Category: Law : Criminal Justice

Anthony Townsend Kronman of the Yale Law School writes:
If judges are legislators and not adjudicators who are merely applying the rules they have been authorized to apply in the cases that come before them, what is it that gives their decisions legitimacy or authority? (Kronman, 1986)
Take a position. Do you agree or disagree that judges should be allowed discretion in sentencing?
First, title your post either “Judicial Discretion Should Be Allowed” or “Judges Should Always Follow Sentencing Guidelines.”
Then, using the information gained in this module and the resources noted above, make your case. What are the strengths and weaknesses associated with this issue? What do you believe to be most important in the matter of justice: complete judicial discretion or required oversight by the sentencing guidelines? Be sure to build your case with factual resources.
In your response to your peers, consider how well they justified their position, making use of available resources. Consider the following questions in your response posts:
Did they support their position convincingly using appropriate resources?
Which of their points make the most sense to you, even if you made your case for the opposing viewpoint?
Reference
Kronman, A. T. (1986). “The problem of judicial discretion.” Faculty Scholarship Series 1063, p. 486. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/fss_papers/1063

Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
Explain the processes and procedures used in courts
Scenario
You are a Community Outreach Coordinator for your local chapter of the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA). A recent study found that people in your area are often unsure of court processes, procedures, and outcomes. As a result, they often are not able to make informed decisions at this critical time in their lives. Using this published research, you have applied for and been awarded a small grant to create community outreach materials to educate the public about court processes.
Directions
The community outreach materials you create should show your knowledge of the following criteria. A template and other possible presentation formats are included in the Supporting Materials section.
Describe how a defendant moves through the criminal justice system from arrest to sentencing. In 150 words, address movement from one step of the process to the next for each of the following:
Arrest
Arraignment
Pretrial hearing
Bail
Trial
Verdict
Sentencing
Appeal
Describe alternative processes and their impact on the criminal court system. In 150 words, address each of the following:
Plea bargains
Restorative justice principles
Describe the function of juries in the trial process. In 150 words, address each of the following:
Civil cases
a)How is this type of jury selected?
b)What is the responsibility of this type of jury?
Criminal cases
a)How is this type of jury selected?
b)What is the responsibility of this type of jury?
Describe the impact of specific sentencing guidelines. In 150 words, address each of the following:
a)Why do sentencing guidelines exist?
b)Identify 2–3 examples of sentencing guidelines.
c)Describe the effects of each of the sentence guidelines you identified.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Educational Material
For this project, choose the format that works best for you. Please note there is no requirement related to the way you show your knowledge, as long as you meet the rubric requirements by following the directions.
We have created the following optional template to aid you in completing this project:
Project Two Template Word Document
If you prefer to create different community outreach materials, consider creating one of the following:
Infographic (See the Supporting Materials section.)
Video for a website
Other handout
If you choose from the above list, make sure your format can include all of the rubric requirements explained in detail in the Directions section.
Supporting Materials
The following resource(s) may help support your work on the project:
Project Two Template Word Document
This template can be used to create your community outreach materials.
Website: Piktochart
This website can be used to easily make an infographic or visual

*Search the Internet and research a problem-solving court (i.e. drug court, veterans court, teen court, re-entry court or homeless court).
Discuss at least one criminological theory that serves as a foundation for the specialty court you selected?
*Does music, TV shows and films that glorify drug usage, encourage youths to use drugs and/or engage in delinquent conduct?
Should all images on TV of drugs and alcohol be banned?
Discuss at least one criminological theory that justify your position.
*scenario 1
Marshall is a 24-year-old construction worker who lives at home with his mother. During the week, he goes to work on time, does his work, and comes home. Occasionally, he will go out with a group of coworkers on a Friday evening. He has one other secret. He burglarizes homes and garages in the neighboring communities, selling what he steals via the internet or at pawn shops two counties over. This past weekend, he was arrested during a burglary when he entered a home where the homeowner was present. His mother had to mortgage her home to bail him out of jail. While driving him home, she started to berate him, stating that he has ended up “just like his father, a criminal” and that she will probably end up dying early due to the stress of having a criminal son. Marshall was angry and blurted out that it was her fault, that this was the only life he knew because his father never taught him anything worthwhile. He said that his mother and father fought all the time, and the main subject of their fights was his constant drinking.
    1. Do you think people are born criminals, or is it learned behavior, or other contributing factors that would have an effect? Discuss at least one criminological theory to explain and support your reasoning.
    2. Are the statements from Marshall about responsibility only used to shift blame? Why or why not?
    3. Select one criminological theory from the text and apply it to Marshall’s situation.

Overview
In this assignment, you will summarize and explain the impact of landmark cases.
Prompt
In Project Three, you will examine landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases and their impact on police, courts, corrections, and juveniles. In this assignment, you will prepare for this project by summarizing and explaining the impact of other landmark cases.
First, choose two landmark cases from the list below and summarize them in 50-75 words.
Miranda v. Arizona
Marbury v. Madison
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
Miller v. Alabama
Then, using the same two cases you chose for summary, in 150-300 words, explain the impact these cases had on the policy, procedure, or practice of criminal justice.
Use the Module Six Assignment template to complete this assignment.
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Summarize two landmark cases from the provided list.
Explain the impact of the cases you chose for summary.
What to Submit
This assignment must be completed using the provided Module Six Assignment template Word Document. Any references must be cited in APA format.

In the Supreme Court case Miller v. Alabama (2012), the opinion of the court states:
Mandatory life without parole for a juvenile precludes consideration of his chronological age and its landmark features—among them, immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences.
Take a position. Do you believe that life without parole is an appropriate sentence for a juvenile?
First, title your post either “Life Without Parole Is Appropriate for Juveniles” or “Life Without Parole Is Inappropriate for Juveniles.”
Then, using the information gained in this module and the resources noted above, make your case. In what ways are juveniles culpable? Is it possible for youth to be irreparably corrupt? What developmental evidence should be taken into consideration, if any? Be sure to build your case with factual resources.
In your response to your peers, consider how well they justified their position, making use of available resources. Consider the following questions in your response posts:
Did they support their position convincingly using appropriate resources?
Which of their points make the most sense to you, even if you made your case for the opposing viewpoint?
Reference
Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S. 460 (2012). Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/10-9646
To complete this assignment, review the Discussion Rubric.

Hide Assignment Information
Instructions
Final Exam
The focus of the final exam will be on the system-wide effects specifically policing and homeland security that various Supreme Court decisions have had, and continue to have, on the field of criminal justice. You will select three Supreme Court cases from the list provided below, outline details of the case and its deposition, and trace the ruling’s repercussions as the various components of the criminal justice system are affected. A single decision has the capacity to greatly alter criminal justice operating procedures. Some decisions have important effects, but their ability to create system-wide changes in policy is moderate. Other decisions have seemingly mundane outcomes, yet end up causing vast changes in policy for various components of the criminal justice system.
First, select 3 Supreme Court case from the list below:
Tennessee v. Garner (1985)
Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Cooper v. Pate (1964)
Cruz v. Beto (1972)
Furman v. Georgia (1972)
Williams v. Florida (1970)
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Powell v. Alabama (1932)
Harris v. United States (1968)
Terry v. Ohio (1968)
Florida v. Harris (2013)
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Weeks v. United States (1914)
Illinois v. Perkins (1990)
Using the selected cases, in your exam;
Summarize the background and details of the case and the justices’ ruling.
Identify the specific component of the criminal justice system that was most affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Provide an in-depth analysis of any operational policy, hiring, or training policy that was, or would be, required to change due to the legal decision.
Describe what systemic effect the Supreme Court’s decision had, or has, for the remaining components of the justice system.
Detail how a single Court ruling can have systemic effects.
Identify and trace system-wide transformation caused by a particular Court ruling.
Cite quotations taken directly from the original court case transcripts. Only select one case from the list upon which to build your response. Citations and basic information pertaining to each case can be found in  FindLaw, Oyez, Google, or Bing. For more in depth discussions and original Court documentation, a google search will elicit a plethora of reputable sources. Remember, Wikipedia should never be considered a reputable source of scholarly information.
The Exam
Must be 7 page long double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the MGSU Writing Center.
Must include a title page with the following:
Title of EXAM
Student’s name
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Date submitted
Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
Must address the topic of the assignment with critical thought.
Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
Must use at least 5-10 scholarly sources in addition to the course texts. References should be primary, not secondary. For example, if one reads a section pertaining to Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) in A TEXTBOOK (2015) , the reference should feature the original court case, not from your textbook. The web site, Oyez, can be of assistance in obtaining in-depth legal information pertaining to case details and court rulings.
Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the MGSU Writing Center.
Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the MGSU Writing Center.
.

The use of artificial intelligence by international actors (states and others) will make it easier to break/flout/get around international law into the next century as compared to any other modern-day challenge mentioned in this class. Discuss, with at least two examples.
Deadline: November 22
Word limit: 1250

Compare and contrast issues of right and justice in Oedipus the King and Antigone.

Was Oedipus wise to ignore the advice of Teiresias and continue to insist that he and he alone could control the fate of Thebes? How do his actions exemplify “hubris”? Are Antigone’s actions right or just? Does she, too, exhibit hubris?
·      Write a paragraph in the voice of Oedipus justifying his actions.
·      Write a second paragraph in the voice of Teiresias, commenting on the consequences of Oedipus’s actions.
·      Write a third paragraph in Antigone’s voice, explaining her actions.
·      Write a fourth paragraph in the voice of (choose one): Haimon, Ismene, Creon, reacting to what Antigone does.

If you read the play by Shakespeare:
The definition of tragic hero is a person who has a tragic flaw, someone who has the knowledge to avoid tragic consequences but does not act on the knowledge.  Some readers/audiences/directors have thought the character of Othello is tragic in this way. Others have not. These others think Othello’s fate is sad, but not tragic, because these readers/audiences/directors think Othello does not have the necessary knowledge to avoid his fate. Which position do you take? Write a paragraph justifying your position.

Compare and contrast issues of right and justice in Oedipus the King and Antigone.

Was Oedipus wise to ignore the advice of Teiresias and continue to insist that he and he alone could control the fate of Thebes? How do his actions exemplify “hubris”? Are Antigone’s actions right or just? Does she, too, exhibit hubris?
·      Write a paragraph in the voice of Oedipus justifying his actions.
·      Write a second paragraph in the voice of Teiresias, commenting on the consequences of Oedipus’s actions.
·      Write a third paragraph in Antigone’s voice, explaining her actions.
·      Write a fourth paragraph in the voice of (choose one): Haimon, Ismene, Creon, reacting to what Antigone does.

If you read the play by Shakespeare:
The definition of tragic hero is a person who has a tragic flaw, someone who has the knowledge to avoid tragic consequences but does not act on the knowledge.  Some readers/audiences/directors have thought the character of Othello is tragic in this way. Others have not. These others think Othello’s fate is sad, but not tragic, because these readers/audiences/directors think Othello does not have the necessary knowledge to avoid his fate. Which position do you take? Write a paragraph justifying your position.

•Please address, who, what, where, when, why and how within each answer.
•Please submit complete answers with complete sentences for each question in paragraph form. 
•Please number and state each question prior to your answer. 
 
Ch. 1   How can police officers maintain accountability for their actions?
        How can openness and transparency help police officers build trust and legitimacy?
Ch. 2 What did August Vollmer contribute to American policing?
        How did corruption become so much a part of American police history?
Ch. 3 Explain the three different types of state law enforcement agencies
        What are some reasons for using civilians in police work?
Ch. 4   Explain the quasi-military style of police organizations.
    What are the five major advantages to using a multiagency task force in the investigation of gangs and    drugs?
Ch. 5  In the context of hiring police officers, what are the basic elements in the recruitment process?
    Explain the importance of in-service training.
Ch. 6  Explain how the “code of silence” affects a police department.
        Discuss the various sources of job stress in policing.
Ch. 7 Explain the basic functions of police patrol
Ch. 8 What are the different ways in which police officers respond to domestic disturbances?
Ch.9  What are the three major changes in investigations that have been inspired by community policing?
Ch. 10 Describe the key characteristics of community policing.
Ch. 11 Explain the underlying sources of police discretion.
Ch. 12  According to the case of Tennessee v. Garner, what is the difference between the fleeing-felon rule and the defense-of-life standard?
Ch. 13  What are the types of police corruption listed in your text?
Ch. 14 Explain “the blue wall of silence.”
     What are the basic models of citizen oversight?
Ch.15a How does the war on terrorism impact policing in the United States?
       
15b  As a law enforcement officer,  do you have more concern about international terrorism or domestic terrorism ?  Why?