics for Crime or Criminal Justice

OR at Topics scroll to A and open topics for Addiction

 OR at Topics scroll to B and open topics for Brain (make sure they have a CJ connection)

OR at Topics scroll to E for Education

OR scroll to F for Forensics

OR scroll to  G for Guns

OR J for Justice System

OR L for Law

OR N for Narcotics

OR T for Trafficking

OR V for Violence

OR P for Poverty.

From all the Talks at these many Topics select any two (2) Talks (only two) and watch each one, then complete the format below for each Talk and post in class all in one posting.  Use only Talks that are about the US.  We don't study international topics as they are beyond the scope of our introductory level class. You must fully understand US laws and systems before you can adequately address international ones.  If a Talk is not closely related to a class topic don’t use it, find a Talk that is closely related.

The thesis of a Talk is one-to-two sentence(s) that concisely state what the author seeks to prove in giving the Talk. The summary of Talk is 200  words that state what the Talk is about. The two are different.  Be sure you understand what a thesis statement is and then craft your thesis statement for each Talk. If you need to work with Tutor.com on this please do so. 

Use this exact formatting for your Talks, all made in one posting.

My  TED Talks
#1

Full Title of Talk:

Author’s Name:

Thesis of Talk:   Not sure how to do this?  Grammar Guide Write a Thesis

Read all of it and focus on the short paragraph just above the yellow box, and the contents of the yellow box. One to two sentence limit for this section.

Summary of Talk:  200 word limit for this section, + or - 10 words.

How Does This Talk Relate to our Class Readings, Discussion, and Learning?   This should include a focused explanation of the week, topics, chapters and section numbers from our book, website(s) from our class that relate to your Talk, and our justice reform videos.  Be specific and detailed. 200 word limit for this section, + or - 10 words/

Link to Talk:

Use same format in one posting for Talk 2.

END of course