Criminal Justice Discussion Topics

Responsibilities and Duties of a Judge

Task:

Discussion Board Topic: Discuss the various responsibilities and duties of a judge, touching on both civil and criminal courts.

While some duties of a judge are universal (ruling on objections), some are more specialized (signing warrants).  Review the various duties and responsibilities of judges, remembering to identify whether the duty is universal or specialized.  You will have to do some outside research for this question.  Please think critically about a source before using it, and then cite the source using APA citations.  

Assignment 2: M2A3 Discussion Board

Discussion Board Topic: Describe the experience of being a criminal defendant.
In the video featuring Jaclyn Uhl and Peter Del Toro, you hear about their experience being criminal defendants in a federal case.  In what ways is their experience unique?  In what ways is their experience shared with other criminal defendants?  You might want to complete some additional research to answer this question, or maybe even use personal experience.  Remember this is not an opinion question, however!  Cite all sources in APA format.


Assignment3: M2A2 Discussion Board
Discussion Board Topic: Compare and Contrast the experiences of a criminal defense attorney and an assistant state attorney.
Compare and contrast the experiences of these two court players.  In what ways is their daily work different?  In what ways is it the same?  What about the people with whom each mostly interacts?  The defense attorney speaks regularly with the defendant, while the state attorney is not allowed to speak to the defendant.  Who does the state attorney regularly interact with instead?  What about public perception?  In what ways is that similar and different for each party?  These are just some sample questions to get you started, do not feel constrained by these.

You have heard personally from a criminal defense attorney and an assistant state attorney within this Module, and these experiences will be a good place to begin with your comparison and contrasting. However, you will also want to do some outside research to help give you a wider variety of opinions. Remember, this is to be your own original writing.  It is best to avoid the ease of “copy-paste” so you do not unintentionally plagiarize.  Also, cite in APA any resources you use to write your answer.


Assignment4:M3A1 Discussion Board
Discussion Board Topic: Discuss the use of forensic science in criminal court.
Using the materials provided in the Module, and any outside research you feel is pertinent, complete a discussion of the use of forensic science in the criminal court.  This discussion could include the current state of forensic science in the courtroom, some of the current issues in Florida with forensic sciences and experts, a critique on the reliance of forensic science, or anything else related to this topic.

You will likely complete some outside research to answer this question, please remember to cite all sources in APA format.  The following are some links to items you might find of interest in this topic:
Frye v. Daubert - Time to Bring Florida into the 21st Century
Court declines to adopt Daubert
Death by Fire
How Science is Putting a New Face on Crime Solving

Assignment5;M4A1 Discussion Board

Experience of Being a Criminal Defendant

Discussion Board Topic: Offer a critique of the current plea bargain and sentencing process in the United States.
Offer a personal critique of the plea bargaining and sentencing process.  While there is no absolute way to do this, I would offer these tips as a rough guideline.  First, summarize your understanding of the process trying to remain unbiased.  Next, offer any agreements or disagreements you have with the current process.  This not to simply read “I think plea bargaining is unfair” or “I think criminal defendants receive too light of sentence.”  This is not enough for a college course.  Instead, you should use factual information to support your opinions, remembering to cite.  For example, “While plea bargaining may deprive a defendant of a criminal trial, the benefit is that a defendant is able to resolve his or her case quickly without the possible burden of missing work, etc during an extended criminal trial.”  
After watching The Plea, you may be compelled to complete some additional research.  You might want to also refresh your memory about the trial process from the last modules’ study activities.  You should also take a few minutes and watch the John Oliver video clip that address mandatory minimums.  Remember to cite any source in APA format.

Assignment6:M4A2 Scoresheet Submission

Assignment Directions: After watching the video provided on how to complete this assignment and reviewing the LibGuide, take some time to review the CJL2500 Hypothetical (found on the LibGuide).  This is a fact pattern that outlines a crime, the defendant’s criminal history, and his sentencing outcomes.  This is what you will use to fill out the assigned Florida scoresheet.  Finally, review the Scoresheet Preparation Manual.  After completing the pre-work, then fill out the scoresheet and submit in the dropbox provided.
Assignment Link: http://irsc.libguides.com/CJL2500 -  This is the LibGuide where you will find all of the supplemental materials needed for you to complete this assignment.

M4A3 Optional Discussion Board

Discussion Board Topic:  Watch the following video, do a little research on the state of capital punishment within Florida, and then write a thorough discussion board post answering the following question: Should we continue to impose capital punishment for criminal convictions?  Why or why not? *Remember to use both the video and your research in your “why” section.  This is not simply your opinion.  You will not receive credit if you do not refer to your sources.You must then respond thoroughly to two of your peers.  Find two people with either different “why” statements or a different position all together and ask critical questions about their position.
Death Sentence: The Story of Capital Punishment

A few centuries ago, state-sanctioned killing was thought of mainly as a control mechanism—a deterrent to crime. Thus, a person could be hanged not just for murder but for minor offences such as petty theft. With the emergence of the police force as a civic institution, however, some began to view capital punishment as the sordid appeasement of our communal thirst for vengeance, and today it is a continual source of debate. This program explores the issue through historical examples and interviews with legal scholars. Case studies focus on Derek William Bentley, hanged as an accomplice to murder at the age of 19; Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom; and Gary Gilmore, the first person to be put to death following the 1976 reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States. Contains mature content. Produced by the Open University.

M5A1 Discussion Board

Discussion Board Topic: Explain the process of overturning a previous decision of the court, specifically the U.S. Supreme Court.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considered the court of last resort, but that does not mean that all of the Court’s decisions are still standing.  A number of them have been overturned.  Explain the process of overturning an older decision, making sure to include the correct vocabulary, i.e. precedent and stare decisis.  Also include an example of a decision that has been overturned.  This calls for some independent research, but there are plenty of examples to discuss and should be easy to find.