The Criminal Justice Department offers
several Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic related courses.
These classes
involve the discovery, preservation, collection, analysis, and
presentation of evidence, both physical and testimonial.
CJ 211 Introduction to Law
Enforcement:
Designed to
examine the philosophical and historical background of law enforcement
in the United States. Addresses constitutional limitations
on law enforcement, objectives of law enforcement, and processes of law
enforcement.
CJ 312 Criminal Investigation:
Investigation
methodology, relations of
the detective with other police divisions; modus operandi; sources of
information; surveillance, interrogation, follow-up procedures.
CJ
314 Crime Scene Investigation:
This course
exposes students to crime scene evidence, collection techniques, and the
various uses of modern
technology in preserving and analyzing evidence.
CJ 323 Criminal Procedure:
Admissibility of
evidence and confessions, recent civil rights decisions, reconciling
individual rights and community interest in law and order.
CJ 326 Computer Crime:
Students will
identify and define criminal acts committed with computers or directed
toward computer systems, electronic search and seizure and electronic
evidence.
CJ
422 Law of Evidence:
Leading rules
and principles of exclusion and selection; burden of proof, nature and
effect of presumptions;
proof of authenticity and contents of writings; examinations, competency
and privilege of witnesses.
CJ 280-283, 480-483 Special Topics Classes:
Specialized
courses of
contemporary interest.
Our students also compete in Crime Scene Investigations at state,
regional, and national competitions through the West Virginia Criminal
Justice Educators' Association and the American Criminal Justice
Association, Lambda Alpha Epsilon.
