Course Descriptions

PLS 256 - Criminal Law and Procedure for Paralegals

2 Credits

This course introduces students to criminal law and procedure, including an overview of the criminal justice system, basic principles of criminal law, types of offenses, legal defenses, discovery and disclosure, pretrial motions and plea bargaining, the trial, sentencing, and appeals. Students will learn how to prepare various pleadings and documents and the role of the paralegal in criminal law cases.

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of PLS 260 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of program director. PLS 260 can be taken concurrently.

Course Learning Outcomes
1.Explain why governments enact laws and the differences between criminal law and civil law.
2.Identify and describe the role of the participants in the system of criminal justice.
3.List the primary sources of federal and state laws and explain how they differ.
4.Identify the major categories used to classify different types of criminal laws and give examples of the crimes included in each classification.
5.Identify and describe the differences among the categories of legal defenses that are available to people who have been accused of crimes.
6.Diagram the stages of the Criminal Justice Process.

Course Offered Fall, Spring, Summer

Use links below to see if this course is offered:
Fall Semester 2024
Spring Semester 2024
Summer Session 2024