This booklet introduces secondary grade students to the criminal laws of West Virginia. It can easily be adapted and used by educators in other states. The authors believe that young people must recognize and understand these laws and the mechanisms which society uses to implement and enforce them if they are to function as an integral, important,…

This bulletin on criminal justice focuses on selected aspects of the U.S. legal system, including the police, the courts, and the prisons as well as on the protections and guarantees that reinforce the legitimacy of the U.S. legal process. Unit 1, "The Role of Law in a Free Society," is designed to enhance the awareness of students about…

The goal of this booklet is to assist debaters in developing problem-solving skills as represented in the 1976-77 debate topic: How can the criminal justice system in the United States best be improved? The sections of this document focus on the need for criminal justice reform; procedural steps in the criminal justice system; discussing or…

Arguing that there is no better opportunity to teach about the law than when a sensational trial overwhelms the media, this booklet outlines the legal issues involved in the O. J. Simpson trial and presents teaching methods for introducing these issues to students. In a discussion of the trial phase, the booklet explains the concepts of reasonable…

Describes the contemporary Chinese justice system highlighting the elements of "western" justice it embodies. Presents lesson plans, complete with objectives, procedures, and all required materials, for illustrating the system with two recent Chinese criminal cases which were heard in "people's courts." (JDH)

Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides material for a murder trial. The defendant shot the victim in the course of a violent dispute. The prosecution charges murder while the defendant claims to have acted in self-defense. The handout clarifies…

Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its 21 annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides material for a mock rape trial. David Jones and Susan Williams, both students at Capital University, had dated on and off during the previous years and on the night of the incident had attended a party…

Presents a lesson plan calling upon students to consider U.S. law from a cross-cultural perspective. Explains that students participate in a mock hearing involving a culturally based defense to a charge of murder. Includes student handouts, arguments for and against the defense, objectives, and procedures. (SG)

Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its 17th annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides the material for a mock criminal trial. The federal government charges Martha Monroe with first degree murder for shooting her husband, George Monroe, while he slept. Martha Monroe asserts that she acted…

Elected officials, justice professionals, courts and other institutions of our society are contributing to a reevaluation of juvenile justice information policy. The tenet that juveniles who commit crimes are not culpable is being challenged as the public's safety and economic well being is increasingly threatened by children engaged in criminal…

Describes the content and methodology of elective courses which expand Soviet student's understanding of the Soviet state and the courts, the structure of power, and the basic rights and duties of the citizen. Courses in labor law, love and family law, criminal law, and constitutional law expand the current social studies curriculum. (KC)

Discusses several significant regulatory elements of five recent Acts of Parliament (Commonwealth) providing protection to overseas students' education in Australia, such as ensuring that overseas students are compensated for loss of prepaid fees if their education providers fail, and establishment of an enforceable National Code of Practice for…

This resource guide describes one state's statutes and cases so as to profile those rights, responsibilities, and protections for young people which are different from those applicable to adults. The purpose of this guidebook is to give legislators an overview of all laws affecting young people in order to have a reference aid on current state…

Prepared by the District of Columbia Street Law Project for its 16th annual city-wide mock trial competition, this instructional handout provides the material for a mock civil trial in which Dana Barr, a former corrections officer, brings suit against the Lorton Medium Security Facility for firing him on the basis of his status as Human…

These instructional materials involve secondary students in simulating a criminal trial concerning teenage drinking. Included are all materials necessary for participation in the 1984 California Mock Trial Competition. Part I of the document describes a hypothetical situation involving a high school senior who faces state felony charges for…