Ethical Dilemma

Ethical DilemmaOBJECTIVEDuring the course of every day, various ethical issues willrequire you to make decisions that may affect your career,your personal life, and perhaps the life or livelihood of others,including your coworkers, friends, and potential criminaldefendants. Throughout this course, you’ll read about andanalyze various topics that people in the criminal justicefield encounter.At the end of most of the chapters in your textbook, you’ll bepresented with a variety of ethics-related scenarios to evalu-ate. You should consider what you’ve read in the text whileyou analyze these scenarios, since your thoughts will helpyou complete this course project.Be sure to answer each of the questions as completely aspossible, using the information in your textbook and anyother information you’ve learned to support your positions.The questions have no absolute right or wrong answers. Aslong as your answer is logical and you support it by referenc-ing material you’ve learned in your textbook, you’ll do fine.INSTRUCTIONSTo satisfy the requirements for this project, you must preparefive short, 250-word essays in response to five questions. Eachquestion is worth 20 points. The five questions are based on thefollowing fact scenario.Fact ScenarioImagine you’re working as an administrator in a police depart-ment in your local town or city. Each day you interact withpolice officers in your department, police officers from otherdepartments, various members of your office staff, otherpublicofficials, members of the public, representatives from the press,potential criminal defendants, and others.Research ProjectResearch ProjectEthics in Criminal Justice50As you prepare your answers to the questions, keep in mindthat you’re a public official and that you have a duty to upholdjustice and follow the law.Ethical Dilemma 1: Gun RallyOne afternoon you receive an anonymous tip that a local gunadvocacy group is going to hold a rally in the town square thenext day. The group hasn’t applied for a permit to have sucha rally, but they’ve held such events in the past and they’vealways been peaceful. You strongly support Article 2 of theConstitution and the beliefs of the gun advocacy group, andyou don’t want to do anything that will hurt them or theirmembers. You believe the anonymous tipster is providingaccu-rate information, but you can’t be absolutely sure. You alsobelieve no one else in your police department is aware of theimpending event.What do you do? Give reasons to support your decision.Ethical Dilemma 2: Chief’s OrdersAssume that in response to question 1 you decided to adviseyour fellow police officers about the tip you received. Yougather a group of officers together the next day in case theunlawful rally is held. As the gun advocacy group begins toappear on the town square green, you confer with the chiefofficer on duty that day. She tells you to wait until the entiregroup has gathered and then storm the area, with tear gasand billy clubs. You’re further instructed to arrest everyoneyou can and to charge them with unlawful assembly, tres-passing, rioting, and anything else you can come up with.She also makes some very derogatory comments about any-one who supports such a group, claiming they’re terroristsand thugs. You personally disagree with the chief and believeshe’s acting both improperly and immorally, allowing herpersonal beliefs to interfere with her legal responsibilitiesas a police officer.What do you do? Do you follow her orders? Why or why not?Explain your answer.Research Project51Ethical Dilemma 3: Accepting FavorsYou’re asked to investigate the gun advocacy group and theiractivities. To do so, you need to work with the police depart-ment in the next county. After contacting their chief, you’reassigned to work with another seasoned officer who has alsobeen conducting some preliminary investigations of the group.You decide to do some field investigations together the follow-ing day. While you’re out doing your investigations, the otherofficer decides to stop at the local convenient market for asandwich and coffee. He picks up what he wants, waves tothe owner, and returns to the police vehicle—without payingfor the items. When you ask him about it, he says that hehas an “arrangement” with the owner and not to worry aboutit. He explains that he and the store owner help each otherout (meaning the officer provides additional protection to thestore in exchange for the food). Finally, hesays, “If you’re hungry, go inside and pick up what you want.”What do you do and what concerns do you have? Explainyour answers.Ethical Dilemma 4: Reporting a DealYou happen to be in the courthouse during the trial of someof the members of the gun advocacy group. As you walk bythe chambers of the judge who is presiding over the trial ofthis case, you overhear the judge and the chief prosecutordiscussing the case. The judge is talking about one of thedefendants in the case and is making some very derogatorycomments. In the past, you’ve often appeared in trials beforethis judge, and you’ve always felt he has been fair and impar-tial to all involved. In this case, however, you’re concerned thatthe judge and prosecutor may be engaging in inappropriateactivity. This situation is particularly troublesome becausethe trial is proceeding at the request of all parties as a benchtrial, with the decision being rendered by the judge withoutthe benefit of a jury. What would you do? Explain your answer.Ethics in Criminal Justice52Ethical Dilemma 5: Breaking Prison RulesIn the course of your investigation of the gun advocacy group,you have to go to your local county prison to question one ofthe group members being held there pending trial. This par-ticular individual has been a problem inmate and is being heldin solitary confinement. He’s to have no contact with othermembers of the group. You meet with him in a private inter-rogation room with no one else in attendance. He knows thatyou generally support the group, and he does his best toanswer your questions, although his answers aren’t always ascomplete as you would like. At the end of the questioning—just before he rises to leave the room—he slips you a notein a sealed envelope and asks that you give it to someonewho is involved in the gun advocacy group. He says it’s veryimportant and implores you to just hand it to the person ordrop it in the mail. He then leaves the interrogation room.What do you do? Explain your answer.PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS1. Create a title page with the following information:a. Title: Ethics in Criminal Justiceb. Your namec. Your Student Numberd. Project number: 50176000e. Current date2. Prepare your answers to the ethical dilemmas in aword-processing program. Each answer should be atleast 250 words.3. Double-space your answers, with left and right marginsof 1 to 1.25 inches, flush left and ragged right. Use aplain 12-point font.Research Project534. Incorporate and properly reference any sources of infor-mation you’ve used to develop your answers. To cite yoursources, please follow this procedure:a. Use in-text citations to indicate references to infor-mation from outside sources. Include the author’sname and the relevant page number(s) in parenthe-ses. Here’s an example: Human beings have beendescribed as “symbol-using animals” (Burke 3).b. At the end of your paper, include a Works Citedpage, listing all of the sources you’ve consulted.Use either MLA or APA format for this page. Forinformation on how to prepare this page, go to thePenn Foster Library and click onGuidebooks andTips in the main menu.5.Read over your work carefully. Make sure it’s professionalwith correct formatting, grammar, and citations, alongwith adequate support for any arguments you make.6. Submit the final draft of your work, along with the titlepage, only after you’ve completed writing your answersto each dilemma.