NCJ Number
149619
Date Published
1994
Length
41 pages
Annotation
This California instructor's guide outlines the specifications and curriculum content for a police training course in the presentation of evidence.
Abstract
The training specifications address instructional goals, required topics, required tests, required learning activities, and hourly requirements (minimum of 8 hours). Instructional goals are to provide students with an understanding of the role evidence has in a criminal trial, knowledge of the terminology used by the criminal courts in dealing with various types of evidence, and knowledge of the rules for introducing evidence at a criminal trial. The topics that must be covered in the course are the distinction between direct and circumstantial evidence, types of evidence, the purpose of offering evidence, criteria for admitting evidence, the rules of evidence and their purpose, evidence terminology, subpoenas, burden of proof, the exclusionary rule and its purpose, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, and hearsay evidence at preliminary hearings. A section on performance objectives for the course contains the information that should be included on a knowledge test for students.