The Secret Trial

/in /by

The Secret Trial

[WLOs: 2, 3] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Prior to beginning your written assignment read the Criminal Procedure (Links to an external site.) article, Right to a Speedy and Public Trial – Public Trial (Links to an external site.) article, the Right to Confront Witness (Links to an external site.) article, Right to Counsel (Links to an external site.) article and review the Supreme Court Opinions synopses.

Read the following case scenario:

In the ongoing war on terrorism, the new president has proposed expanding the jurisdiction of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA). FISA is a U.S. federal court established and authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to oversee requests for surveillance warrants against foreign spies inside the United States by federal law. The new president’s proposed Secret Terrorism Trial Bill will expand the jurisdiction of the FISA to hold secret, non-public trials of accused terrorists for any planned or actual acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. The bill will also allow witnesses to testify before the FISA Court by remote video with their identities kept secret from the accused and any defense team. The stated purpose for the secrecy is to allow trials of terrorists without giving them a public platform for their radical ideology and to allow witnesses to testify without fear of reprisals from terrorist groups such as ISIS or Al-Qaeda.

Write a paper addressing the following:

  • Explain whether the proposed Secret Terrorism Trial Bill violates the Sixth Amendment right to a public trial,
  • Describe whether the proposed Secret Terrorism Trial Bill violate the Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against you.
  • Explain whether the government’s overriding need to fight terrorism outweighs the Sixth Amendment rights of the accused.
  • Identify whether the Sixth Amendment applies to terrorists since the writers of the Constitution could not have envisioned mass shootings and suicide bombers.

The Secret Trial paper

  • Must be 500 to 750 words in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.)
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
    • Title of paper
    • Student’s name
    • Course name and number
    • Instructor’s name
    • Date submitted
    • For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).
  • Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
  • Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
    • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
  • Must use at least three court cases and one scholarly source.
    • The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
    • To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
  • Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)
  • Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

The Secret Trial

[WLOs: 2, 3] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Prior to beginning your written assignment read the Criminal Procedure (Links to an external site.) article, Right to a Speedy and Public Trial – Public Trial (Links to an external site.) article, the Right to Confront Witness (Links to an external site.) article, Right to Counsel (Links to an external site.) article and review the Supreme Court Opinions synopses.

Read the following case scenario:

In the ongoing war on terrorism, the new president has proposed expanding the jurisdiction of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA). FISA is a U.S. federal court established and authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to oversee requests for surveillance warrants against foreign spies inside the United States by federal law. The new president’s proposed Secret Terrorism Trial Bill will expand the jurisdiction of the FISA to hold secret, non-public trials of accused terrorists for any planned or actual acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. The bill will also allow witnesses to testify before the FISA Court by remote video with their identities kept secret from the accused and any defense team. The stated purpose for the secrecy is to allow trials of terrorists without giving them a public platform for their radical ideology and to allow witnesses to testify without fear of reprisals from terrorist groups such as ISIS or Al-Qaeda.

Write a paper addressing the following:

· Explain whether the proposed Secret Terrorism Trial Bill violates the Sixth Amendment right to a public trial,

· Describe whether the proposed Secret Terrorism Trial Bill violate the Sixth Amendment right to confront the witnesses against you.

· Explain whether the government’s overriding need to fight terrorism outweighs the Sixth Amendment rights of the accused.

· Identify whether the Sixth Amendment applies to terrorists since the writers of the Constitution could not have envisioned mass shootings and suicide bombers.

 

The Secret Trial paper

· Must be 500 to 750 words in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.)

· Must include a separate title page with the following:

· Title of paper

· Student’s name

· Course name and number

· Instructor’s name

· Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).

· Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.

· Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.

· For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.

· Must use at least three court cases and one scholarly source.

· The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.

· To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.

· Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)

· Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

 

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Sentencing Decisions

/in /by

Sentencing Decisions

Preparation
  1. Read Week 6 Assignment: Sentencing Decisions [PDF], a fictitious case scenario, for insight into how forensic psychology affects the courts.
  2. Put yourself in the shoes of a criminal justice intern shadowing the forensic psychologist in a local court. The psychologist has asked you to do some research for a workshop she’s hosting about psychological aspects related to the court process to help the community understand the role of a forensic psychologist and what they can bring to the criminal justice system.
  3. Refer to Chapters 2, 9, and 10 in your textbook and the B.S. in Criminal Justice Library Guide for resources for completing this assignment.

Instructions

Use the case scenario and other resources to write a 3 page report addressing the following questions:

  1. What did the psychologist do to determine if Mr. Bell was competent to stand trial?
  2. What role did the psychologist play in the determining whether Mr. Bell was mentally ill or developmentally delayed in his court hearing?
  3. What assessment tools did the psychologist use to determine Mr. Bell’s diagnosis? (Various assessment tools are covered in Chapter 10 in your textbook).
  4. What additional assessment did the forensic psychologist use to determine what facility Mr. Bell should be placed in?

Use three academic resources to support your responses. Your textbook can be included as a resource. Consult Basic Search: Strayer University Online Library and B.S. in Criminal Justice Library Guide for the other two sources.

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:

  • Examine the psychological understanding and response to offending behavior, encompassing the courts.

    Week 6 Assignment: Sentencing Decisions

    State of Florida vs. Bryon Bell (Fictitious case, based on a true story)

    Scenario: On Sunday, October 17, 1981 at 10:05 PM, Bryon Bell entered the Sunny Way Liquor Store with a loaded shot gun. The store manager was the only person on the premises. Bell demanded the money from the register and the safe. The manager of the store panicked and grabbed the end of the shotgun. The shotgun discharged, and the manager was killed. Bell collected the $126.00 from the register, could not open the safe, stole a six pack of beer and fled the scene on foot. A patron found the scene at 10:11 PM and called 911.

    Bell was found by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at 10:28 PM. He was three blocks from the store, intoxicated; and in possession of the discharged shot gun, the stolen money and the unopened six pack of beer. Bell was arrested and taken into custody without incident. Bell was given a breathalyzer test, and his blood alcohol measured at .14. He was clearly intoxicated. Bell admitted to police that he had been drinking all day, was kept in police custody and was not released. Bell was charged with First Degree Murder and Armed Robbery. Bell reported that he was unable to pay for counsel and would be using a Public Defender. Bell was transferred to the Orange County Correctional Facility and held without bond.

    Bell was arraigned in the Orange County Courthouse on Monday, October 25, 1981, pleaded innocent and requested a trial by jury. The judge then ordered a Psychological Evaluation. Bell was then referred to a forensic psychologist, Sandi Smith, for a Psychological Evaluation. It was determined by the Psycho-social Evaluation that Bell was mentally fit to stand trial and understood the charges. Bell’s diagnosis was Bipolar One Disorder (most recent episode mixed) and Alcohol Dependence. It was also recommended by Smith that Bell be given the Jail Screening Assessment Tool (JSAT). The assessment and report Smith produced showed that Bell was not a suicide risk, and his violent behavior was attributed to his substance abuse. Bryon Bell awaited his trial. On December 10, 1981, Bell chose to plea bargain, as the State’s Attorney’s office offered one charge of Second-Degree Murder with a sentence of life with possibility of parole. Bell agreed with the plea and was sentenced to life.

    On January 11, 1982, Bryon Bell began his sentence, and was transferred to Wakulla Corrections Center in Raiford, Florida. As Bell was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, it was suggested, by Smith, that he see the medical staff at the Wakulla Corrections Center for further diagnosis, a treatment plan, and a medical exam. Smith also referred Bell to seek out Alcoholics Anonymous when incarcerated. Bell was placed on medication for the Bipolar Disorder and was placed in the general population at the correctional facility. Bell took advantage of all the programs right away. He sought out the twelve step programs and began going to religious services twice a week. He sought out religious education and began taking classes.

    In 1987, Bell continued his current programs and started to work on a GED program that was held at the prison. In 1989, Bell earned his GED. Bell was a model prisoner and was given a job in prison to collect and deliver laundry. Bell was active as much as he could be, and he planned to petition to get parole in 1992.

    In October of 1992, Bell petitioned for parole, and he was denied. In November of 1992, Bell had a physical altercation with his cell mate. Bell was placed in solitary confinement for four weeks. Upon Bell’s release back into the population, he was assigned to see the psychologist in the prison.

    Currently, Sandi Smith was again working on the Florida Corrections team. Smith diagnosed the outburst as a symptom of Bell’s bipolar disorder. She spoke to the medical team on staff, and Bell’s medications were adjusted. His prison record was cleared, and he once back on his tasks at the prison. When Smith went to speak to the corrections officers about allowing Bell to see the medical staff, the corrections officers resisted. They explained to Smith that they were afraid to allow Bell near them, as he had become unpredictable, and they were concerned for their safety. Smith assured them that Bell’s outburst was a medication issue and his behavior would even out. The correction officers were still difficult and curt with Bell, Smith, and the medical staff for many weeks.

    Bell was assigned to start anger management classes in addition to his job, religious groups and twelve step programs. Bell, once again, was a model prisoner at Wakulla Corrections Center. Bell completed the anger management program in 1993 and started his continuing education. Bell was diagnosed with COPD and

     

     

    began a smoking cessation program. His extensive cigarette smoking caused the illness, and Bell took the measures to take care of himself.

    On December 4, 2000, Bell petitioned for parole. He was granted a hearing. His hearing was scheduled on January 8, 2001. On December 21, 2000, Sandy Smith was called in to speak with the Bell and do a Psychological Evaluation. Smith’s assessment showed that Bell’s desire to be a law-abiding citizen was evident. Although Bell’s Bipolar Disorder was under control, he was now also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Alcohol Dependence in Remission. Smith was called to present to the parole board; as well as other mental health professionals, correction’s staff, and Bryon Bell, himself. Bryon Bell was granted parole, with many conditions. Bell was to be released on January 24, 2001.

    Bryon Bell was released from Wakulla Corrections Center at 11:15 AM on January 24, 2001. He then had to report to the Volusia County Parole Office in DeLand, Florida by January 25, 2001, as well as register with the Daytona Sherriff’s Department as Felon and Parolee living in Volusia County Florida the same day. His restitution payment is $7350.00 for the prison term, $10,000.00 for restitution, $75.00 a month for parole, $200.00 a month for Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment. Bell’s parole would be for a term of 19 years. That placed Bell at a deficit of $351.10 a month before he started work.

    Bryon Bell’s parole had stipulations that he pay the prison term off monthly, pay for parole monthly, see the parole officer monthly, attend weekly alcohol and mental health meetings, remain alcohol and drug free, refrain from socializing with other felons, submit to random drug testing, submit to random home visits from parole, have a phone number and work a job that parole can verify. Bell also had to pay $15.00 a test for random alcohol and drug testing, in the event there was a concern that he was using alcohol or drugs. Bell got a part time job as a landscaper doing work on a crew in the Florida heat for $8.00 a hour, Bell also sold his plasma for another $250.00 a month, and Bell mowed local lawns for another $300.00 a month.

    Bell saw Parole Officer, J. Parrish, in Deland for 19 years. Bell showed up every month, even if he had to walk or take the bus. Bell was a model Parolee, but Bell hated going into Parole once a month. The other Parolees were loud, the sheriffs were always there arresting violators, and it reminded him of prison. Bell lived in a small house without air conditioning or hot water. His random home visits from Parrish were strained, as his living space was unorthodox, and Parrish seemed nervous. At some point, Parrish just started beeping the horn or calling on the phone, and Bell would come to the vehicle. After 19 years, Bell was released and paid up.

    Bell now lives in Volusia County, he bought the small home he was living in, and has obtained two air- conditioners and a hot water heater. He is still employed, has married, and is doing well. Bell’s son, Patrick, is currently serving a 10-year sentence for armed robbery.

    You’re a criminal justice intern shadowing the forensic psychologist in your local police station, county courthouse, prison, and parole office.

    She has asked you to do some research to help prepare for a workshop she’s hosting about the psychological aspects related to policing, the judicial process, the prison process, and parole to help the community understand the value a forensic psychologist and what they can bring to the criminal justice system.

· Critical Threats to the Global Environment

/in /by

Assignment 1.)

Technology pose

technology has the potential to both solve global social problems and make them worse. For example, technological devices that can interact with the environment have the potential to reduce world hunger by helping to increase food production in developing countries. However, some technological advancements—such as weapons of war and automated assembly lines—can threaten life through armed conflict, pollution of the environment, and increased poverty through eliminated jobs.

  • Do advancements in      technology pose any direct and/or indirect threats to the global      environment? Choose one advancement and provide two examples of direct or      indirect threats in your explanation.

160 words

Assignement 2.)

Covid Discussion

  • What is Covid-19 and why      is the effectiveness of “herd immunity” so hotly debated within      the scientific community? Explain your response.

160 Words

Assignement 3.)

Global Environment

· Critical Threats to the Global Environment

Overview

The United Nations has continued to retain you as a consultant for a project that deals with climate and the environment. Most developed countries see the dangers of releasing too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and are committed to climate policies that attain a carbon-free future in the next 30 years. They already see the damaging effects that this gas alone is having on the living conditions of crops, wildlife, and humans. As a result, many member states are dissatisfied with the progress of the eight Millennium Development Goals for international development that they established in 2000. The member states see a substantial disconnect between several issues that developed and developing countries believe are priorities. For example, Burundi wants one of the goals to focus on food security, while Austria is adamant that a major global issue should be the negotiation of ceasefires in countries in the midst of civil wars. The UN wants you to work from the list below and prioritize two of the global community’s threats that it deems the most serious to environmental stability.

Instructions

Step 1

Select two threats. Listed below are eight issues that the UN feels pose the most significant threats to global security. Some of these apply to the Earth’s 7.7 billion people, while others are limited primarily to developing countries. Regardless of where these threats are concentrated, your job as a consultant is to identify two of them that you consider the most critical to the globe’s population.

Issue Options

1. The use of fossil fuels as an energy source.

2. Globalization.

3. Insufficient educational opportunities in developing countries.

4. A lack of access to technology.

5. Civil war (NOT the U.S. Civil War).

6. The rise in oceans’ levels.

7. Covid-19 and the global pandemic.

8. The dangers of poor countries remaining poor.

Step 2

Write a minimum of an 8 page persuasive paper about your two threats.

Write an introduction paragraph of at least one-half page in length identifying the two threats you have selected and the purpose of the paper. Then, for the two threats you chose:

9. Identify the factors that make it such a serious risk to the global environment that you would choose to present it to the UN.

10. Analyze the role that humans have played in aggravating this threat to the Earth’s environment.

11. Suggest initiatives that the global community can take to mitigate the worst effects of this environmental threat.

12. Write a conclusion paragraph of at least one-half page in length that summarizes your impressions of these risks for global stability.

Guidelines

13. This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). For assistance and information, please refer to the SWS link in the left-hand menu of your course and check with your professor for any additional instructions.

14. In order to earn full credit, the answers to each of the three questions must be at least two full pages long, making six pages. You must also include the one-half page introduction and one-half page conclusion at the beginning and end of the paper, adding up to one page of content. Finally, you must include a graph or table (see 5, below) that will be at least one page in length. The entire paper will be a minimum of eight pages long.

15. You must use at least seven credible sources (excluding Wikipedia, dictionaries and encyclopedias) that are appropriate for the subjects under discussion.

16. You must use only double-spacing and not place extra spacing between paragraphs or section headings.

17. As part of your answer to any one of the questions, you must include a graph, table or chart using quantifiable data that supports your argument. You need only one graph for the entire assignment, and although you may download this item from the Internet, it may be no longer than one page in length. You must comprehensively explain beneath the graph what the data means. Otherwise, it will be of no use to the reader.

The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is as follows:

· Propose suggestions for mitigation initiatives that address the threats to the stability of the global environment.

Book Review: Line Through The Heart Assignment Instructions

/in /by

Book Review: Line Through the Heart Assignment Instructions

Overview

 

You will be required to draft two book reviews.  The goal of the papers is not merely to offer unfounded opinion or subjective discussion of the topics, but rather to provide a concise, well-reasoned analysis of the topics presented. This is an open research project, meaning that you are expected to locate, use, and cite support outside of the course readings. Better papers will demonstrate that you sufficiently pondered the ideas at issue to understand them, recognize them, and develop a well-reasoned approach to them.

Be sure to read closely the grading rubric for the assignment and note that at least 10 scholarly sources (peer-reviewed academic journal articles or books published by university presses) are required, which should include the course readings for the included Natural Law thinkers.

Scriptural excerpts with citations are required in all written assignments.

 

Instructions

 

Explain the assignment in detail. Specify the exact requirements of the assignment. Items to include are outlined as follows:

·        The papers must each be at least 10 pages long, which does not include the title page and bibliography, with default margins and 12-pt Times New Roman font.

·        Turabian Format

·        Citations to at least 10 scholarly sources are required.

·        Scriptural excerpts with citations are required in all written assignments, but these do not count toward the 10 required sources

·        Acceptable sources: the book under review (required), all course readings for the included Natural Law thinkers (required), other primary sources by the included Natural Law thinkers, academic journal articles, books published by university presses.

·        For Book Review: Line Through the Heart Assignment, review the following:  Budziszewski, J.  2011. The Line Through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction. Wilmington, DE: Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

·        You should state the purpose of the book under review, give your critique of the author’s success in meeting this purpose, and relate the content of the book to the ideas of the Natural Law thinkers covered to that point in the course, especially those required in the instructions for each review listed below.

·        In your review of this work, be sure to mention the Natural Law theories of the thinkers covered in the first two weeks (Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero) and include a discussion of their relationship to universal citizenship and active statesmanship.

·        Include a concluding section entitled Public Policy Applications that relates the lessons of the reviewed book and included Natural Law thinkers to three public policy areas of your choice: one must be moral; one must be economic; and one can be any other area of public policy of interest to you.

 

 

Textbook

Budziszewski,chapter 1-10

 

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the SafeAssign plagiarism tool

PLCY 701

 

Book Review: Line Through the Heart Assignment Instructions

Overview

 

You will be required to draft two book reviews.  The goal of the papers is not merely to offer unfounded opinion or subjective discussion of the topics, but rather to provide a concise, well-reasoned analysis of the topics presented. This is an open research project, meaning that you are expected to locate, use, and cite support outside of the course readings. Better papers will demonstrate that you sufficiently pondered the ideas at issue to understand them, recognize them, and develop a well-reasoned approach to them.

Be sure to read closely the grading rubric for the assignment and note that at least 10 scholarly sources (peer-reviewed academic journal articles or books published by university presses) are required, which should include the course readings for the included Natural Law thinkers.

Scriptural excerpts with citations are required in all written assignments.

 

Instructions

 

Explain the assignment in detail. Specify the exact requirements of the assignment. Items to include are outlined as follows:

· The papers must each be at least 10 pages long, which does not include the title page and bibliography, with default margins and 12-pt Times New Roman font.

· Turabian Format

· Citations to at least 10 scholarly sources are required.

· Scriptural excerpts with citations are required in all written assignments, but these do not count toward the 10 required sources

· Acceptable sources: the book under review (required), all course readings for the included Natural Law thinkers (required), other primary sources by the included Natural Law thinkers, academic journal articles, books published by university presses.

· For Book Review: Line Through the Heart Assignment, review the following:  Budziszewski, J. 2011. The Line Through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction. Wilmington, DE: Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

· You should state the purpose of the book under review, give your critique of the author’s success in meeting this purpose, and relate the content of the book to the ideas of the Natural Law thinkers covered to that point in the course, especially those required in the instructions for each review listed below.

· In your review of this work, be sure to mention the Natural Law theories of the thinkers covered in the first two weeks (Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero) and include a discussion of their relationship to universal citizenship and active statesmanship.

· Include a concluding section entitled Public Policy Applications that relates the lessons of the reviewed book and included Natural Law thinkers to three public policy areas of your choice: one must be moral; one must be economic; and one can be any other area of public policy of interest to you.

 

 

Textbook

Budziszewski,chapter 1-10

 

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the SafeAssign plagiarism tool.