Case Study Essay CRIM 5000: Ethics and Decision Making in Criminal Justice

Ethical Case Study Assignment Sheet

Select a case study you have not used in the discussion threads. Select one ethical system and one concept of justice and apply the ethical system and concept of justice to the case study you selected.

1. Getting Started

· Outline your essay

· Make your decision

· Critically analyze the case, determine the potential courses of action, and — most importantly — take a clear and decisive position with respect to what you would do based on a particular ethical system if you were one of the lead characters in this case.

· Weigh pros and cons. Show pros outweigh the cons, from the perspective of the ethical system you selected.

2. Mindset of the Paper

· If the case study you select does not indicate who you are in relation to the case, take the role of one of the lead characters in the case – this will allow you to write with authority on the topic.

· Assume the audience knows nothing about the case.

· View your paper as a “position paper.” Although it includes “explanation,” your task is to understand the context, to evaluate the evidence, and then to make a decision concerning the appropriate course of action based on the ethical system you select, which you support through arguments and counter-arguments.

· Take a clear and decisive position –what would you do if you were one of the lead characters in this case based on the ethical system you select?

3. Answer the prompt:

· Select one ethical framework and one concept of justice. This should be the bulk of your paper. Almost all of your paper should be devoted to explaining the ethical framework underlying your decision, but you will use this particular case to explain that system.

· You should spend considerable time explaining the ethical system, elaborating on the ethical system, and applying it to the particular case.

· Likewise, you should spend considerable time and space to explaining, elaborating on, and applying a concept of justice to this case. 

· Remember that this is an ethics course. You should demonstrate that you understand the ethical systems and concepts of justice in depth.

· Identify the facts, including all parties involved and their rights and responsibilities. After identifying the facts objectively, state how that ethical framework and concept of justice would frame those facts.

· Identify the salient ethical issues of the case according to the ethical system and concept of justice you selected.

· Identify the relevant values, conceptual issues, social constraints, and any additional information necessary for an accurate understanding of the case from the perspective of the ethical system and concept of justice you selected.

· Formulate possible courses of action based on the ethical system and concept of justice you selected. Explain the possible courses of action appropriate for this ethical system and concept of justice. 

· Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of those actions according to the ethical system and concept of justice you selected, indicating which course of action the ethical system and concept of justice indicates you would choose and why.

· Provide your own evaluation; do not regurgitate others’ opinions. Use appropriate sources to support your position.

· Find at least TWO peer-reviewed journal articles and incorporate the findings from those articles to support your position on this case.

· The peer-reviewed journal articles can relate: to cases or topics similar to this, to the ethical system you select, to the concept of justice you select, or to any other aspect that will help support your decision.

· Use your facts/sources to convince me of your ethical point of view.

· Your sources can be used in different points throughout the paper, as they support your argument about the ethics of this case. 

·

Cite your sources in the text and list in bibliography.

· Use Article Databases from the library:

· http://www.library.webster.edu/databases/index.html

· General and multidisciplinary databases:

· Academic Search Complete

· Quick Article Search

· Specialized databases:

· Philosopher’s Index: philosophy, ethics (under Religious Studies & Philosophy)

· PsychInfo: psychology, delinquency (under Psychology, Counseling & Social Sciences)

· SocINDEX: sociology, criminology, deviance (under Psychology, Counseling & Social Sciences)

· LexisNexis: legal, business, medical related issues (under Law, Political Science & International Relations)

Cite your sources in APA style

· APA style help:

· http://libguides.webster.edu/apastyle

· APA Formatting and Style:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

· The Basics of APA Style (tutorial):  http://www.apastyle.org/learn/tutorials/basics-tutorial.aspx (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Technical Requirements

· 6-10-page essay double spaced (not including bibliography)

· 12pt font, Times New Roman

· 1” margins

· Page numbers on the bottom, right-hand side of each page

· Your last name in the footer (with the page number)

· The title of your paper in the header (appearing on every page except the first)

Ethics and Law Enforcement

Case Study: A Victim of Rape

You are responding to a sexual assault call. The report is from an apartment complex in a poor section of the city. The only information you were given is an apartment number, which was relayed to the dispatcher by a neighbor of the victim.As you approach the entrance to the apartment, a woman swings the door open and says, “ It’s about time you showed up.”You recognize the woman as Janice, a prostitute who works the neighborhood. Jokingly, you ask if she has been raped. Janice sneers at you and says no. Leading you inside the apartment she introduces you to a young lady sitting on a couch, crying. “ She’s the one that was raped,” Janice says to you. You ask her if the young lady is a friend and she tells you that she is. You also ask Janice is the young lady a prostitute. Janice indignantly responds that the girl is not a prostitute.The young lady is dressed in a short, see-through nightgown. She does not appear to be injured physically. The apartment does not appear to reflect any recent violent actions. You begin to wonder if Janice is telling the truth about the girl not being a prostitute. You see no evidence of a husband or children living in the apartment with the girl. You have worked in this neighborhood for quite a while and have begun to realize how young girls living alone in apartment buildings like this one make their living as prostitutes.“ What’s your name?” “ Ann…” the girl answers as she looks up at you and wipe the tears from her face.You ask Ann if she knows her assailant and she gives you a description, indicating that she knows his first name. “ Pete, that’s the only name I know him by,” she explains” “ Then you know him?” you ask with some degree of skepticism. “ He’s just an acquaintance,” Ann snaps back. You are now becoming more convinced that is a prostitute and that Pete was probably a nonpaying customer. “ Did Pete rape you here?” you ask while looking around the apartment. “ In the bedroom,” Ann responds. “ Naturally,” you think to yourself as you survey the bedroom. “ What do you do for a living? You ask Ann. Ann explains that she just moved to the city a few weeks ago and is looking for a secretarial position. “ Well, Ann to be completely honest, this doesn’t look good,” you explain. “ First, you say you’re raped by some guy that you are acquainted with and only know that his name is Pete. Second, your apartment doesn’t appear to have been broken into by force. Third, you don’t have any bruises or cuts on your body that would indicate a man assaulted you.” “ Well what the hell would you do if a guy had a damned knife at your throat?” Ann shouts angrily. You try to keep your composure and say “ I don’t mean to be an asshole about this, but if I went out and arrested this Pete guy, it would only hurt you. A trial jury would laugh you out the courtroom. The jury would have you pegged as a prostitute by the time the defense attorney was through with you.” You continue by pointing out to Ann that it would probably be a waste of time if she went to the hospital for a checkup in that all the reports and procedures that would have t be done would more than likely be thrown out in court. Ann begins to cry again and tells you to forget the whole matter. Walking out he door, you turn and tell Janice to be sure that her apprentice gets payment in advance next time. She responds with a glare. Two days later at roll call your sergeant makes an announcement. “ Men, we’ve apparently got a rapist on the loose in the northeast section of the city. All we know is that he tells his victims his name is Pete. This guy raped a minister’s wife last night, and the boss wants us to catch him before the media come down to us.”

As the sergeant describes Pete and the M.O. he uses, you remember the rape call you investigated two days ago. The description and the M.O. match the statement Ann had made to you. You are now faced with forgetting about the incident with Ann or returning to her apartment to obtain a statement. Your realize you probably made a mistake treating Ann’s rape lightly as you did. If you go back now, she will probably be uncooperative, and your supervisor will want to know why didn’t you complete the investigation in the first place.

Why did the police officer in this case form inaccurate assumptions about the victim?

What should he do once he realizes his mistake?