Category: Criminal justice

Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
Describe best practices used in discretionary decision making
Scenario
You are the public representative of a rape victim’s family. The judge ordered a jail sentence of six months with a lifetime registration as a sex offender for the defendant. The family is not satisfied with the judge’s ruling. You have been asked to write a memo to be submitted to the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee. Using the full scenario and the template (both linked in the Supporting Materials section), compose a memo regarding the actions and discretionary decisions made by the judge.
Directions
You will be creating a written memo to submit to the head of the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee. Your memo should have all sections identified and should address all of these required elements:
Explain parts of the decision-making process in which discretion can be applied in accordance with law and policy. Answer the following questions in your explanation:
What laws or policies may influence criminal justice professionals (in this scenario, the judge) to reach decisions in the stages of the criminal justice process (arrest, indictment, conviction)?
How does discretion impact the decisions made in accordance with law and policy?
Analyze discretionary decisions made by criminal justice professionals. Address the following in your analysis:
What decisions were made by the judge?
Who is affected by the decisions?
Do they have negative or positive impacts?
Identify specific steps in the discretionary decision-making process that may lead to negative and legal impacts. Address the following in your identification:
What are the specific steps in the discretionary decision-making process that may lead to negative impacts?
Could the judge have done anything differently in any specific step to have made a positive impact?
Describe the role discovery plays in the decision-making documentation process.
What role did discovery play in this process?
Which step in the decision-making process does discovery fall under?
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Memo to the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee
Using the scenario and template linked in the Supporting Materials section, create a written memo regarding the judge and practices used in discretionary decision making. The statement should address the rubric criteria listed above: discretion, law, and policy; analyzing discretionary decisions; impacts of steps in the decision-making process; and discovery.
Your submission should be a 2- to 3-page Word document with 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and one-inch margins. Any sources should be cited according to APA style.

EACH QUESTION ANSWER SHOULD BE 500 WORDS EACH 
Question1: Major structural features of the Constitution, including the separation of the powers between the three branches of the federal government, the powers granted to the federal government, the nature of our federal union, and the sovereign powers reserved by the states.
Question 2:
What the Fourth Amendment requires for a police officer to have authority to: (1) search for evidence, (2) perform a limited weapons search, and (3) perform an inventory search.

There are two essay questions.  each question must have a response of 500-700 words and three recent citations.  Full instructions are attached.

Required to submit a written assignment of 1500 words (5-6 pages, double-spaced) based on Charles Cullen, a former nurse convicted of multiple patient murders. 
Describe the phenomenon (serial killing) 
Describe the case study: Present a detailed description of the chosen case study (Charles Cullen) in no more than 1 to 1.5 pages. Include background information, significant life events, criminal activities, and any other pertinent details about Cullen’s life and actions. 
Presenting the Relevant Research and Theory: Apply the General Strain Theory (GST) to explain Cullen’s behavior. Discuss how GST is relevant to this case, including an explanation of the theory, its key components, and how it can be used to understand the motivations and actions of Charles Cullen. Incorporate at least 5 academic sources related to criminological research and theory to support the analysis.
Evaluating the Explanations and Arriving at Conclusions:
Critically evaluate the effectiveness of GST in explaining Cullen’s behavior. Consider alternative explanations and theories, assess the strengths and limitations of GST, and conclude with your insights and overall assessment of why Cullen engaged in serial killing.   

Analysis and Application: DNA Retention
DNA Retention
In 1994, the United Kingdom initiated a policy to collect and retain the DNA of juveniles involved in crime and came under fire for retaining the DNA for other juveniles who were never charged or convicted of an offense. Similarly, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the police can routinely take DNA samples from adults who have been arrested but not convicted of a crime.
Create a position paper (4–5 pages; 1,000–1,250 words) addressing the potential issues, both positive and negative, for the collection of DNA from individuals not yet convicted of any crime in the United States. Include examples to support your position.
Note: This assignment will require outside research. Use at least two peer-reviewed sources beyond the text material. Also discuss how you evaluated the credibility of the resources used.
You may consult the Library, the internet, the textbook, other course materials, and any other outside resources in supporting your task, using proper citations in APA style.

Scenario
You are an analyst hired by the mayor of a small city who wants to do something about rising juvenile crimes. The mayor tells you she wants her police department to start a boot camp for young offenders, because she saw one such program profiled on the local news.
Using the National Institute of Justice Crime Solutions online tool, what would you report to the mayor about boot camps?
Based on your search of programs using the online tool, what alternative approach would you recommend?
Write a Summary   
Font: 12pt Times New Roman    
Format: MLA or APA 7 format    
Minimum: 300 words  
Maximum: 400 words  
Sources: Utilize 2 sources with proper citations  
You must include references, but this does not count toward the 300-400 words 

Explain some of the similarities found between the U.S. Bill of Rights and U.N.’s
Declaration of Human Rights. What are some differences?

Choose one of the following topics relevant to evidence and procedures:  ( You are welcome to choose whichever topic from below to write about!)
1.  Documentation, collection, and preservation of DNA evidence
2.  The pros and cons of relying on modus operandi and signature in a serial homicide investigation.
3. Discuss bitemark examinations, document examinations, and microscopic hair examinations and exactly why each is now considered “junk science”.
4.  Discuss the impact of visual aids in the courtroom and how they assist in explaining forensic science to the jury. Provide examples drawing from specific forensic disciplines such as fingerprint analysis or ballistics.
5.  Discuss the different methods of documenting and searching a crime scene. What are the pros and cons of relying on 3D imaging systems?
Remember that statistics, studies and case examples add depth to your writing.
The paper should be of high quality, free of spelling and grammatical errors, and of original work. 

Download the library article “How Feminist Theory Became (Criminal) Law: Tracing the Path to Mandatory Criminal Intervention in Domestic Violence Cases” as your initial reference for this week’s Assignment.
In a 3- to 5-page paper, identify early theories of domestic violence that preceded the feminist intervention and the subsequent feminist theories of domestic violence. Analyze how early feminist theories of domestic violence rejected earlier alternative psychological and family violence theories and how that eventually led to criminal intervention as the primary solution to domestic violence. Specifically, include discussion on the impact of attorneys Laurie Woods and Pauline Gee on the advancement of criminal intervention in domestic violence cases as demonstrated in Bruno v. Codd and Scott v. Hart. Major points should be clearly stated and well supported with facts, details, and historical evidence.
NOTE: This assignment will require outside research. Use at least two credible sources beyond the text material. You may consult the Library, the internet, the textbook, other course material, and any other outside resources in supporting your task, using proper citations and references in APA style. Discuss how you evaluated the credibility of the resources used. All outside resources used should have been published within the last 5 years.
Include a cover page and references page in 10- to 12-point font (Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman are acceptable).
Viewpoint and purpose should be clearly established and sustained.
Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.).
Writing should be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful.
Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics.
Appropriate citation style should be followed.
You should also make sure to:
Include a title page with full name, class name, section number, and date.
Include an introductory and concluding paragraph and demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard English.
Use examples to support your discussion.
List all sources on a separate reference page at the end of your paper and cite within the body of your paper using APA format and citation style.

Life under Sharia Law & Islamic Law in the World Today
Based on the videos and articles posted for this module, address the general idea in relation to the topic for your initial post. Critique every thought.
Clarify your arguments.
Cite each of the lecture materials at least once in your posts.
Submission Instructions:
At least 200 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
ReadTerrill, R.J. (2016).
Islamic Law pp. 387-441
The Significance of Islamic Law in the World TodayLinks to an external site.
Anderson, J. N. D. (1960). The significance of Islamic Law in the world today. The American Journal of Comparative Law, 9(2), 187–198. https://doi.org/10.2307/837190