Courts, Prosecution, and the Defense

ASSIGNMENT 2: COURTS, PROSECUTION, AND THE DEFENSE

Due Week 7 and worth 200 points

The courts have one of the most important roles in the Criminal Justice system. They are responsible for the interpretation and application of law when crimes are committed and they help to bring resolve to disputes between people, companies, and units of government.

In preparation for this assignment, please carefully review the case of Michael T. Slager below. Also, please review the court report samples below for reference in preparing a standard court report.

• Michael T. Slager Case
• Court Report Sample 1
• Court Report Sample 2

Based on your understanding from the readings in chapters 7-9, write a three to four (3-4) page court report in which you:

1. Summarize the case, including a detailed description of the crime that took place.
2. Outline the level of court that was assigned to the case (e.g. local/state, municipal, or federal) and the reason why that level was appropriate.
3. Describe the key characters in the case and the roles they played.
4. Explain the charge(s) against the defendant(s) and the evidence presented to justify the charge(s). Indicate whether or not the defendant was offered some form of plea deal prior to the court date.
5. State whether any witnesses were called in the case. If so, identify the witness(es) and provide a rationale as to why they were called.
6. Highlight the outcome of the case (verdict) and take a position on whether the verdict was appropriate based on the charges.
7. Include at least one (1) additional quality reference in addition to the case file presented.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Follow standard court report format, using the examples provided in your course shell for reference.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain the development of American courts and illustrate the concept of the dual-court system.
• Distinguish between the various courtroom participants, and describe the stages in a criminal trial.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in criminal justice.
• Write clearly and concisely about criminal justice using proper writing mechanics and APA style conventions.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the court report, and language and writing skills, using this rubric.