Major Case Observation and Analysis

Observe one of the following criminal court proceedings online.

OJ Simpson's murder trial

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA5sj_zTD9M
• http://ktla.com/2014/06/12/ktla-video-archives-o-j-simpson-murder-trial/

George Zimmerman's murder trial

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufhs6Xidkc8
• http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/george-zimmerman-murder-trial-19643603
• http://www.foxnews.com/live-coverage/zimmerman-trial

Jodi Arias’ murder trial:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ4Svvm7reY
• http://www.hlntv.com/search/content/jodi%20arias%20video
• http://crimeandcourtsnews.blogspot.com/p/jodi-arias-trial-watch-full-court-videos.html

Synthesize observed data from your court experience with research gleaned from at least five reliable, academic sources (one must be the textbook for this class) on the area of criminal justice you selected earlier in the term (arraignments, jury trials, sentencing, etc.). Compare and contrast what you personally observed in court with one or more normative positions argued or implied in your library research regarding how that particular area of criminal justice should function.

Specifically, your final paper should include:

• Your revised Court Report
• An analysis of the area of      criminal justice you observed and researched. First, describe the area of      criminal justice. Then, analyze the components of that area of criminal      justice, including relevant laws and policies, ethical obligations of      involved legal professionals, and the ways in which societal variables      such as race, class, gender, and level of educational attainment affect      proceedings in that area of criminal justice. Use your research to      corroborate your discussion.
• A comparison and contrast      between the realities of what you observed and what your library research      taught you. Describe what the law and ethics dictate should take      place in this area of criminal justice (such as an explanation of charges      during an arraignment), and discuss how what you observed did and/or did      not conform to these expectations.
• An evaluation of the      conformities and the nonconformities you described in number 2 to arrive      at a conclusion about what you observed versus the ideal in our criminal      justice system, including suggestions for how the system could improve or,      at least, better mirror the considerations of the law and of ethics.

Present your response in an analytical research paper of 10-15 well-written pages in APA format