Court Case Summary

It is important to be exposed to court cases and associated documents so you can learn how to identify relevant information. This assignment will help you become familiar with the layout of court documents as you search for information in a U.S. Supreme Court case of your choosing. Use your Essential Criminal Law textbook and the internet to help you locate information about your selected U.S. Supreme Court case.

In Week 1, you were preparing for a job interview for a paralegal position at a law firm. Now you have been hired and one of your first tasks is to review a U.S. Supreme Court case and provide a summary presentation to the firm’s lawyers who will be referencing the case as they prepare for another trial.

Select a criminal law case from the Opinions of the Court page of the U.S. Supreme Court website.

Create a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation, with speaker notes, in which you address the following: 

• Summarize the case.
• Who were the main parties in the case?
• What were the charges?
• What defense was used? Refer to Ch. 6 of Essential Criminal Law for possible defenses.
• What was the decision?
• Identify the functions and effects of criminal law in modern society reflected in the case you selected.
• What function did the law serve in the case?
• What effect did the law have in the case?

Cite all sources used according to APA guidelines.