{"data":[{"id":114,"title":"Civil Procedure: Pleading","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"This chapter covers the Civil Procedure topic of Pleading: The Plaintiff‘s Complaint. The chapter takes approximately four class periods to cover in detail. The student is exposed to cases, presented with questions that are designed to both guide class discussion and to help the student focus his reading of the materials, pleadings from cases, and the applicable Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Faculty materials available: This eLangdell chapter includes a teacher's manual. Faculty and staff at CALI member schools can access these faculty-only materials by logging in to eLangdell with their normal cali.org username and password. Contact CALI if you have questions. This chapter covers the Civil Procedure topic of Pleading: The Plaintiff's Complaint. The chapter takes approximately four class periods to cover in detail. The student is exposed to cases, presented with questions that are designed to both guide class discussion and to help the student focus his reading of the materials, pleadings from cases, and the applicable Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. There are two accompanying files available only to faculty who are registered at cali.org (registration is free for faculty at CALI member schools): a Teaching Manual and a Supplemental Material document. The Supplemental Material should be distributed to students at the appropriate point in the unit. Please see the Teaching Manual for details.","contributors":[{"id":3585,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Hillel","middle_name":"Y.","last_name":"Levin","location":"University of Georgia","background_text":"Hillel Y. Levin joined the Georgia Law faculty in the fall of 2008. He teaches courses on education law and policy, constitutional law, legislation, administrative law and civil procedure. Levin’s expertise lies in education law and policy, statutory interpretation, church/state issues, constitutional law and judicial process. His scholarship has been published or is forthcoming in the Stanford Law Review, the Illinois Law Review, the Florida Law Review, the Arizona State Law Journal, the Connecticut Law Review and the Green Bag, among others. In addition, Levin serves on the advisory board of the peer-reviewed Education Law and Policy Review. He has also published and appeared in popular media and testified before the state legislature. Levin is the 2013 recipient of the law school’s C. Ronald Ellington Award for Excellence in Teaching. His innovative teaching methods have been recognized nationally and have earned him invitations to speak at conferences about teaching practical lawyering skills within the doctrinal classroom. Levin came to UGA from Stanford Law School where he served as a Stanford Law Fellow and instructor. Previously, he served as a judicial clerk for Judge Thomas J. Meskill of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit and for Judge Robert N. Chatigny of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. He also specialized in complex litigation as an associate at Robinson \u0026 Cole. He earned his his B.A. in history, summa cum laude, from Yeshiva University and his J.D. from Yale University, where he served as note and book note editor of the Yale Journal of Law \u0026 the Humanities."}],"subjects":[{"id":62,"name":"Civil Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"K623","visible_textbooks_count":26,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law-civil-law"},{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":223,"url":"http://elangdell.cali.org/content/civil-procedure-pleading","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":570,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/CivilProcedurePleading_Levin_Dec2014.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1858,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/CivilProcedurePleading_Levin_Dec2014.epub","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1859,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/CivilProcedurePleading_Levin_Dec2014.docx","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":571,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/hillel-y-levin/civil-procedure-pleading-the-plantiffs-complaint/paperback/product-21947800.html","price":{"cents":1482,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":572,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/civil-procedure-pleading-%28paperback%29/18813210","price":{"cents":737,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":185,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"Sherowski","position":"Director of Moot Court \u0026 Lawyering Skills Programs","institution_name":"The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides a concise yet comprehensive introduction to pleading standards under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. It covers the development of both notice pleading and the plausibility standard in a manner that's straightforward enough for 1L students but doesn't spoon-feed the information to them.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The casebook materials have been edited in order to help the students focus on the issues that are relevant to learning the pleading standards. The author has chosen not to use ellipses or other means to let the reader know where edits have occurred; however, he recommends telling the students that the cases have been edited. I didn't find the editing to be bothersome (in fact, I think it's probably helpful for the 1L students the book is written for), but teachers who want their students to have the entire text of the cases probably shouldn't use this book.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text focuses on the most recent developments in the law relating to pleading, while still providing a solid historical context into which the students can place those developments. Although this is a rapidly developing area of the law, the author provides a good foundation for the students to be able to work with these changing rules throughout their legal studies.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This could be my favorite thing about this book -- both the student and the teacher materials are very clearly written. There's no \"hiding the ball\" in the student materials; in fact, the author explicitly states the goals for each unit at the beginning of each section so students can track their progress as they learn the material.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistent terminology is used throughout. Even better, the terminology the author uses is consistent with the language of the cases and the rules. This will help to limit unnecessary student confusion.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The teacher's manual provides excellent ideas about how to divide the materials up over several class periods. Although some of the readings are long, they are accompanied by comprehension questions to help the students focus on the important aspects of what they are reading and avoid getting sidetracked by legal minutiae.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The material is organized chronologically, dealing with the earlier notice pleading standards before moving on to the more recent development of the plausibility standard. This helps the students put the developments in context. I especially like the section where, after introducing the cases that are the basis for the plausibility standard, the author provides a case showing how the lower courts struggle with applying this new standard. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The casebook itself is well-formatted and easy to read onscreen or in hard copy. However, the supplementary materials include reproductions of court documents which didn't display well on my screen (some content was cut off on one side) although they printed out clearly. If you assign the supplementary materials to your students, you'll want to check for compatibility before you distribute them.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn't see any cultural insensitivity. Two of the cases in the casebook focus on discrimination claims based on age and ethnicity, and these were handled appropriately.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The teacher's manual is excellent. Even if civil procedure wasn't your area of specialization, you could still put together 4 or 5 strong classes on this topic without a lot of extra research.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/civil-procedure-pleading","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:07:27.000-06:00"},{"id":113,"title":"Computer-Aided Exercises in Civil Procedure","edition_statement":"7th Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"The sixth edition, first published as an ebook, and this seventh edition carry forward the philosophy and structure of the earlier editions. This book is not a comprehensive treatise on the subject of civil procedure, yet it provides a mixture of expository text, cases, and self-testing questions in nearly all of the major areas of the subject. In order to maximize accessibility, flexibility, and compatibility of the book, the authors have chosen CALI's eLangdell Press to publish and distribute the sixth edition (as chapters) and this revised seventh (as a complete book) electronically with a Creative Commons license. Publishing a law textbook electronically with far fewer restrictions than most commercial books and using a somewhat new, boutique outfit such as eLangdell Press is an unconventional choice, to say the least. But the authors share the eLangdell vision of more flexible teaching materials for professors and more cost-effective books for students. Professors may now edit and remix this work to match their teaching without worry of copyright infringement. Students may now adopt this book, read it using any number of software or devices, and even print it - all for free. The book's authors, like its publishers, believe that this new book model represents an important and long overdue step forward in the way law school books are published. All the exercises have been substantially revised for this edition. The individual exercises also are reorganized and expanded so that they follow a more standardized pattern: expository text on the topic area, work-book questions, and introduction to the related online CALI lessons. This book, and the accompanying interactive exercises known as CALI Lessons available online through the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) at www.cali.org, are intended to provide a challenging educational experience. For each exercise, students should read the text in this book and answer the questions before accessing the rest of the exercise online. Professors choosing to assign only some of the exercises - or students looking for additional work only in certain areas of the subject - may especially want to consider these exercises and lessons: Exercise Two: Jurisdiction (Jurisdiction \u0026 Venue and Jurisdiction Over the Person); Exercise Three: Pleading a Complaint; Exercise Five: Motions to Dismiss and Waiver under Federal Rule 12; Exercise Six: Joinder and Supplemental Jurisdiction (An Exercise in Civil Procedure, Review of Joinder Concepts, Joinder of Claims and Parties, and An Interpleader Primer); Exercise Eight: Summary Judgment; and Exercise Eleven: Preclusion. Additionally, Exercise One: Holding and Dicta in the Context of a Diversity Case is an excellent introduction to legal method. The first two editions of this book, by Roger Park, included Exercise One: Holding and Dicta in the Context of a Diversity Case, Exercise Two: Jurisdiction, Exercise Three: Pleading a Complaint, Exercise Four: Demurrers and Judgments on the Pleadings, Exercise Five: Motions to Dismiss and Waiver Under Rule 12, Exercise Nine: Judgment as a Matter of Law, and Exercise Ten: Evidence for Civil Procedure Students. For the last five editions of this book, Douglas McFarland has edited the above exercises and added Exercise Six: Joinder and Supplemental Jurisdiction, Exercise Seven: Discovery, Exercise Eight: Summary Judgment, and Exercise Eleven: Preclusion. Accordingly, the book has become more comprehensive, expanding from seven to eleven exercises. Of course, each new edition incorporates changes and updates in procedural law. All of the information necessary to prepare for an interactive exercise is contained in this book. Reference to additional materials may be useful, but is not necessary. Each exercise can be assigned separately. No exercise is a prerequisite for another. In fact, students will find the expository material and work-book questions in each exercise independently valuable even without completing the CALI lesson for that chapter. The CALI lessons are valuable either to provide additional understanding and self-testing of subjects discussed in class or as primary substitutes for areas not covered in depth in class. In general, the interactive, online exercises follow a non-linear branching format. They seek to present challenges and questions instead of rote learning or leading students through an error-free educational experience. Although the exercises eventually evaluate student answers, they sometimes eschew immediate feedback in favor of the development of a line of questions. The ideal is the creation of a classroom-like Socratic dialogue. For a description of general goals and educational theory of the exercises, see Roger C. Park \u0026 Russell Burris, Computer-Aided Legal Instruction in Law: Theories, Techniques, and Trepidations, 1978 Am. B. Found. Res. J. 1. This book and accompanying exercises cannot reproduce the spontaneity and flexibility of the live classroom, but they can be a useful supplement. They require an active learning process in which students respond to questions dozens of times during each hour of instruction, and receive prompt evaluation of their answers. Another benefit of computer-aided instruction—and the phrase “computer-aided” is used loosely here and in the title of this book; the exercises are compatible with many non-computer devices such as tablets and smartphones—is its “individualized” nature. Law professors and students should not take this literally, however. Surveys administered at several law schools indicate that an overwhelming majority of students believe that the exercises are more valuable when done in pairs or threes instead of alone. Students who do the exercises with a partner are more likely to consider their responses carefully and to enjoy the experience. They also have lively discussions about what their response should be and why the computer responded as it did. As with previous editions, we continue to welcome and solicit comments from professors and students about the book and the accompanying exercises.","contributors":[{"id":2221,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Roger","middle_name":"C.","last_name":"Park","location":"University of California Hastings","background_text":"Roger C. Park is the co-author of the Waltz \u0026 Park Evidence casebook, the author of a textbook on evidence (Trial Objections) and the author of numerous articles in law journals. He has also co-authored interdisciplinary journal articles on law and psychology. He is the past chair of the Evidence Section of the American Association of Law Schools. Professor Park has written over a dozen computer lessons on evidence, civil procedure (with Doug McFarland) and professional responsibility (with Kenneth Kirwin). His evidence lessons won the EDUCOM Higher Education Software award in 1991. Formerly the Fredrikson \u0026 Byron Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota, Professor Park is now the James Edgar Hervey Professor of Law at Hastings College of the Law, University of California. He has also taught as a visiting professor at Boston University Law School, Michigan Law School, and Stanford Law School and as an adjunct at Wellesley College."},{"id":2222,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Douglas","middle_name":"D.","last_name":"McFarland","location":"Hamline University","background_text":"Professor Douglas McFarland earned a J.D. from New York University as a Root-Tilden Scholar and later earned a Ph.D. in speech-communication from the University of Minnesota. He practiced litigation for three years with a large Minneapolis firm, and has taught at Hamline University School of Law since 1974. His subjects are civil procedure, evidence, torts, federal courts, and persuasion in the law. While on leave in 1984-86, he served as Administrative Assistant to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger at the Supreme Court of the United States. During 1993-94, he was a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, and later for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. He serves as an arbitrator, a small claims court judge, and as a member of the Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Civil Rules. He lives with his wife Mary and four children in Arden Hills, Minnesota. As co-author with Roger Park, McFarland wrote Computer-Aided Exercises on Civil Procedure (5th ed.) plus the nine accompanying civil procedure exercises distributed by CALl. He has also published Minnesota Civil Practice (3d ed.), a four volume treatise plus semi-annual pocket parts. His articles on subjects in the areas of civil procedure, evidence, federal courts, and legal education have appeared in a variety of journals, including Harvard Law Review, Missouri Law Review, Boston University Law Review , and the Journal of Legal Education."}],"subjects":[{"id":62,"name":"Civil Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"K623","visible_textbooks_count":26,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law-civil-law"},{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":243,"url":"http://elangdell.cali.org/content/computer-aided-exercises-civil-procedure-7th-edition","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":573,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/ComputerCivPro_McFarland_Dec2014.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1871,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/books/computer-aided-exercises-civil-procedure-7th-edition","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1872,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/books/computer-aided-exercises-civil-procedure-7th-edition","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":575,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/computer-aided-exercises-in-civil-procedure-%28paperback%29/18962957","price":{"cents":901,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":null,"textbook_reviews_count":0,"reviews":[],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/computer-aided-exercises-in-civil-procedure","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:30:34.000-06:00"},{"id":107,"title":"Evidence: Best Evidence Rule","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2012,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"The Best Evidence Rule, contained in Article X of the Federal Rules of Evidence (Rules 1001-1008) and state counterparts, is a Rule that requires a party seeking to prove the contents of a writing, recording, or photograph to produce the original (or a duplicate) or account for its nonproduction. Through a series of cases and hypotheticals drawn from actual cases, this chapter gives readers a roadmap for how to address any Best Evidence Rule issue in practice. Faculty materials also available: In addition to the free, open learning materials for students listed above, this eLangdell chapter includes a teacher's manual. Faculty and staff at CALI member schools can access these materials by logging in to eLangdell with a cali.org username and password. Contact CALI.","contributors":[{"id":3515,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Colin","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Miller","location":"University of South Carolina","background_text":"Colin Miller is an associate professor at the University of South Carolina where he teaches Evidence, Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. He is the creator and editor of EvidenceProf Blog, a member of the Law Professor Blogs Network. He is the editor of Illinois Criminal Procedure and drafted a 100 page report comparing the Federal Rules of Evidence to Illinois evidentiary principles, which was used in the creation of the first Illinois Rules of Evidence. Professor Miller received his B.A. degree with distinction from the University of Virginia and his J.D. (Order of the Coif) from the William \u0026 Mary Law School."}],"subjects":[{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":227,"url":"http://elangdell.cali.org/content/evidence-best-evidence-rule","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":576,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/BestEvidenceRule_Miller_Dec2014.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":577,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/colin-miller/evidence-best-evidence-rules/paperback/product-21947395.html","price":{"cents":334,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":578,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/colin-miller/evidence-best-evidence-rule-hardcover/hardcover/product-20024218.html","price":{"cents":638,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":579,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/BestEvidenceRule_Miller_Dec2014.epub","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1866,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/BestEvidenceRule_Miller_Dec2014.docx","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":null,"textbook_reviews_count":0,"reviews":[],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/evidence-best-evidence-rule","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:07:28.000-06:00"},{"id":108,"title":"Evidence: Jury Impeachment","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"The anti-jury impeachment rule, contained in Federal Rule of Evidence 606(b) and state counterparts, is a rule preventing the admission of jury testimony or statements in connection with an inquiry into the validity of the verdict, subject to certain exceptions. Through a series of cases and hypotheticals drawn from actual cases, this chapter gives readers a roadmap for how to address any jury impeachment issue in practice. Faculty materials also available: In addition to the free, open learning materials for students listed above, this eLangdell chapter includes a teacher's manual. Faculty and staff at CALI member schools can access these materials by logging in to eLangdell with a cali.org username and password. Contact CALI if you have questions.","contributors":[{"id":3514,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Colin","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Miller","location":"University of South Carolina","background_text":"Colin Miller is an associate professor at the University of South Carolina where he teaches Evidence, Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. He is the creator and editor of EvidenceProf Blog, a member of the Law Professor Blogs Network. He is the editor of Illinois Criminal Procedure and drafted a 100 page report comparing the Federal Rules of Evidence to Illinois evidentiary principles, which was used in the creation of the first Illinois Rules of Evidence. Professor Miller received his B.A. degree with distinction from the University of Virginia and his J.D. (Order of the Coif) from the William \u0026 Mary Law School."}],"subjects":[{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":228,"url":"http://elangdell.cali.org/content/evidence-jury-impeachment","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":581,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/EvidenceJuryImpeachment_Miller_Dec2014.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":582,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/colin-miller/evidence-jury-impeachment/paperback/product-21947709.html","price":{"cents":319,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":583,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/colin-miller/evidence-jury-impeachment-paperback/paperback/product-20024185.html","price":{"cents":618,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":584,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/EvidenceJuryImpeachment_Miller_Dec2014.epub","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":585,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/EvidenceJuryImpeachment_Miller_Dec2014.mobi","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":4699,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/EvidenceJuryImpeachment_Miller_Dec2014.docx","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":null,"textbook_reviews_count":0,"reviews":[],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/evidence-jury-impeachment","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:07:28.000-06:00"},{"id":109,"title":"Evidence: Rape Shield Rule","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"The Rape Shield Rule, contained in Federal Rule of Evidence 412 and state counterparts is a Rule preventing the admission of evidence concerning the sexual predisposition and behavior of an alleged victim of sexual misconduct, subject to certain exceptions. Through a series of cases and hypotheticals drawn from actual cases, this chapter gives readers a roadmap for how to address any Rape Shield Rule issue in practice. Faculty materials also available: In addition to the free, open learning materials for students listed above, this eLangdell chapter includes a teacher's manual. Faculty and staff at CALI member schools can access these materials by logging in to eLangdell with a cali.org username and password. Contact CALI if you have questions.","contributors":[{"id":3712,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Colin","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Miller","location":"John Marshall Law School","background_text":"Colin Miller teaches Evidence, Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure as a professor at John Marshall Law School, Chicago. He is the creator and Blog Editor of EvidenceProf Blog of the Law Professor Blogs Network. He is the Editor of Illinois Criminal Procedure and drafted a 100 page report comparing the Federal Rules of Evidence to Illinois evidentiary principles, which was used in the creation of the first Illinois Rules of Evidence. Professor Miller received his B.A. degree with distinction from the University of Virginia and his J.D. (Order of the Coif) from the William \u0026 Mary Law School."}],"subjects":[{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":229,"url":"http://elangdell.cali.org/content/evidence-rape-shield-rule","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":586,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/EvidenceRapeShield_Miller_Dec2014.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":587,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/colin-miller/evidence-rape-shield-rule/paperback/product-21947718.html","price":{"cents":502,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":588,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.lulu.com/shop/colin-miller/evidence-rape-shield-rule-paperback/paperback/product-20023622.html","price":{"cents":615,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":589,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/EvidenceRapeShield_Miller_Dec2014.epub","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":590,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/EvidenceRapeShield_Miller_Dec2014.docx","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"5","textbook_reviews_count":2,"reviews":[{"id":140,"first_name":"Maria","last_name":"Kozlowski-Gibson","position":"PhD, MSN, LL.M / Associate Professor","institution_name":"Cleveland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Succinct but comprehensive. Direct to the point; present the rape shield rule in practice. The old and new text of law are presented side-by-side for easy reference. Statements are well supported with cases of law.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No inaccuracies were noticed.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is a valuable source of information, which will continue relevant for years to come.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear; presents a synthesized and coherent explanation of a critical topic. The author made the law easy to understand. A resource to provoke critical analysis of the text of law and its evolution.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terminology is consistent and the text of law sets the framework of the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book stands as a legal hermeneutic of the rape shield law. Reading this book promotes the reader's critical and analytical thinking through its expositions and case studies. The text can, easily, be separated in modules for classroom discussion.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The material in this book is well organized, clear, and has a good flow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The navigation works well. However, the reader should keep track of the page number being read before following a link because going back to the book will bring the reader to the beginning of the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noticed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The content was presented in a culturally unbiased way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Best compendium on rape law shield. In addition, this book could be an excellent resource for interdisciplinary education at master level, such as in forensic nursing programs.","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":3162,"first_name":"Meghan","last_name":"Black, Esq.","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Point Park University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The chapter provides a concise overview of the Rape Shield Rule, contained in Rule 412 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.  The Rape Shield Rule is aimed at preventing the admission of evidence concerning the sexual predisposition and behavior of an alleged victim of sexual misconduct, subject to certain exceptions, and thus, has significant implications for both civil and criminal practice.  The text provides a good discussion of the various elements of the Rule and importantly, provides detailed discussion of relevant caselaw to illustrate examples of the form and function of the Rule.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text provides accurate information regarding the purpose and content of Rule 412 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.  The author anticipated certain stylistic changes to Rule 412 that were scheduled to occur after the publication of the text and provided a helpful before-and-after comparison of the language of the text.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content in the text is up-to-date and the subject matter is such that supplementing the text with relevant caselaw updates would be straightforward and relatively easy.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text provides a detailed summary of the Rape Shield Rule.  Prose is concise and clear with additional explanation for context where necessary.  The author jumps right into the topic with relevant, but limited, background explanation of legal proceedings.  This does not detract from the text, but rather underscores its intended purpose as a practical guide about a specific rule of evidence for law students and legal practitioners.   A reader would likely be drawn to this text because he or she already has some knowledge of the topic and desires a more in-depth review or clarification.  \r\n\r\nThat being said, the text could be a valuable resource for an instructor teaching teaching an undergraduate level criminal justice, evidence, or legal process course.  The author provides hypothetical case examples to illustrate aspects of the Rule and provides citations to pertinent caselaw.  An instructor could use those materials to create engaging discussion board forums, journal questions, or other assessments for students.  One suggestion would be to add a brief section after each hypothetical example that answers the question posed in the hypothetical and explains the referenced court case.  Given the online format of the text, perhaps it could be a hyperlink to an index of answers to the hypotheticals at the end of the text.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The author maintains the framework and format throughout, discussing each subsection of the Rape Shield Rule in order and in comparable depth.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken into distinct reading sections.  In addition to a section on the origins of the Rape Shield Rule, there is a section of the text devoted to a discussion of each subsection of the Rape Shield Rule in order.  Depending on the intended use, sections could easily be broken out and developed into more focused lessons or discussions by having students read caselaw and discuss fact patterns.  For example, an instructor could easily focus on one section for comparison to some aspect of another rule of evidence also being covered in the course.  Similarly, since the author provides hypothetical examples to illustrate aspects of the Rule and provides citations to pertinent caselaw, instructors could easily create discussion board forums, journal questions, or other assessments if desired.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical, orderly and clear manner in the text.  The author provides a brief history of the Rape Shield Rule and then dissects each subsection of the Rape Shield Rule in order and in comparable depth.  Hypothetical examples and relevant caselaw are presented in context at the time the topic is being discussed, as opposed to a collection at the end of the text, which allows the reader to consider the material and the example at the same time and in the same place in the text.  I would consider adding a brief section after each hypothetical example that answers the question posed in the hypothetical and explains the referenced court case.  Given the online format of the text, perhaps it could be a hyperlink to an index of answers to the hypotheticals at the end of the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no issues with navigating the text or viewing any portion of the display.  Side by side comparison charts within the prose were not distorted.  Hyperlinks to web resources functioned without issue (I did not check every link, but randomly selected several from each category to try—case law citations, law review articles, and law professor blog sites).   ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The prose is clear, concise and free of spelling and grammatical errors.  ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is objective, neutral and sensitive in tone.  Where explicit or insensitive language is included, it is in the context of a quote from a case or an article that is relevant to the discussion (i.e. the use of the word “bitch” references a case where a party is seeking to present evidence of the other party’s use of explicit language in order to persuade the court to pierce the Rape Shield Rule).  ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"As a criminal prosecutor for almost 20 years, I found this text to be valuable resource.  It was accurate, well-organized and detailed, with essential information about a specific topic that is very relevant to my particular area of practice.  As an adjunct professor in the field of criminal law, criminal justice and legal studies, I found myself considering ways to use the materials in my coursework, either in whole or in part.  This book has the potential to be a very helpful resource, depending on the particular needs and interests of the reader.  Having hyperlinks to resources and materials in the text is a great feature.  I would suggest adding a brief section after each hypothetical example that answers the question posed in the hypothetical and explains the referenced court case.  Given the online format of the text, perhaps it could be a hyperlink to an index of answers to the hypotheticals at the end of the text.  \r\n","created_at":"2019-09-14T11:37:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-09-14T11:37:07.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/evidence-rape-shield-rule","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:07:30.000-06:00"},{"id":102,"title":"Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure appear in the Appendix to Title 28 of the United State Code. This publication was made with data provided by the United States government on the Office of Law Revision Counsel Bulk US Code. This title is current through July 31, 2014. All updates to this material will appear at the above URL.","contributors":[{"id":3811,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":true,"title":null,"first_name":"eLangdell Press","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Editorial Staff","location":null,"background_text":"Editorial Staff of eLangdell Press"}],"subjects":[{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":230,"url":"http://www.cali.org/books/federal-rules-appellate-procedure-2014-2015","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":592,"type":"eBook","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/169","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":593,"type":"PDF","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/169","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1867,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/books/federal-rules-appellate-procedure-2014-2015","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":null,"textbook_reviews_count":0,"reviews":[],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/federal-rules-of-appellate-procedure","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:07:32.000-06:00"},{"id":115,"title":"Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure appear in the Appendix to Title 11 of the United State Code. This publication was made with data provided by the United States government on the Office of Law Revision Counsel Bulk US Code. This title is current through July 31, 2014.","contributors":[{"id":3715,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Scott","middle_name":"A.","last_name":"Cromar","location":"Knobbe Martens","background_text":"Scott A. Cromer is an associate in the Orange County office of Knobbe Martens. He is a patent attorney registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and he practices intellectual property law, with a focus on IP counseling and patent preparation and prosecution. Scott became a patent agent in 2009, and has interests and expertise across a variety of fields and technologies, including software, computers, medical devices, electronics, and mechanical devices. Before attending graduate school, Scott spent six months as a design support intern at a leading pure-play semiconductor foundry, Jazz Semiconductor (now TowerJazz). There, Scott developed new methods of evaluating foundry device models, and gained insights into the semiconductor industry. He then received his master’s degree in Electrical \u0026 Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. As a researcher at Illinois he developed his understanding of circuit synthesis and computer programming. Scott attended the University of Illinois College of Law where he was a member of the Intellectual Property Law Society and was awarded the Joseph M. Barich Excellence in Patent Law Award for demonstrated accomplishment in patent law. He also served as the Internet Editor of the University of Illinois Law Review, and was instrumental in establishing a modern internet presence for the publication."},{"id":3716,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Robert","middle_name":"M.","last_name":"Lawless","location":"University of Illinois","background_text":"Robert Lawless is the Max L. Rowe Professor of Law and co-director of the Program on Law, Behavior and Social Science at University of Illinois. He served as the College's associate dean for academic research from 2013-16. Lawless specializes in bankruptcy, consumer credit, and business law. He is a new co-author for the eighth edition of Secured Credit, a leading textbook on secured transactions. He also joins Professors Jennifer K. Robbennolt and Thomas S. Ulen as the co-author of Empirical Methods in Law, a textbook on empirical methodologies as applied to the study of law. Professor Lawless administers and contributes to the blog Credit Slips, a discussion on credit, finance, and bankruptcy. He also participates in the Consumer Bankruptcy Project, a long-term research project studying persons who file bankruptcy. Professor Lawless is a member of the American Law Institute, the National Bankruptcy Conference, and the American College of Bankruptcy. He has testified before Congress, and his work has been featured in media outlets such as CNN, CNBC, NPR, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the National Law Journal, the L.A. Times, and the Financial Times."}],"subjects":[{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":231,"url":"http://www.cali.org/books/federal-rules-bankruptcy-procedure-2014-2015","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":591,"type":"PDF","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/160","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1641,"type":"eBook","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/160","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1868,"type":"MS Word","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/160","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":null,"textbook_reviews_count":0,"reviews":[],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/federal-rules-of-bankruptcy-procedure","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:07:31.000-06:00"},{"id":117,"title":"Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This series of Federal Rules books, consisting of the Federal Rules of Evidence, Criminal Procedure and Civil Procedure, are powered by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School, and created in partnership with The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI).These rules govern the conduct of all criminal proceedings brought in Federal courts. Our Federal Rules ebooks include: The complete rules as of December 1, 2012 (for the 2013 edition). All notes of the Advisory Committee following each rule. Internal links to rules referenced within the rules. External links to the LII website's version of the US Code.","contributors":[{"id":3814,"contribution":"Editor","primary":true,"corporate":true,"title":null,"first_name":"Legal Information Institute","middle_name":null,"last_name":null,"location":"Cornell Law School","background_text":"Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School"}],"subjects":[{"id":63,"name":"Criminal Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KB3790","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/criminal-law"},{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":232,"url":"http://www.cali.org/books/federal-rules-criminal-procedure-2015","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":96,"type":"PDF","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/162","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1643,"type":"eBook","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/162","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1869,"type":"MS Word","url":"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11785/162","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":35667,"first_name":"Caleb","last_name":"Pennington","position":"Assistant Teaching Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Superior","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text provides a comprehensive list of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Table of Contents at the front of the text is organized and easy to understand.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information in this text is accurate. Most of the text presents the federal rules, so there is little room for scholarly discretion by the authors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This version was published in 2013, so some of the Federal Rules have changed since its publication. In particular, the sections on Criminal Forfeiture and Computing and Extending Time are no longer accurate.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Because this text is merely a presentation of the federal statutes, it contains quite a bit of legal jargon. I think students would struggle to read those pages without detailed context from the instructor.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is very well organized and consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Following the model set by the rules themselves, the text is organized into 9 modules. Those modules are distinct by subject matter. Within those modules, the text is broken up into anywhere from 4-12 rules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is well organized and corresponds with the table of contents.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not experience any issues with the text interface or navigation. It should be noted that there aren't any graphs or images in this text. But the text itself is easy to read and well formatted.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noticed no grammatical errors in this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Because the text leaves little room for commentary, there is no issue of cultural insensitivity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think this is a well-done open source text, though its usefulness may be limited by the subject matter. This text is a published collection of the Rules of Federal Criminal Procedure. As such, it contains almost no commentary or analysis by the authors. These rules are also fairly inaccessible to a lay or undergraduate audience, so an instructor would need to make sure that they are providing the context for each rule that they cover. With that being said, I think this text may be helpful as a supplementary primary source reader. This is the kind of text that can be helpful in a Criminal Procedure class, but not so absolutely necessary that I would assign it as a traditional textbook. As such, an OER resource is the perfect way to provide this information to your class, though an updated version would be preferred.","created_at":"2025-11-10T08:21:56.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-11-10T08:21:56.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:21:40.000-06:00"},{"id":116,"title":"Federal Rules of Evidence","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":[],"description":"Rules of evidence are, as the name indicates, the rules by which a court determines what evidence is admissible at trial. In the U.S., federal courts follow the Federal Rules of Evidence. This series of Federal Rules books, consisting of the Federal Rules of Evidence, Criminal Procedure and Civil Procedure, are powered by the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School, and created in partnership with The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). You may download the books for free, but remember that publishing these books is not free for our organizations. Our Federal Rules ebooks include: The complete rules as of December 1, 2014 (for the 2015 edition). All notes of the Advisory Committee following each rule. Internal links to rules referenced within the rules. External links to the LII website's version of the US Code.","contributors":[{"id":3815,"contribution":"Editor","primary":true,"corporate":true,"title":null,"first_name":"Legal Information Institute","middle_name":null,"last_name":null,"location":"Cornell Law School","background_text":"Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School"}],"subjects":[{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":422,"url":"https://www.cali.org/books/federal-rules-evidence","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"CALI's eLangdell® Press"}],"formats":[{"id":728,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/FRE_LII_0.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1644,"type":"eBook","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/FRE_LII.epub","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":4709,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://www.cali.org/sites/default/files/FRE_LII_0.docx","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":null,"textbook_reviews_count":0,"reviews":[],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/federal-rules-of-evidence","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:09:27.000-06:00"},{"id":498,"title":"Introduction to Criminal Investigation: Processes, Practices and Thinking","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Introduction to Criminal Investigation, Processes, Practices, and Thinking is a teaching text designed to assist the student in developing their own structured mental map of processes, practices, and thinking to conduct criminal investigations. Delineating criminal investigation into operational descriptors of tactical-response and strategic response while using illustrations of task-skills and thinking-skills, the reader is guided into structured thinking practices. Using the graphic tools of a “Response Transition Matrix”, an “Investigative Funnel”, and the “STAIR Tool”, the reader is shown how to form their own mental map of investigative thinking that can later be articulated in support of forming their reasonable grounds to believe. Chapter 1 introduces criminal investigation as both a task process and a thinking process. This chapter outlines these concepts, rules, and processes with the goal of providing practical tools to ensure successful investigative processes and practices. Most importantly, this book informs the reader how to approach the investigative process using “investigative thinking.” Chapter 2 illustrates investigation by establishing an understanding of the operational forum in which it occurs. That forum is the criminal justice system and in particular, the court system. The investigative process exists within the statutory rules of law, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and case law rulings adjudicated by the courts. Considering the existence of these conditions, obligations, and case law rules, there are many terms and concepts that an investigator needs to understand to function appropriately and effectively within the criminal justice system. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce some of the basic legal parameters and concepts of criminal justice within which the criminal investigation process takes place. Chapter 3 describes the functions and terms of “evidence”, as they relate to investigation. This speaks to a wide range of information sources that might eventually inform the court to prove or disprove points at issue before the trier of fact. Sources of evidence can include anything from the observations of witnesses to the examination and analysis of physical objects. It can even include the spatial relationships between people, places, and objects within the timeline of events. From the various forms of evidence, the court can draw inferences and reach conclusions to determine if a charge has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Considering the critical nature of evidence within the court system, there are a wide variety of definitions and protocols that have evolved to direct the way evidence is defined for consideration by the court. In this chapter, we look at some of the key definitions and protocols that an investigator should understand to carry out the investigative process. Chapter 4 breaks investigation down into logical steps, establishing a progression that can be followed and repeated to reach the desired results. The process of investigation can be effectively explained and learned in this manner. In this chapter the reader is introduced to various issues in the progression that relate to the process of investigation. Chapter 5 examines the operational processes of investigation. In this chapter we introduce the three big investigative errors along with graphic illustrations of “The Investigative Funnel” and the “S T A I R Tool” to illustrate how each of these concepts in the investigative progression. Chapter 6 provides the reader the opportunity to work through some investigative scenarios using the S T A I R Tool. These scenarios demonstrate the investigative awareness required to transition from the tactical investigative response to the strategic investigative response. Once in the strategic response mode the reader is challenged to practice applying theory development to conduct analysis of the evidence and information to create an investigative plan. This chapter presents two investigative scenarios each designed to illustrate different steps of the S T A I R tool allowing the student to recognize both the tactical and the strategic investigative responses and the implications of transitioning from the tactical to the strategic response. Chapter 7 illustrates the investigative practices of witness management. Witness statements will assist the investigator in forming reasonable grounds to lay a charge, and will assist the court in reaching a decision that the charge against an accused person has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. It is important for an investigator to understand these practices as they allow an investigator to evaluate witnesses and collect witness evidence that will be acceptable to the courts. Chapter 8 describes crime scene management skills. These skills are an extremely significant task component of investigation because evidence that originates at the crime scene will provide a picture of events for the court to consider in its deliberations. That picture will be composed of witness testimony, crime scene photographs, physical exhibits, and the analysis of those exhibits, along with the analysis of the crime scene itself. From this chapter, the reader will learn the task processes and protocols for several important issues in crime scene management. Chapter 9 examines the interviewing, questioning, and interrogation techniques police use to aid them in investigations. The courts expect police to exercise high standards using practices that focus on the rights of the accused person, and minimize any physical or mental anguish that might cause a false confession. In meeting these expectations, the challenges of suspect questioning and interrogation can be complex, and many police agencies have trained interrogators and polygraph operators who undertake the interrogation of suspects for major criminal cases. But not every investigation qualifies as a major case, and frontline police investigators are challenged to undertake the tasks of interviewing, questioning, and interrogating possible suspects daily. The challenge for police is that the questioning of a suspect and the subsequent confession can be compromised by flawed interviewing, questioning, or interrogation practices. Understanding the correct processes and the legal parameters can make the difference between having a suspect's confession accepted as evidence by the court or not. Chapter 10 examines various forensic sciences and the application of forensic sciences as practical tools to assist police in conducting investigations. As we noted in Chapter 1, it is not necessary for an investigator to be an expert in any of the forensic sciences; however, it is important to have a sound understanding of forensic tools to call upon appropriate experts to deploy the correct tools when required. Chapter 11 summarizes the learning objectives of this text and suggests investigative learning topics for the reader going forward. Many topics relative to investigative practices have not been covered here as part of the core knowledge requirements for a new investigator. These topics include: Major Case ManagementInformant and confidential source managementUndercover investigationsSpecialized team investigations","contributors":[{"id":4312,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Rod","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Gehl","location":"Justice Institute of British Columbia","background_text":"Rod Gehl, is a retired police Inspector, and an instructor of criminal investigation for International Programs and the Law Enforcement Studies Program at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. These ongoing teaching engagements are preceded by 35 years of policing experience as criminal investigator and a leader of multi-agency major case management teams. From his experiences Rod has been a keynote speaker at several international homicide conferences and has assisted in the development and presentation of Major Case Management courses for the Canadian Police College. For his contribution to policing he has been conferred the Lieutenant Governor’s Meritorious Service Award for homicide investigation. Rod’s published research on the “The Dynamics of Police Cooperation in Multi-agency Investigations”, was followed by his article, titled, “Multi-agency Teams, A Leadership Challenge”, featured in the US Police Chief Magazine. Rod retains a licence as a private investigator and security consultant and continues to work with regulatory compliance agencies in both public and private sector organizations for the development of their investigative training and systems."},{"id":4313,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Darryl","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Plecas","location":"University of the Fraser Valley","background_text":"Darryl Plecas is Professor Emeritus at University of the Fraser Valley where he worked for 34 years, most recently holding the Senior University Research Chair (RCMP) and Directorship of the Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research. As Professor Emeritus he continues to co-author work with colleagues and supervises graduate students. He also serves as Associate Research Faculty at California State University – Sacramento, and as an annually invited lecturer to the Yunnan Police College in Kunming, China. He is the author or co-author of more than 200 research reports, international journal articles, books, and other publications addressing a broad range public safety issues. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including UFV’s Teaching Excellence Award, the Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology Award from the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, the Order of Abbotsford, the CCSA Award of Excellence, and the British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Public Safety. His most recent co-authored book “Evidenced Based Decision Making for Government Professionals” was awarded the 2016 Professional Development Award from the Canadian Association of Municipalities."}],"subjects":[{"id":63,"name":"Criminal Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KB3790","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/criminal-law"},{"id":65,"name":"Procedural Law","parent_subject_id":11,"call_number":"KBP1572","visible_textbooks_count":12,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law"},{"id":11,"name":"Law","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"KF385.A4","visible_textbooks_count":99,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/law"}],"publishers":[{"id":438,"url":"https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"BCcampus"}],"formats":[{"id":750,"type":"Online","url":"https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1679,"type":"PDF","url":"https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1680,"type":"eBook","url":"https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1841,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/open/download?type=odf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":4593,"type":"XML","url":"https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":7,"reviews":[{"id":1709,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Buerger","position":"Professor of Criminal Justice","institution_name":"Bowling Green State University, Ohio","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text under review is written for Canadian investigators, and rests on Canadian law and case precedents.  That limits its applicability to the American market, and in some ways limits the value of an assessment by an American reviewer.  Many sections do not have direct applicability, despite the general similarities between the two systems.  Even though there are clear parallels in the legal systems, Canadian case law under a national charter will not have broad applicability in the United States context.  State laws, federal appellate districts, and Supreme Court decisions are all operant, and the applicable legal rules may differ between jurisdictions when there are no federal precedents (the Scenario #2 domestic violence example on page 53 is such an example, for instance).  The overview in Chapter 1 is excellent, and can be applied equally to criminal investigations in any democratic context.  Chapter 2’s discussion of “discretion” is a good example of that adaptability, for instance:  the overall effect of the first two chapters is positive enough to make me wish there could be an American version.  \n\nThe approach taken by the authors is a sensible and much-needed addition to the presentation of criminal investigations.  Distinguishing between investigative tasks and investigative thinking is a recurring thematic guide, and it is articulated well throughout the book.  Though the distinction might be made more explicitly, the authors recognize that criminal investigations begin with the arrival of the first responding unit, almost always a uniformed officer rather than an investigator, and they incorporate that perspective throughout.  The roles described on page 13 are equally applicable to Canadian and U.S. criminal justice personnel.\n\nNot all of the examples are as useful as they might be.  The example on page 36 – “I really need some money.  I’m going to rob that bank tomorrow.” – is far more explicit than the type of circumstantial evidence investigators are likely to encounter.  While the statement is useful, it is unrealistically specific:  improvements might include the addition of variations on the theme of such utterances, such as:  “I really need some money.  Maybe I should rob a bank” and “I really, really need money.  I’m desperate.”  The greater ambiguity embedded in those statements is a greater test of the thinking discipline that the authors promote.\n\nPage 43:  the issue of consent may be that simple in Canada, but American cases rest on whether or not the person giving consent has authority to do so:  cohabitants, roommates with specific areas of privacy vs. general-use spaces, landlords rather than tenants, and similar variations are not addressed here.  \n\nThe distinction between Tactical and Strategic responses is a valid one, but it is dragged out a bit more than it needs to be on pp. 48-51; it is laborious reading, leaning to the tendentious.  The concept is clear, but the explanation drags.  One of the issues related to that distinction is the role of first-responding patrol officers, and subsequent follow-up investigation by detectives\n\nThe discussion of the stabbing incident that occupies pages 55-57 is important for establishing the “step-down” requirement when an exigent circumstances scene is brought under control.  It is described in Canadian terms, but has American analogs.  \n\nThe presentations focus more on philosophy than technique, and the links between the two are not consistent throughout.  While the overview of forensic evidence is a good introductory treatment, I expected at least some reference to collection techniques, since the lab work is dependent upon crime scene work. \n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I cannot speak to the accuracy of the Canadian legal components, but the elements that apply to the fundamental of the work are sound.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevance and longevity should be good.  Changes in law, and changes in or addition to the forensic techniques will require periodic updating, but that should be accomplished easily.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear, although repetitive in some places, leaning to the tendentious in a few spots.  My only real concern would be that the some readers might get lost in the philosophy of thinking, to the detriment of understanding the associated techniques. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistency of approach and terminology, and associated linkages in different sections, is good.  ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The modules are a strength of the book; my only criticism is that they are more uneven in their content than I would expect.  A number of one-short-paragraph modules are ripe for at least some further development.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is clear, and easy to follow.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I experienced no interface problems at all.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Allowing for the different systems of punctuation, the book is error-free in terms of grammar.  There are some annoying proofreading errors that stand out, however: \nPage 62:  a comma rather than a period at the end of the second sentence of the “Common Error #3” paragraph.  \nPage 65:  redundant “situation” in the third paragraph (lower case followed by a capitalized Boldface).  \nPage 82, final paragraph:  “articles of evid. . . ase” are proofreading errors\nPage 92: Need a space between “crime.” and “Understanding”\nPage 120, third line of the “Like photo lineups” paragraph:  the semi-colon should be a comma. A comma after “suspect” in the second line would help clarify the subordinate clause issue. \n","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural references are mostly absent, and for good reason, I think.  They are a larger element in investigations, more fragmented in their application, and deserve separate, free-standing treatment.  I saw no references that raised red flags for offensive content. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The first “Interviewing” paragraph at the bottom of page 123, carrying over to page 124, begins with the premise that “In fact, the person is not even definable as a suspect at this point,” but immediately shifts to a previously-discussed point (perpetrators acting as witnesses or reporters in order to deflect suspicion) and remains on that point to the end.  Far more persons are interviewed who do not fit this category than are those who are, and the narrow focus on “suspect” for this portion is disconcerting.  \n\nThe main focus of the chapter is on offenders, which at some point the investigation must be, but the broader preliminary interview phases need better development.  Chapter 7 deals more with typologies than techniques, so a broader treatment of non-suspect witness interviews (and recontact interviews) would be helpful.  \n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":3257,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Engvall","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Roger Williams University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides a comprehensive look at introductory criminal investigation. It does a nice job of laying a proper foundation through introducing basic concepts leading through to chapters on crime scene management and forensic sciences.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book is entirely accurate in its portrayal of criminal investigation. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is particularly relevant given today's increasingly complicated criminal justice climate. Criminal investigations are under increased scrutiny (appropriately so) and this book introduces that important new reality.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is clear, concise, valuable to the reader.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book provides consistency throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter provides its own information and could easily stand alone as a section of study. The context is set appropriately in the beginning of the book and some basic concepts follow leading through to more complicated crime scene management.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter stands alone, and is clearly organized. The flow is appropriate as the book takes the reader from context to basics to more complicated and reality based principles.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is easy to read, easy to look at, well organized.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is fine.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is appropriate for today's world. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This book truly does provide a solid foundation for a criminal investigation student. It would be of value to any undergraduate criminal investigation course. ","created_at":"2019-11-05T06:50:15.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-05T06:50:15.000-06:00"},{"id":3864,"first_name":"William","last_name":"Powers","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Bristol Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Comprehensive instructions from first responding Officer to crime scene preservation, documentation, interviews and interrogation plus (Canadian) legal aspects.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Written in a straight forward, unbiased, usually step by step progression.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Text is based on Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, so legal aspects are not likely to drastically change.  Text can be easily edited and updated for changes and new rulings in case law.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Wording is clear, minimal use of technical terminology.  The only thing I had to research was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for comparison to American Constitution/Bill of Rights.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Proper use of terminology, some easily understood Canadian phrasing.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Book is properly divided by chapter and sub-divided to explain more detailed subject matter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Good progression of subject matter from Intro through legal aspects to strategic organization and tactical use of crime scene protocols.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The few charts in the book were clear and easily understood.  No distortion.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"Some grammatical and punctuation errors scattered throughout the book.  Ch. 7 Topic 2 Witness Types became confusing grammatically.  Poorly worded in identifying direct, indirect, circumstantial evidence and witnesses.  Ch 8 Note Taking.  A quote (?) was opened with parentheses, parentheses were never closed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Examples were non-offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This text will be useful to a Canadian instructor and classes of prospective Police Officers, especially those that intend to pursue careers in criminalistics.  The heavy but necessary reliance on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms limits the books usefulness in other countries.  Officers in the United States will be unnecessarily confused by the mixture of Canadian rights and the American Bill of Rights/Constitution. (This reviewer is from the U.S.)\r\n  I myself will explore the use of Ch 8 as a quality example of proper crime scene security.  The chapter shows how a first responding Officer should establish proper limited access to the crime scene, how to use an Officer assigned to maintaining a Crime Scene Security Log to limit access to and document egress times at a scene, and use  of an Exhibit Log by a Forensics team supervisor to protect evidence integrity.","created_at":"2020-05-29T07:46:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-29T07:46:39.000-05:00"},{"id":4776,"first_name":"paul","last_name":"Zipper","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Northern Essex Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Text was written utilizing Canadian law. This became problematic when addressing legal concepts in the US. There was no index or glossary of terms. The text would have benefited with an index and glossary of terms at the end.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The major investigative steps in the book was accurate. However when delving deeper into the text, it was clear Canadian terminology and US terminology and laws are different and don't mesh seamlessly. There are minor spelling nuances between the US and Canada. We use the term \"offense\" Canadians use \"offence\" as an example.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The 11 chapters were organized and hit the major areas in Criminal Investigation. Necessary updates can fit into the current  template.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"The major investigative step are well written. However Canadian Jargon/laws/terminology do not translate into concepts found in US law.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The terminology and framework are consistent- yet not applicable to what we do in the US","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity found in this course is a strength. Having used the text the last several semesters, it is easy to use with a traditional 14 week semester. It also covers the major concepts in a manner that is not overwhelming to students. Each week of the semester a major concept is covered and additional case studies and article are utilized to support the chapter we are covering.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized. It takes the students through a traditional investigative flow. It has a strong introduction and covers the necessary preliminary steps and investigator/student  would need to know before moving on to the next one.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is free of interface issues; that being said the text would be enhanced by adding some images and charts to enhance the materials.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Minor grammatical errors","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no material in the text that would in any way be considered insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I think this is an excellent OER. It is well organized and covers major investigative steps in an organized fashion. The major downside is the audience it was written for are Canadian Law Enforcement Officers. I am teaching college students in Massachusetts, USA. A majority of the investigative steps and concepts are transferrable to the US. However, Canadian law and criminal procedure are different than US Federal law and the laws in each of our 50 states and territories. This text works with supplemental materials from the jurisdiction it is taught in being inserted. The instructor needs to point out the differences during class discussion.","created_at":"2021-04-15T15:12:26.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-15T15:12:26.000-05:00"},{"id":33364,"first_name":"Graham","last_name":"Rankin","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor, Chemistry","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"There are extensive references including legal citations for Canadian Supreme Court decisions, and an an excellent list of study questions with answers at the end of the text.  However, there is no glossary or index included which makes it more difficult to find the definition of a term or individual pages where a topic is covered.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Appears to be fairly accurate.  I am not familiar with Caradon law so I am assuming these sections are accurate.  Because the Forensic Science chapter is very superficial some aspects, while not inaccurate, are incomplete.  For instance, Ballistics is considered outmoded and Firearms Identification is preferred.  Accelerant and Arson are discouraged from use as Fire Debris Analysis, Suspicious Fire  and Ignitable Liquid Determination are the recommended terms.  Only the jury can determine  if the presence of an ignitable liquid was used by the accused as an accelerant in the commission of the crime of arson.  Also Bite Mark Evidence is now considered pseudoscience and may not be presented in court.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Publication date is 2016 which is reasonably recent, however an updated edition should be considered in light of new developments in analysis of trace evidence, DNA genealogical matching, and digital evidence, especially cell phone tracing of a suspect's movements.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Generally very clear, except for the too brief Forensic Science chapter.  Also the correct packaging of evidence needs to be included as the uniformed officer may be tasked with this at the crime scene.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"With the exception of Chapter 10 it is very consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided into Topics with study questions at the end of each chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very good. Example forms for Crime Scene management and Evidence log are included.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Scenarios could be expanded to encourage critical thinking by requiring the reader to formulate a hypothesis based on evidence, the test that hypothesis.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"none noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The importance of photo and line-up procedures to include same race and general description is important for eye witness identification.  Cultural issues were discussed in light of interviewing witnesses and suspects.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text is intended for training police officers who may be involved in crime scene investigation and interviewing suspects and witnesses.  In that respect it does a very good job in developing a mindset for the officer to follow in the course of his/her duties.  The major downside is this is a Canadian publication and thus will need considerable additional lecture and written information relating to US federal and state legal issues especially Chapter 2.  While many of the aspects of rights of the suspect are common, the legal framework and court cases will be different.\r\nThe overall approach includes case scenarios and study questions at the end of each chapter.  Aside from those unique to Canadian law, these are excellent and could be used in a Crime Scene Investigation course in a Criminal Justice department.  Some topics in crime scene security, collection and preservation of evidence could be included in introductory courses in Forensic Science.  Chapter 10 is the only chapter relating directly to Forensic Science.  Some topics like Forensic Pathology are fairly detailed whereas Forensic Chemistry is a short paragraph, mostly a listing of areas of analysis, i.e. fire debris analysis, drug analysis, toxicology.  As a result this text would be unsuitable as the sole text for even an Introduction to Forensic Science course.","created_at":"2021-07-29T13:58:54.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-07-29T13:58:54.000-05:00"},{"id":33546,"first_name":"Richard","last_name":"Riner","position":"Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice/ Criminology","institution_name":"Buena Vista University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a short text, 203 pages versus 519 pages for the book I am currently using for the Criminal Investigations course. It covers the basics, but that is about all it does. The book takes a very broad look at the investigative process, which makes it appropriate for those with no formal introduction into police work or investigations, but for those who are familiar with the process and might be looking for an in-depth examination of specific issues that can occur within the scope of an investigation, this book does not seem to be intended for that purpose. For example, a death investigation is different enough in nature and procedure that most texts devote a chapter to examining the inherent complexities and procedural challenges that accompany the investigation into the death of another human being. This book discusses major cases, and while death investigations certainly fall within that category,  there is not a lot of material devoted to them, and that material is under the topic of Forensics.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book was written by and for students in Canada, while my background in law enforcement in the United States. However, the fact that many current and former law enforcement officials were consulted for the creation of this book lead me to believe that form a policy and procedure standpoint the book is accurate. In order to do due diligence for this section, I researched Canadian procedures (a very educational exercise) and found everything in  the book to be accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Because the book is written from a broader frame of reference, it's utility will outlast many books in the field. Criminal Justice is an ever-changing field, and the more specific the material the more susceptible it is to changes in the landscape with regard to policy and procedure. By staying broad in scope the book discusses issues and practices that have relevant for many years and will remain so for the foreseeable future. This book will age well.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written in a straightforward language without a heavy reliance on jargon. The cases cited are not what I am used to being the book was written essentially for a Canadian audience, but the explanation of the importance and relevance of the cases would be easily understood. Anyone with an interest in investigations would be able to read this book and understand the message of the authors.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The voice in which the book was written remains consistent throughout. The terms used to refer to the various concepts or practices are such that once a person understands them they will be able to apply them later in the text to aid in understanding later concepts.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken down into chapters, as most texts are, but them the authors have further broken the text down into topics within each chapter. This makes locating a passage of text easily done. From an instructor stand point this is a feature I would find especially useful during the presentation of textbook material in class. Having the chapters broken down in this manner will make the task of learning easier for students as well.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"When teaching about the process of a criminal investigation, I find it helpful to address topic in the order that an investigator is likely to deal with them when carrying out an investigation, beginning with the initial response to the scene of the crime, and ending with testimony during the trial. This text is not organized in such a way. The order in which topics are presented is not inherently confusing, but for someone who \"walks\" students through the process means there would be a fair amount of jumping back and forth between chapters to approach the material chronologically.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no issues with navigating the book. I downloaded a PDF of the text so it could accessed offline. And while there not active links in the table of contents that a person could click to go directly to a specific chapter, finding a particular passage or topic was fairly easy. The charts that accompany the text were clear both with regard to the quality of the image and clarity of the concepts. There were not a great deal of photos in the text, perhaps only one of a photo array, but it was a good quality photo.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice issues with grammar within the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Since the text was created for a Canadian audience, I may not be the most qualified person to judge the cultural relevance if this particular text. However, I did not find any material that I would deem inappropriate  of offensive. This text deals with material and incidents that can be upsetting or shocking to people, and does so in a manner that would not offensive to readers.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this could be a useful and instructive text for the right audience. Outside of Canada, its potential utility lessens. The text has some very good characteristics, which have been described earlier, and some that could be improves in later iterations of the text.","created_at":"2021-12-16T10:42:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-16T10:42:00.000-06:00"},{"id":34208,"first_name":"Ann","last_name":"Koshivas","position":"Professor","institution_name":"North Shore Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am excited that there is a book in the OER library on criminal investigations. The principles of criminal investigation are well described and it is easy to read and understand.  It is a comprehensive book for a community college criminal investigations course.  There are some parts that might be confusing because the text is based on Canadian law but the general principles are explained well and applicable to the US as well.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can tell the book is accurate but I am not as familiar with Canadian Law and case precedents so I cannot speak as to those aspects of the book. From what I can tell, the book is accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It is a relatively new book but the law frequently changes so it will need to be updated.  In addition, technological advances as they relate to criminal investigations are constantly being made so the book will need to be updated based on that as well.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is easy to read and well organized.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There are no issues with consistency.  The book is consistent in terns of use of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book could easily be used to assign specific chapters.  Each chapter stands alone but the content follows a logical manner in its explanation of criminal investigations.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book is well organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was fine.  There was nothing confusing or distracting.  It was well organized and easy to read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no major problems with grammar. The text was understandable and easy to read.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There was nothing culturally offensive about this book.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The length of this book makes it appealing for an introductory course in criminal investigations. The author covers the areas thoroughly and is concise.","created_at":"2022-11-29T12:42:22.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-29T12:42:22.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-criminal-investigation-processes-practices-and-thinking","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:24:34.000-06:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law.json?page=1","total_pages":2,"total_count":12,"next":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/contract-law.json?page=2"}}