Assignment:
Juvenile Justice 1000 words
1. You are an active citizen who is beginning to notice signs of gang activity in your com-munity. You have begun to notice graf?ti on telephone poles, trash dumpsters, and the sides of buildings. Most of the graf?ti uses the terms "Crips" and "Bloods," which you relate to the gangs from Los Angeles. In addition, you have begun to notice that kids are hanging out on corners and in front of convenience stores. You speak with a few teachers who indicate that they are observing gang activity in the school as well. The city council has called a town meeting to identify measures to deal with gangs. You attend the meeting and are asked to speak for your neighborhood on what should be done with the gangs in the community.
a. What recommendations would you make to the city council? What is the potential impact of these recommendations on your community?
b. Do you think that law enforcement should be the primary response to the problem? Why or why not?
c. What role can the schools play in dealing with gangs?
2. You are a police of?cer in a city of 50,000 people who has recently been assigned to be the "gang of?cer" for the department. The chief of police tells you that currently there are 500 documented gang members in the city. Within the next year, she would like to see that number reduced to 250. You have been a police of?cer in this city for ?ve years. Four years ago, two rival gangs were involved in a shooting in the parking lot of a local grocery store. Since then, the community has been concerned. The number of documented gang members indicates the gang problem is getting worse. However, the shooting in the parking lot of the local grocery store is the only shooting that has involved gang members in the past four years.
a. What would you do to reduce the number of gang members in the community?
b. Would your strategies be best identi?ed as suppression or social intervention?
c. What other agencies might help reduce the number of gang members in the community?
3. Frank, Brent, Mike, Dave, and Bob are all juniors at Beaver High School in Helena, Montana. Last year Frank and Bob both tried out for the football team but were cut by Coach Davies, a retired NFL defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos. According to Bob, they didn't make the team because Coach Davies is African American and he favors only athletes that are African American. That's okay according to Bob, since he and his friends have started a new club called "The Pagans." They enjoy listening to "twisted" metal music and are really into the new Mad Max video games. Brent even plays in a band that uses red dye to simulate blood on stage when they "kill" the teachers from school in a theatrical event. They like to read about the occult, and Mike actually believes he is a warlock. Last week, Frank came back to the group with some neat literature on the Montana Grizzly Brigade, a survivalist out?t in the Bitter Root Mountains. They all plan to visit the leader this summer for a weekend retreat.
a. Do you think that this group has a potential for conducting real violence at school? If so, why?
b. Can the group's interest in non-mainstream culture, music, and theatrics cause violence? What potential problems can you see if the group actually visits the Montana Grizzly Brigade?
c. What steps can you suggest that might help the individuals in this group, or do they even need help? Under what conditions would you act in reporting these individuals to police or school authorities? Why?
4. Jill is a very attractive 16-year-old with a great personality who does very well in school. Because she is your younger brother's girlfriend, the two of you have become fast friends. Recently, she appears to be depressed, especially since her mother remarried a few months ago. The other night she con?ded in you that she was very unhappy at home and thinking about running away. When you ask her to con?de in you, she just says that she doesn't like her new stepfather. She won't say why, but becomes terri?ed with the thought of being in the house alone with him. She says that she will probably take the bus to New York and try to ?nd some modeling jobs to support herself . . . this weekend! She says she is aware of the potential threats and problems, but she is desperate and has to get away.
a. What steps can you take, if any, to remedy this situation? Should you talk to your brother about this? How about her mother or stepfather?
b. What agencies or professionals in your community might be available to assist you in addressing this situation with Jill?
Criminal Law 1000 words- 1. If you were a sentencing judge, what kinds of information would you like a victim impact statement to contain?
2. Do you believe that a victims' rights amendment to the U. S. Constitution is needed to balance the rights of crime victims with those of suspects? Why or why not?
3. How did the status of crime victims during the historical Golden Age of the Victim differ from the status of victims today? Discuss how a changed view of the nature of crime has affected the status of victims.
4. You work for a state legislator, Amy Vicrites. I. M. Swindler was convicted of defrauding thousands of people of hundreds of millions of dollars in retirement funds. He was convicted, sentenced to 40 years in prison, and fined $ 500,000, and is currently serving his prison sentence in one of your state's prisons. As a consequence of the fine, successful lawsuits by the victims, and legal fees, Swindler is now broke. Indeed, over $200 million in losses to the victims have been lost. Swindler is charismatic and his case was a cause célèbre. As a result, he is still popular. To make money he posted the following items for sale on eBay:
A. Worked Rich, Retired Broke. He wrote a book detailing his crimes, the investigation of his crimes, his trial, and his incarceration. Price: $75.
B. Book with Autograph: A copy of Worked Rich, Retired Broke with his autograph. Price: $125.
Your state has a victims' rights statute. The State Victim Support Agency sued Swindler under the law, seeking all of the revenues from his sales, which are estimated to be about $200,000. Swindler defended against the lawsuit by alleging that the law violated his First Amendment free speech rights by targeting his writings. The trial court, appellate court, and state supreme court all found for Swindler, dismissing the suit. Your boss, Vicrites, is furious, as are many people in the state. She has asked you to review the law and to revise the language to bring it into conformity with the First Amendment. She wants to retain the authority to prevent criminals from making money on their crimes in the future. She accepts that nothing can be done with Swindler.
Your Assignment: Revise the following statute in a way that retains the authority of the state to take the revenues earned from crimes by the perpetrators of crimes, to be distributed to the victims of the crimes or to the state if the victims have been fully compensated. Explain why you added specific elements to the new statute.