1. Presented below are several case descriptions. If you were a defense attorney asked to take each of these cases, what would you recommend as the best defense?
Art Kapser and John Gelbor were good friends and coworkers. After work, Art and John went bowling. After John picked up a spare in the seventh frame, the two got into an argument on proper scoring of a spare. John punched Art in the face, knocking him to the floor, and screamed, "If you do not shut up, I will kill you." Art left the bowling alley but returned with a .38 caliber revolver and shot John in the back, killing him instantly. Art was charged with murder. What could Art use as a defense?
Shelly Morrison and Todd Rutlow both drive the same model of pickup truck. Both trucks are black with white pinstripes, both have red fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror, and both have a bumper sticker with the slogan "Peace Is Possible." Moreover, both leave their keys in the ignition when it is parked. Shelly, after completing a long day of Christmas shopping, got into a black truck and drove away. She did not know it was Todd's truck. Police quickly apprehended Shelly and charged her with motor vehicle theft. What would you recommend as a defense?
2. Write a two page opinion paper on keeping prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. What is the purpose? Should these prisoners be given the same rights as American citizens? Should they be given the right of "habeas corpus?"
3. You will need to read chapter nine of "The Call", if you can't get the book, here is an excerpt from it. Evaluate what Guinness is saying about "calling." You will need to evaluate your own position of what you believe you are being called to, and how that would play out in the real world and the criminal justice system.