Category: Law

see instructions

Link (https://www.pbs.org/video/crime-and-criminal-justice-ora2qw/)

Watch the link above and answer the questions below. Graded on depth, breadth, content accuracy, grammar & spelling (up to 15 points).

1. What percent of the world’s population does the U.S. make-up? What percent of the world’s prison population do we house in the U.S.? Why do you think we have such a discrepancy?

2. Tell me about the Tim Cole case in Texas Link (https://www.innocenceproject.org/cases/timothy-cole/) . What went wrong in this case? What could have been prevented if the real perpetrator was found? Do you think a statue and the Tim Cole act (about compensation for exonerated people) is enough to satisfy this error by the court?  Why or why not? 

3. What did Michael Risengrove find in his study of ex post facto DNA exoneration study about the error rate of felony convictions? What is the raw number of felony convictions each year that might be false/innocent person convicted? Were you surprised by this data? What are some of the reasons/factos that make it difficult to know the actual error rate?

4. Tell me how each group has incentives to get convictions (police, prosecutors, and crime labs/forensic scientists).

5. What are some of the issues even with our best forensic sciences (DNA, fingerprints, etc.)? How do budgets link into convictions and how many states have these financial ties to conviction rates?

6. What about public defenders…do they have incentives to do well in the CJ system? What issues do they face doing their job for their client?

7. What are the three reforms that Dr.Rogel Koppl suggests to reform and improve forensic testing and the CJ system?

8. What have been the violent crime trends in the United States vs. Mexico and other Central American countries since 2006? What two factors changed drug cartels from the large monopolies of the likes of Pablo Escobar to the smaller and more diversity (industrial re-organization) of these cartels?

9. What was the “Kingpin Strategy” that Mexico adopted? Do you think this strategy was successful? Why or why not? (see link) Link (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/16/world/americas/mexicos-kingpin-strategy-against-the-drug-cartels.html)

U.S.C. (law) Kingpin laws of the United States Link (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/848)

10. What drug have we seen a decrease in production due to to liberalization/changes in laws? What do you think is the best way to handle the continued drug cartels in Mexico and Central America as well as the supply coming into the U.S.?

Any topic (writer’s choice)

1. Identify the issue(s) before each court – include all facts for each case.

2. What was the Court’s conclusion in theses cases – how did they rule on the issues?

3.  What were the reasons for the court’s decisions?

4.  What precedent or prior case was relevant to the Court and why?

5.  Was there a notable dissent? If so, summarize the reasoning.

6. Include only your name and the case name centered and Italicized. Double spaced 3/4″ margin. New Times Roman font 11.

Crime Scene Reconstruction DB

Crime scenes can contain any number of categories of evidence. Most laypeople think of firearms, blood, shattered doors, and bodies. The fact is that anything physical can become evidence if it were used, stolen, or placed at a crime scene. When you look at evidence, many times it is what you dont see that is important.

Identify 3 types of evidence that you typically are unable to see until they are processed.
Identify how these types of evidence are critical in determining the facts concerning the crime scene that help identify what happened and who was involved in the scene at the time of the offense(s).

Crime Scene Reconstruction

In this crime scene scenario, there are a number of evidence types that you will need to collect. The crime scene is a single-floor house with a burned-down tool shed in the back. There is a mailbox that appears to have been hit by a car backing out of the driveway. It is 90 degrees (F) with 100% humidity.

The items you will collect include the following:

A vial of liquid blood
Stains on clothing that may be semen
A paper packet containing an unknown powder
Fumes from the shed that was burned to the ground, containing a body (the body will be handled by the medical examiner, not you)
Paint transfer apparently from a vehicle onto the mailbox in front of the crime scene
Hair and fiber found on a hammer with what appears to be dried blood
In a 4-page paper, complete the following:

Describe the methods you would use to pack these items for transport to the lab.
Explain the danger of the evidence degradation due to the environment.
Describe the instrumentation at the lab that might be used to examine the evidence.

Any topic (writer’s choice)

http://landmarkcases.c-span.org/Case/9/Mapp-V-Ohio
1) What happened in this case? What were the facts?

2) What important issues did the Court address? Discuss the arguments for each side?

3) What argument did the Court find most persuasive? How did the Court rule?

4) What argument did you find most persuasive and why?

5) On what Constitutional grounds did the Court decide this case. Provide all reasons and discuss and explain fully.

6) Discuss the implications of this decision going forward with respect to future cases?

7) What did the commentators state about this case that you found interesting or pertinent to our study of the Fourth Amendment and Constitutional Law? Explain.

This is a college level paper and deserves college level analysis. There is no set minimum or maximum length but only what is necessary to fully develop answers, arguments etc.

Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Criminal Justice

Assignment Details

In this discussion, you will explore the current state of mental health and mental illness in the United States. Unlike in prior discussions, where a discussion question was provided, you are tasked with developing a question for discussion that you will provide to the class. Think critically, reflect on the lesson materials provided in this unit, and develop one question that you want to present to the class. In developing this question, be certain to supply an explanation as to why you believe this is a critical point of discussion.

Read each of the following reports:
The Doctor is Out: Continuing Disparities in Access to Mental and Physical Health Care (2017)
Preparing for the Unimaginable: How Chiefs Can Safeguard Officer Mental Health Before and After Mass Casualty Events (2016)
State Mental Health Cuts: The Continuing Crisis (2011)
Post a meaningful question for your classmates to consider which explores a critical aspect of mental health raised in one of the reports.
Provide an explanation on why you believe this is an important question. 
Select at least two questions from your classmates to answer their question based on your perspective and additional research. 
References

National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2011, November). State mental health cuts: The continuing crisis. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/getattachment/About-NAMI/Publications/Reports/StateMentalHealthCuts2.pdf

National Alliance of Mental Illness. (2017, November). The doctor is out: Continuing disparities in access to mental and physical health care. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Publications-Reports/Public-Policy-Reports/The-Doctor-is-Out

Usher, L., Friedhoff, S., Cochran, S., Maj., & Pandya, A. (2016). Preparing for the unimaginable: How chiefs can safeguard officer mental health before and after mass casualty events. National Alliance of Mental Illness. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Publications-Reports/Public-Policy-Reports/Preparing-for-the-Unimaginable

Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Criminal Justice

In this final activity, you will create a 2-page brief depicting the state of mental health in your local community, capacity to respond, and a list of recommendations to improve local capacity. To complete the list of recommendations, you will need to complete an inventory of the mental health services provided within your local community. In creating this inventory, supply the name, methods of contact, hours of operation, and indicate the range of mental and behavioral health services offered. 

The specific steps are as follows:

Conduct independent research on mental health services provided within your local community.
Create an inventory of the mental health services provided within your local community. In creating this inventory, include the following information:
Name of the provider
Methods of contact
Hours of operation
Specific mental and behavioral health services offered
Create a 2-page brief depicting the state of mental health in your local community, capacity to respond, and a list of recommendations to improve local capacity.
Use no fewer than 4 resources.

death penalty

According to the US Supreme Court and the US Constitution, capital punishment is acceptable when the severity of the sentence has been deemed to be appropriate to the severity of the crime.Somepeople believe the death penalty is a justform of capital punishmentfor the crime offirst degreemurder.As of January 2008, 37states permit capital punishment. On the other hand, some people believe the death penalty is unjust because it violates the Eighth Amendment of theUS Constitution, which forbidscruel and unusual punishment.

Draft a 3 -4 page paper stating the arguments for and against the death penalty. Discuss recent SCOTUS decisions (the past decade or so) as they relate to the Eighth Amendment. Where do you think the US is going to go with it in the future? Do you support the death penalty or not? Explain.

Write a post connecting white-collar &/or corporate crime to our current pandemic. For example, you can connect your post to the assigned readings directly, or you can simply describe, based on fact, how white collar/corporate crime is showing up (crime,

Write a post connecting white-collar &/or corporate crime to our current pandemic. For example, you can connect your post to the assigned readings directly, or you can simply describe, based on fact, how white collar/corporate crime is showing up (crime, criminal enforcement, media, medical, etc.) in the pandemic response here in the U.S or throughout the world. Or a blend of boththere are many ways to approach this post. Your post must include a minimum of 5 sentencesif you reference the readings directly, cite them. If you do not, provide a link to a credible article or website that illustrates your point.

Same sex marriage in the USA

Powerpoint Presentation on Same Sex Marriage

Prepare a conclusive presentation providing an overview of Same Sex Marriage in the US, including what led to the passing of the law and the provisions of the law. Include information from any news reports or articles written on the issue to show the general public or others views on the law. Explain any applicable constitutional provisions, statutes, and administrative regulations. Provide two actual cases related to the topic. You may base your research on any state you choose, however, be sure to reference any federal laws that may impact the state law. You may also choose to compare similar laws in other states.
Also, include some discussion on whether the law might be more suitable for one state over another and why. The final product will be a PowerPoint presentation (with notes)  on the research you have performed. The slides must include citations.

Instructions for the Assignment:

Please include a title slide with your name and the title of your presentation.

Length should be 15-20 slides in length.

Utilize the notes section of the PowerPoint program to explain your slides

Display and discuss the pros and cons of the law.

Include at least two case examples.

Include at least one news article showing opinion.

Enhance your slides with pictures, graphs, timelines, charts, etc.