4.
With the rise of social media, the way information is shared is at an
unfounded rate. The sharing of information, including instances of alleged
misconduct or excessive use of force by law enforcement officers are at very
high rates, especially in times after the George Floyd murder. Videos
recorded by citizens who are bystanders or people involved in police
encounters can quickly go viral, sparking public outrage and scrutiny and not
only in that area but country wide. With this be understood, it has made it
difficult for law enforcement officers to feel as though they can do their job
without making the 9 O’clock news. They realize they must walk on nails
because of any lapse in judgment and cause widespread condemnation and
an increase in the already growing divide between citizens and law
enforcement.
The introduction of dash cams and body cameras have been a valuable
tool in law enforcement as it helps with transparency and accountability
within agencies. With these devices interactions with law enforcement and
citizens can go a lot smoother as the officer knows that his actions are being
recorded and will be reviewed if an incident turns wrong. By capturing both
audio and video footage, body cameras and dash cameras serve as impartial
witnesses, offering insights into the actions and decisions of criminal justice
professionals in real-time.
However, the widespread adoption of social media, body cameras, and
dash cameras also presents challenges and ethical considerations. Concerns
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have been raised regarding the privacy rights of individuals captured on
camera, as well as the potential for footage to be selectively edited or
misinterpreted to fit a particular narrative. Additionally, the storage and
management of vast amounts of video data pose logistical challenges for law
enforcement agencies, necessitating robust infrastructure and protocols for
data retention and retrieval.
According to a study conducted by Ready and Young in 2015, police officers who
were not equipped with body cameras conducted more "stop-and-frisks" and made
more arrests compared to officers who wore the cameras. The study revealed that
officers without cameras performed 9.8% more stop-and-frisks and made 6.9% more
arrests. Conversely, officers who were assigned to wear cameras issued 23.1% more
citations for ordinance violations than those who were not equipped with cameras.
Additionally, officers who wore cameras initiated 13.5% more interactions with citizens
than those who did not have them. Moreover, officers wearing cameras were 25.2%
more likely to find the devices helpful during their interactions with the public. However,
the study did not show a significant impact of cameras on whether officers gave verbal
warnings to citizens. The bible says "Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you
may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Deuteronomy 16:20
and we should remember that the bible tells us that justice is fundamental and
something we should all uphold.
2.
Let's dive into the court systems of North Carolina and the federal government. Although
there are similarities between the two, there are also significant differences.
3
Both systems are structured hierarchically, with different levels of courts handling different types
of cases. The hierarchy consists of trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme court, which
has the final jurisdiction.
In North Carolina, we have District Courts and Superior Courts for trials, while the federal
system has District Courts. Both systems have intermediate appellate courts, with North
Carolina's Court of Appeals and the federal Circuit Courts of Appeals. The supreme court in
North Carolina is the Supreme Court of North Carolina, and for the federal system, it's the
United States Supreme Court.
However, North Carolina's court system has some unique features, such as specialty courts like
the Business Court and the Family Court, which are not as common in the federal system.
Additionally, North Carolina organizes its courts into districts, while the federal system divides
its courts into circuits.
Another significant difference is how judges are appointed. In North Carolina, judges are usually
elected, but in the federal system, they are appointed. Furthermore, federal courts handle cases
involving federal laws or disputes between citizens of different states, while state courts, like
those in North Carolina, handle cases involving state laws and intrastate disputes.
In summary, both court systems share some similarities, but there are also significant differences
that make each system unique. Understanding these differences is crucial to understanding the
legal landscape of North Carolina and the federal government.
4
References
Ready, Justin; Young, Jacob. "The Impact of On-officer Video Cameras on
Police– citizen Contacts: Findings from a Controlled Experiment in Mesa, AZ." Journal
of Experimental Criminology, June 2015. doi: 10.1007/s11292- 015-9237-8
Neubauer, D., & Fradella, H. F. (2019). America’s courts and the criminal justice
system. (13
th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage.
Neubauer, D., & Fradella, H. F. (2019). America’s courts and the criminal justice
system. (13
th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage.
Bible Gateway passage: Deuteronomy 16:20 - New International Version. (2022).
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+16%3A20&version=NIV
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