-dubbed “trial of the century” -who named it the “trial of the century” -media? -was it the...
TRANSCRIPT
-Dubbed “trial of the century”
-Who named it the “trial of the century”-Media?
-Was it the “trial of the century”
Was the trial sensationalized because of race alone?
▪ Why was it sensationalized?
-Celebrity status? -Entertaining? (for media ratings)
Were there any trials in that century more deserving to be titled “trial of the century”?
Was race employed as a means for media ratings and to stir controversy?
Was race used by the defense?
Defense attorney Cochran› Encouraged jurors to make a public
statement about racism.› Told jurors to ignore the fact the two
murders occurred.› (Same defense used by attorneys to acquit
two white men in the Emmett Till murder).
How much did genuinely slipshod police work contribute to the controversy and sensationalism?
Mark Fuhrman › Racist bigoted detective› Lied under Oath› Boasted of falsifying reports› Boasted of brutalizing people
The Mark Fuhrman’s:› Lump all police into a group of
untrustworthy individuals.
If the Simpson trial was a miscarriage of justice, who was responsible?› Defense Attorneys?› Prosecutors?› Police?› Judge?› Media?› All of the above?
Did this trial lower the standards for all of society?
Racial Nullification› Means “refuse to convict a defendant
because of the person’s skin color” (Delattre)
› ESPECIALLY if they believe law enforcement is racially biased.
› Jurors (some) are disregarding the evidence because they seek to protest racial injustice.
What have we learned from this trial?
What can law enforcement do to make certain situations like that occurring in the Simpson trial and investigation never occur again?
Not tolerate bigotry in law enforcement.
Proper backgrounds on recruits Proper continual training Proper supervision Accountability (of entire department) Discipline Overall institutional policy and mindset.
What is “a spirit of service”? What is reciprocity?
How does an officer’s individual conscience affect his duties?
Should a supervisor take into account an officer’s personal feelings in making assignments?
Examples?
Conduct two interviews with practicing professionals in the field of law enforcement.
These individuals may occupy positions in federal, state, county or municipal police agencies, probation, parole, or prosecutors' offices.
It is preferable that you conduct the interviews in person, but telephone interviews will be acceptable if in-person interviews cannot be arranged.
Focus on the following questions in your interviews:
Why are ethics and character so important in the field of law enforcement?
Do the interviewees feel that police are more ethical today, or were they more ethical ten years ago?
Why do police officers become involved in misconduct?
Do the interviewees feel that there is enough training offered in ethics at the police academy level? If not, why is that?
Should ethics training be offered as an on-going process for law enforcement officers?
Do the interviewees feel that education and/or training in ethics would reduce incidents of police corruption?
If needed – for extra material for your paper:Try asking them about:
Some of the challenging DB questions;Something challenging in the textbook that you read about;Something we spoke about in the Seminar
Report the results of these interviews in a paper that answer the proposed questions.
Apply issues read and discussed in class to your paper to form a synthesis of practical law enforcement ideologies.
Finally, offer your own insights on the perspectives of the individuals you interviewed and materials covered in the text readings and seminar discussions.
The paper will be a minimum of 10 pages, double-spaced pages using a 12-point font. It must be in American Psychological Association (APA) format.
Submit your assignment to the Dropbox by the end of Unit 8 in the basket titled Unit 8: Interview.
Chapter 19 & 20: Ethics, Terrorism and the Future of
Policing &
Seminar: The L.A.P.D. Rampart Division
Scandal