CRIM 3320 - 001 HOMICIDE

Course
AND CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Instructor Ryan Getty
Term January 13, 2010 to May 12, 2010
Meetings 1:30 PM - 4:15 PM, Wednesdays. GR 2.302

Instructor’s Contact Information

Office Phone 214-671-3744 (CPI)

Other Phone 415-533-6200 (cell/text)
GR 2.510 (or CPI, 1400 Lamar – Dallas Police HQ, Jack Evans
Office Location
Bldg.)
Email Address getty@utdallas.edu; homicidecrim3320@gmail.com
Office Hours Anytime by appointment
Other
To be disseminated in class
Information

General Course Information

None.
Pre-requisites,
Co-requisites, &
Prior knowledge of APA-style writing and will be very helpful
other restrictions
though.

This course examines the policy and legal controversies

surrounding the application of capital punishment (i.e., the death
penalty) as a punishment for homicide. Topics include: capital
Course
punishment throughout history, U.S. Supreme Court decisions and
Description
contemporary problems with the application of the death penalty.
The course will also analyze the nature, extent, and distribution of
criminal homicide.

Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students will be able to:

 Recognize the elements of certain crimes punishable by
death;
 Recognize trends regarding homicide;
 Examine and recognize the “steps” required to become
eligible for capital punishment;
 Discriminate between and describe historical and
contemporary capital punishment practices;
Learning  Identify, describe and distinguish the various “roles”
Outcomes capital punishment plays in society, particularly
American society;
 Analyze and argue, if, why and how capital punishment
works or doesn’t work;
 Critically analyze and defend various controversial and
legal topics relevant to capital punishment;
 Project successful policies and programs based on
current and possible future trends;
 Engage in critical analysis of various points, both for
and against capital punishment;
 Required:

I do not “loan” books or let students “borrow” them – please

don’t ask. Your testing will assume you have the required
books/materials.

Bohm, R. M. (2007). Deathquest III: An introduction to the theory

& practice of capital punishment in the United States (3rd
ed.). Cincinnati, OH: Lexisnexis.
Required Texts &
Materials Abbott, J. H. (1991). In the belly of the beast: Letters from prison.
New York: Vintage Books.

Turow, S. (2003). Ultimate punishment: A lawyer's reflections on

dealing with the death penalty. New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux.

No other texts are required but other on-line material will likely be
announced in class and on the eLearning site.

Highly Suggested but not Required:

Johnson, R. (1998). Death work: A study of the modern execution

process (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: West.

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of

the American psychological association (6th ed.).
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (the
Suggested Texts, 5th ed. is harder to understand also get the Second Printing of
Readings, & the 6th ed. because the First Printing has many mistakes)
Materials

Internet: This class will make use of the eLearning for testing,
posting grades and resource materials. This will require you to
activate your NetID. eLearning is accessible at
http://eLearning.utdallas.edu If you have difficulty, see
http://www.utdallas.edu/oee/distance/students/faq-students.html
or call the helpdesk at (972)883-2911

See also “eLearning Course Website” below

The outline of assignments is provided below. The course will be a combination of

lecture, discussion and activities. During most sessions, the class will begin with a
lecture presentation of issues and concerns that are the most important for those
topics and that subject. Then, there will be an open, moderated discussion over the
topic(s) which relate to the issues and substantive examples will be given. Students
are especially encouraged to share ideas in class – the more practice one gets
discussing the topics, the easier it is to understand the material and do well on the
exams. PARTICIPATION WILL BE CRITICAL, therefore, you must read.
Assignments & Academic Calendar (TENATIVE – SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Assignments, quizzes and exams have been inserted below. These are tentative – all
accurate dates and any changes in dates, are announced in class and/or posted on
eLearning. All related chapters and/or assignments should be read/done BEFORE that
class in order to intelligently participate.
Dates Tentative Course Schedule
Bohm = (B) (default text); (A) = Abbott; (T) = Turow (J) = Johnson
Key
(J is optional)
0 – 1/13 Introductions / Class Expectations / Syllabus Review
Introduce on-line quiz

1 – 1/20 TPC/CCP (relevant items posted on class site)

Practice Quiz open 1/20 – 2/3

2 – 1/27 BJS / stats / relationships / types of homicide

1/27/10 Census Day: Last day to drop with a “W”

3 – 2/3 (B) Ch. 1; (A) Intro – pp. 22; (T) Ch. 1 & 2; (J) Ch. 1
Quiz 1 is open 2/3 – 2/10 covering above 1/13 – 2/3 (EXCEPT “J”)

4 – 2/10 (B) Ch. 2; (A) pp. 23 - 42; (T) Ch. 3 & 4; (J) Ch. 3

5 – 2/17 (B) Ch. 3; (A) pp. 43 - 64; (T) Ch. 5; (J) Ch. 4
Quiz 2 is open 2/17 – 2/24 covering above 2/10 – 2/17 (EXCEPT “J”)

6 – 2/24 (B) Ch. 4; (A) pp. 65 - 86; (T) Ch. 8; (J) Ch. 2
(this is also ACJS week)

3/3 Midterm (short essay)

3/5 UTD Midterm Grades due (not meaningful!)

7 – 3/10 (B) Ch. 5; (A) pp. 94 - 106; (T) Ch. 6, 7, & 9; (J) Ch. 5 & 6

3/12/10 Last day to drop with a “WP/WF”

3/15 – 3/20 Spring Break!!

8 – 3/24 (B) Ch. 6; (A) pp. 94 – 106 (repeat); (T) none; (J) none
Quiz 3 is open 3/24 – 3/31 covering above 2/24 – 3/24 (EXCEPT “J”)

9 – 3/31 (B) Ch. 7; (A) pp. 87 - 93; (T) Ch. 10; (J) Ch. 8

10 – 4/7 (B) Ch. 8; (A) pp. 135 - 154; (T) Ch. 10 (repeat); (J) 8 (repeat)
Quiz 4 is open 4/7 – 4/14 covering above 3/31 – 4/7 (EXCEPT “J”)

11 – 4/14 (B) Ch. 9; (A) pp. 124 - 134; (T) Ch. 11 & 12; (J) Ch. 7 & 9

12 – 4/21 (B) Ch. 10; (A) pp. 135 - end; (T) Ch. 13 - end; (J) none
Quiz 5 is open 4/21 – 4/28 covering above 4/14 – 4/21 (EXCEPT “J”)
13 – 4/28 Possible review or buffer time because of a missed class

5/5 “Dead Week”

5/12 Final (short essay)

Course Policies

5 Quizzes (40%) (400 points total, 100 points each and drop the lowest
score)
There will be five (5) quizzes in this course for a total of
40 percent of your final grade. The quizzes may include
multiple choice, true/false, short answer and/or fill in the
blank and will cover the three textbooks/readers as well
as any outside work assigned. The specific format of
the quizzes will be announced in class. Your lowest
score will drop. You will only be graded on four (4)
quizzes. Do not add the dropped quiz to your scores.

The quizzes WILL be on-line so you must have an

eLearning account (UTD account) and it is highly
recommended to take the quiz at UTD on a UTD
computer. If your computer/electricity/internet
messes up on a computer other than a UTD
computer at UTD and can be verified, the score will
remain “as is.”
Grading
(credit) / The dates noted on the syllabus are subject to change –
Course any changes will be announced in class or/and on
Requirements eLearning.
Criteria

Midterm and Final exams (40%) (400 points total, 200 each exam)
There will be two (2) exam papers in this course: a
Midterm and a Final. The 1st exam will be worth 200
points or 20% of the final grade, the 2nd exam will also
be worth 200 points. The exams’ format and procedure
will be fully explained later but will be taken in class,
likely be short essay and require knowledge of all the
material covered in class prior to that date. The Final is
comprehensive.

At the discretion of the instructor, any student who does

not complete the exam on time will be given a zero for
that exam. No “extra days” will be given or
incompletes as a final grade – the exams are in-class
exams. Also, see “Make-up” work and university
policy.
 The dates noted on the syllabus for the exams are
tentative and are subject to change – any changes will be
announced in class as well as eLearning. It is your
responsibility to check eLearning. Ignorance of the
change(s) will not be an excuse.

Readings
Students are expected to complete all assigned readings
before the class for which the readings are assigned.
This will provide students with an adequate background
of the materials covered in the lecture as well as serve to
facilitate students’ understanding and ability to ask
questions as well as participate in the class discussion.
Since attendance and participation is 20% of your
grade, it is imperative you read your assignments and
participate in class.

Class Participation (20%) (200 points by “X” classes/discussion)

Both class attendance and participation are strongly
encouraged as well as expected. We will be discussing
the readings so if you do not attend and participate, your
grade will be affected. In addition, (generally) students
who attend class regularly perform better on exams than
do students who do not attend class. If participation is
limited by students, other means of grading may be
used. i.e. written, essay-format testing over the reading
material – you will not want/like that. Absences will
hurt this grade.

Grading Scale:

A+  1000 ‐ 967 
A  966 ‐ 934 
A‐  933 ‐ 900 
B+  899 ‐ 867 
B  866 ‐ 834 
B‐  833 ‐ 800 
C+  799 ‐ 767 
C  766 ‐ 734 
C‐  733 ‐ 700 
D+  699 – 667 
D  666 – 634 
D‐  633 – 600 
F  < 600 

You will notice if you do the math, these numbers are

rounded. Although there will be a precise number, I will
round up if the situation dictates.
 The total points attempted for each exercise is:

Quizzes 4 x 100 = 400 total points (lowest quiz grade

dropped)
Participation = 200 total points
Midterm = 200 total points
Final = 200 total points
Grand total = 1000 possible points (each student starts
with 0)

A quiz missed will be counted as your lowest quiz grade. If more than
one quiz is missed without a documented (that means a verifiable
document from the authorities responsible for your absence) pre-
approved (that means before the test or exam) excuse (clear and
convincing proof of “emergency” circumstances is mandatory and the
right to excuse is in my sole discretion), you will receive a zero.

Therefore, please be aware that there will be no “make-up” for

quizzes or exams except as provided above. The quizzes and exams
will be given as stated above and at no other times for any reason other
“Make-up than as provided by UTD policy. If an absence of this type in the
Work” Policy preceding paragraph is contemplated or does occur, it is your
responsibility to contact the appropriate university authorities / me to
verify the emergency nature of your absence.

It is your responsibility to contact me during the first two weeks of

class, i.e. by January 27, 2010, if there’s anything about which I should
know concerning special accommodation for any of the assignments. I
will try to work out a suitable arrangement but I must know about it
during the first two weeks of class. It is also your responsibility to
bring me the required documentation or have the appropriate parties
contact me in a timely manner for any kind of special accommodation
regarding any of the assignments.

If any extra credit is given, it will be announced in class. Extra credit

Extra Credit will NOT be offered on an individual basis. If extra credit is offered,
I will let you know as a class. It is VERY unlikely though.

Except for the above circumstances (“Make-up Work Policy”), late

submissions and make-up will not be allowed. I cannot stress this
Late Work
enough. I will not answer communications asking for make-up
work/more time without accompanying documentation.

Special None intended unless Participation / Readings are not complied with.
Assignments There might be a voluntary field trip to a prison.
 Class See above “Class Participation”
Attendance
Absolutely NO racist or sexist remarks (neither written nor verbal)
will be tolerated! Any such remarks will be dealt with severely!

Please turn off all cell phones and/or beepers (as well as anything
else that may make noise) during class unless cleared by the
instructor prior to class (emergency cases only i.e. on-call police,
relatives currently in hospital, etc.) If you forget to turn your phone
off and you get a call, please don’t answer it and turn the ringer off as
quickly as possible. Mobile communication devices should not be
used during class time for text messaging, email or any other form of
communication. If you feel you NEED to answer/make a call and/or
text, please leave the classroom as quietly as possible and take care of
the situation.

Computer privileges: WILL be allowed UNLESS it is discovered

the usage is not related to class work (i.e. IM, checking non-class
related e-mail, “surfing,” Facebook, etc.) If violated, the offender
will not be allowed to use a computer while in class for the remaining
semester. The content of your computer usage may be observed
upon request at any time by the instructor while in class e.g. it is not
private. Failure to comply with a request will result in your computer
Classroom access privileges being revoked for the remainder of the semester.
Citizenship There may also be “guests” in class monitoring your computer usage.

Students are expected to arrive at class on time. In addition to

being on time to class, students are expected to remain in class
until they are dismissed. If you plan to leave early, please notify
the instructor, set near the door and be advised it may affect your
grade.

Students are also expected to be attentive to class proceedings,

whether it is lecture, video, class discussion or guest lecture.
Students who are not attentive or who are disruptive will be asked
to leave the classroom and are expected to do so promptly and
respectfully.

If there are any police officers or others who may legally carry
firearms/weapons, please identify yourself to me in private after the
first class. I will keep your identity confidential. If you cannot
legally carry, do not bring a firearm/illegal weapon to class or you
will be arrested at the very least. See Texas PC Chapter 46, GC
Chapter 411 and the Rules and Regulations of the Board of
Regents.

There is an eLearning site associated with this course. Students

eLearning
are required to log in to the website at least once a week.
Course
Website
The best days are about three days after class and the day before
class. This gives me time to post anything I have mentioned in
 class and also give any “last minute” help before class.

The website can be found at https://eLearning.utdallas.edu/

– log in with your UTA NetID and NetID password and click
on the link to “Homicide and Capital Punishment” in your
course list.

Various resources will be made available via this website,

including:
 The syllabus
 Announcements – information related to the class
will be posted periodically on the Announcements
page – students should check the Announcements at
least once a week.
 Grades - grades will be distributed through
eLearning ONLY. I cannot e-mail or text grades for
any reason. It is a violation of federal (FERPA) law.
 Handouts – copies of all class handouts will be
posted to the website so that students may access
them online. I try to save trees.
 Communication Tools – includes email and
discussion boards
o Students are required to check their email at
least once a week on eLearning as the
instructor may communicate to you in this
format
o There are discussion threads where students
can post requests for notes from other
students and where students can
anonymously post questions and suggestions
to the instructor.
 Course Resources – links to various sites that should
be helpful to students.

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state
Field Trip
law and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related
Policies
activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the
Off-Campus
website address http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm.
Instruction &
Additional information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a
Course Activities
description of any travel and/or risk-related activity associated with this course.

Technical If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to:
Support assist@utdallas.edu or call the UTD Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the
responsibility of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable
about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General
Student Conduct
information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD printed
and Discipline
publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the

procedures of recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and
 described in the Rules and Regulations, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The
University of Texas System, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and
regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff
members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU
1.602, 972/883-6391) and online at
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-HOPV.html

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject
to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place
on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such
conduct.

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic
honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute
integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student
demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is

subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating,
Academic plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are
Integrity attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another
person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to
commit such acts.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and
from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s
policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details).

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the
making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including
music and software. Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted
works may infringe the copyright owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to
appropriate disciplinary action as well as criminal penalties provided by federal law.
Copyright Notice
Usage of such material is only appropriate when that usage constitutes “fair use”
under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are required to follow the
institution’s copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information
about the fair use exemption, see
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of

communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the
same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each
individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email
correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty
and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD
Email Use
student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in
the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted
information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used
in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information
Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas
mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-
Class level courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to
 handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or
withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not
receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you
are enrolled.

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other

fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make
a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
Student
submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean.
Grievance
If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the
Procedures
student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the
Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene
an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final.
The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting
the rules and regulations.

As per university policy, incomplete grades may be granted at the instructor’s

discretion only for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of
Incomplete the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within
Grades eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required
work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by
the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located
in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30
a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
disabilityservice@utdallas.edu
Disability
Services
If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please
meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to
discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that
formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that
you be registered with Disability Services to notify them of your eligibility for
reasonable accommodations. Disability Services can then plan how best to
coordinate your accommodations.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to
faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class
or during office hours.
 The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code,
Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as

possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student,
so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a
reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a
Religious Holy maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any
Days missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails
to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the
purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about
whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed
assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling
from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief
executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC
51.911(M), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.
Checking eLearning and participating/ attending class is the best way to discover changes and
do well in class.