Coursework Questions Assignment: Criminal Justice Ethics

Questions: Criminal Justice Ethics
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1] Discuss the ethical issues that may arise when a political action committee raises money to fund a judge’s election campaign.
In cases where Political Action Committees (PAC) donates money during the judges’ election campaign, it is likely that the judges will advance special interests when pressing cases. There are legitimate fears that such a judge would not be fair and impartial when they preside over cases where the donors have a stake. There is no guarantee that political contributions do not sway the decisions of judges. Even when judges are involved in political gatherings and meetings, they should do so on their own behalf. Ethical issues arise when judges endorse the positions of the political action committees that contribute in their elections. Partisan political activities are associated with meeting certain interests, and judges may focus on special interests while ignoring public interest concerns.
2] Describe the two main areas of judicial discretion presented in the text, and give an example of each.
Judges have judicial power to make decisions, but they are bound by limits, and the two major areas of judicial discretion are interpretation of the law and sentencing. Interpretation of the law focuses on writing critical jury instructions, ruling on objections during trial as well rulings on the admissibility of evidence. An example of sentencing in sentencing, judges may allow questions and admit more evidence to ensure a fair trial, when there are exceptional circumstances. Judges also consider the offender’s record, past convictions and whether past offenses are related to the current offense. Judges may also use precedence to make judicial judgments for the purpose of sentencing.
3] Discuss the elements that contribute to officer subcultures, and show how these subcultures may impact employee behavior(s).
Officers work together and the subcultures may rationalize behaviors that are unprofessional and unethical. The culture is silence means that it is less likely that officers will investigate fellow officers who have been suspected or accused of misconduct. ...