″police discretion″ and the ″legalities″
In your first research paper, we will be discussing ″police discretion″ and the ″legalities″ that go with it. Specifically addressing the 4th Amendment and Constitutional Rights v. Individual Rights. Police discretion provides an opportunity for selective enforcement, and prejudice, bias, discrimination, and individual values may factor into how the law is enforced. Is it in fact, illegal? Can I only pull over red cars? People under the age of twenty-one? Bald men, pretty women, loud radios, etc… Can I profile? When, where, who??????????? When writing this paper remember to use the proper terminology, points of reference from the textbook, web-articles, and to provide justifications for your positions. Remember that I will be grading for content and not numbers. After reading the text and the web-articles for this week, I would like you to write a research paper on the topic of ″justice v. police discretion.” Does our criminal justice system, specifically law enforcement, serve one of its main goals by dispersing justice fairly? Can anything controlled by man ever be just? Is Lady Justice blindfolded to resolve justice fairly or does she simply not want to see what is going on? Does the term “all men are created equal” apply in today’s world? Did it ever apply? Is our criminal justice system founded on faulty principles or misguided philosophies? For the women in the class, will Paris and Lindsey be treated differently than you would be for a similar violation? For the men, there is always Charlie Sheen. Does our criminal justice system discriminate? Can it be bought or purchased? Are there differences between how people are treated based on gender, race, religion, age, or income? (Name others if you can!) How then does all of this affect the final decision on justice? Provide your personal views and justifications and / or evidence as to your point of views. Per your syllabus; your essay must be concise and compact—i.e., a minimum of three (3) pages in length, not counting the title page, end-notes, and reference page. Standard format is typed, 12 font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, and numbered pages. Include title page, abstract page, and references of all sources used, whether cited or not. All end-notes and reference entries must be complete and consistent in the A.P.A. format (Sixth edition). Your reference page should not have less than three (3) resources with your textbook being one of your resources. Your resources cannot be more than five (5) years old. However, there can be exceptions but they must be cleared by the professor before use.