Students will go to the website Case Law 4 Cops on the topic of “Major Cases” https://www.caselaw4cops.net/major_cases.htm and select the two cases that they believe have the biggest impact on criminal investigators and how they do their investigations. Students should be aware there is a dropdown menu on the left side of the screen where different subjects related to different case law decisions can be selected and reviewed.
Once the student has selected the two cases, the student will create a minimum of a five-slide PowerPoint presentation (not including the cover page and the references page) outlining the following.
Identify the two case law decisions and the history behind each.
What were the court’s findings in each of the two cases?
How do those findings impact criminal investigators in their duties?
Once completed, students will utilize Bongo to create a minimum of a five-minute presentation discussing the two case law decisions and the questions posed above.
Reminders on references
As a reminder, per the forum grading rubric, posting a credible reference (and explaining why it is there) is worth points on our forum grade (the course textbook, materials or course references that I provide or are in the classroom material do not count).
In addition, even if/when you post a link/reference, you must explain to the class where you used it in your post (an in-text reference is one way of doing this), what it says and how it relates to what you are saying in your forum post.
Category: Criminal Investigation
Every case brought before a judge must have evidence. Evidence is collected the moment law enforcement arrives on the scene. However, how that evidence is collected and stored allows a defense attorney the opportunity to scrutinize the individuals who collected the content. For example, the OJ Simpson and Robert Blake cases brought scrutiny to evidence collection and made the public develop a mistrust of how evidence is stored.
Write a 1,000–1,200-word essay on the process of how evidence is collected and stored. As law enforcement presents its evidence to the state, justify some of the public’s hesitation with evidence collected and stored. Provide 2 outside references to validate your claims.
Visit the university library and research evidence collection.
Discuss why collecting and preserving evidence is important.
Illustrate why judges are more likely to throw out cases when the evidence is faulty or cannot be tracked.
Cite your sources via APA.
Agency cooperation is key to ensure that a suspect who has committed crimes in multiple jurisdictions is captured. Not all federal or state agencies are alike. For example, whenever there is dual involvement, one agency will take on the primary role while the other takes secondary. In cases where it is a federal and state crime, the federal government will get the first crack at the suspect, and the state will follow, if double jeopardy is not attached.
In a 1,000–1,200-word essay, discuss the importance of agency cooperation and what can transpire if the two do not agree. Students should be able to provide some examples of cooperation and no cooperation between agencies.
Visit the university library, and research interagency cooperation in law enforcement.
Identify some law enforcement agencies that have collaborated with success.
Address ways in which a lack of cooperation can hamper a case before going to trial.
Cite your sources via APA.
Students should be able to elaborate on the need for a federal consent decree and its impact on law enforcement. From Chicago to Ferguson, federal consent decrees have been put in place because of identified errors due to a lack of law enforcement accountability. Although the target of consent decrees is to help correct a wrong due to violations of federal or state law, some departments are resistant to change. Students should be able to identify 3 law enforcement agencies that were under a federal consent decree and the implemented changes that were recommended.
Write an interoffice memo in which you discuss new guidelines established by a federal consent decree, detailing how local law enforcement officers will track race, number of stops, complaints, and body cam usage to enhance their relationship with the community and focus on de-escalating situations. Please discuss how the data will be stored and tracked via technology to ensure full compliance.
In addition, write a 750–1,000-word essay discussing the rationale for a consent decree and its impact on the community and law enforcement. Students should be able to provide references to validate their claims.
Deliverable:
Interoffice memo
750–1,000-word essay
Search the university library for law enforcement agencies under a federal consent decree
Some examples of federal consent decrees that have produced changes for law enforcement
Discussion on why some law enforcement agencies are not keen on accepting federal consent decrees
Explore ways in which law enforcement can make changes without needing the government to initiate a federal consent decree
3 references to validate claims
Example of the outcome after the decree went into effect
Cite your sources via APA.
Students will be able to analyze sexual assault and the challenges that it possess on law enforcement. In the last 30 years, policies and procedures have changed how law enforcement conducts interviews in and investigates sexual assault cases. This assignment will try to challenge a student’s assumptions of how the process works, but once into the details, the student will gain a fair understanding of how damaging sexual assault is and how it affects everyone involved.
In a 1,000–1,200-word essay, examine the elements of why sexual assault is very difficult for law enforcement to investigate, and discuss some potential mechanisms that you would put in place to help lessen the trauma for victims. Provide at least 2 references to substantiate your claims.
Visit the university library, and research sexual assault.
Address why sexual assault cases are a challenge to law enforcement.
Describe ways in which rape shield laws are sometimes used to discredit a victim.
Cite your sources via APA.
tudents will analyze the conflict that law enforcement officers pose when investigating one of their own. Because police officers have immunity, justification for not prosecuting is often given to the prosecution. The Botham Jean case is a perfect example of why law enforcement officers should not have the power to investigate their own. Even when an outside agency is involved, other corresponding conflicts arise and could put any potential case headed to trial in jeopardy. Students should be able to identify conflicts of interest in law enforcement and the reasons that investigating your own is not in the best interest of the case.
Write a 1,000–1,300-word essay describing conflicts of interest in law enforcement addressing the following:
Research the Botham Jean case at the university library.
Discuss some of the conflicts of interest associated with this case.
Analyze the role of the initial prosecutor on the case and her reluctance to bring charges.
Provide an example of how the initial contact helped Amber Guyger’s case.
Provide at least 3 references to bolster your claim.