Prosecution & Sentencing Issues
Wrongful Convictions
Mateusz Konieczkowski
CRM 420-01
Professor Rivolta
5 May 2015
Central Connecticut State University
#1 There has been many times where the tough-on-crime approach has characterized our Criminal Justice System since the early 1980’s. One of these policies is the Sentencing guideline. Many times, when judges following the sentencing polices, they are too soft on the criminals. Some criminals get away with the crime that they have done. Even in the book illustrates how “a second problem was the recognition of racial disparities” (Mays & Ruddel, 2015). These two authors described how the sentencing guidelines are racially organized. Ever since Minnesota introduced the first
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This would reduce wrongful convictions in situations with the police. A book called Police Officer Body-Worn Cameras: Assessing the Evidence, by Michael White, gives a run down, step by step,of how effective these body worn cameras are by police officers and how it will reduce the wrongful convictions. White explains how “Body-worn cameras have evidentiary benefits that expedite resolution of citizen complaints or lawsuits and that improve evidence for arrest and prosecution”(White, p.7, 2014). This will decrease police officers getting blamed for something they have not done and citizens will stop getting blamed for things they have not done. There will be fewer complaints from both sides and police brutality will reduce as well. With body worn cameras, people will be able to see who started to situation first. The courtroom will be able to deter and find out what had really happened in that certain crime on that certain day. This also relates to police misconduct, which will improve because police will have less power and time to lie about a crime. There will only be true and real evidence, not just what the police officer “saw or
Yes these cameras would make solving issues in cases much easier, but there are many who think this is a violation of their privacy to have an officer with a camera entering their house or looking into their car. It is understandable that someone would not want a rolling camera seeing into their home, but the ability to prove innocence or guilt in a court case should more than outweigh this temporary invasion. If someone is accused of something and the option of having a camera that could prove or revoke the accusation, or having no evidence to prove anything, which should be chosen? Should police officers carry body cameras? If so, should there be restrictions on when and where they can be used?
The many positives of body cameras come with the downside that it would cost millions of dollars for all policemen to wear a camera on their uniform. The cost of these body cameras may seem like an issue in the beginning, but the way they will be utilized will defiantly pay off in the long run. In order for the cameras to get the proper use the police officer has to turn them on. The American Civil Liberties Union “wants law enforcement agencies to use technology that prevents videos from being deleted by police” (Hill, 2014). This is really important and so is having cameras that cannot be turned off by the police officers, because “ACLU has gotten reports of shenanigans where cameras are mysteriously turned off at crucial moments”
But to that I say that as long as you truly have nothing to hide, then nothing will change for you. You can continue to go throughout your day as a prime example of a citizen. These body cameras are germane will only affect the interactions between police and the people they deal with. The body cameras can help de escalate bellicose situations, prevent and catch corruption in our department, and can act as a safety blanket against false accusations for both parties. This is why I believe body cameras should be necessary for a cop to police the streets.
The North Carolina District Attorney (2015) also delineates advantages and disadvantages of officer-worn body cameras from the publics’ perspective. The first advantage of officer-worn body cameras for the public is that officers are held accountable for their actions. The second advantage of officer-worn body cameras from the public perspective is the footage provides evidence of officer misconduct. The third advantage of officer-worn body cameras assists victims receiving justice for the crimes committed against them. The first disadvantage delineated by the North Carolina District Attorney (2015) of officer-worn body cameras is that the public taxpayer concurs all the cost associated with the program.
There have been many complaints about if body cameras on police officers will work or not. There are two people that have different opinions that other people that think body cameras will stop police brutality against police officers. William N. Grigg, and Joshua Krause these people think body cameras on police officers will not work, and will not stop or decrease the violence from police officers. Grigg’s argument is Their arguments are that the officers from the SDPD forgot to turn on their body cameras while on duty. A crime that happened in April, Officer Neal Browder fatally shot a 31-year-old man named Fridoon Zalbeg Rawshannehad, who had been suspected of carrying a knife.
The complaints will not happen as often as they are occurring today. (Rasmussen College) Being able to actually see the true thing about what happened between police officer and citizens. The decisions that are made can be seen and evaluated in intense situations. They will be able to see if the false claims are true to what happened. All victim and witness statements will be recorded.
The innovation of cameras being smaller and more effective, police officers can use these cameras to help them. An example of this, is The University of South Florida did a study on the Orlando Police department and found found that police officer equipped with body cameras effectively improved their behavior and interaction with the public. They gathered 46 officers to wear the body cameras while the other 43 officers did not wear one and study their behavior for 12 months. What they found is that citizen response to resistance dropped 53 percent and civilian complaints against the officer declined 65 percent as well. What officers reported on the study that the camera changed a citizen behavior and begin to settle the confrontation.
If an individual knows that the police officer is wearing the camera they are less likely to do something ignorant in order to escape getting in trouble. Even though the body cameras are not on most of the police force, I personally believe the thought of them wearing it will make citizens act more
The use of previous videos can be detrimental to new cops because it can teach them how to deal with many different situations correctly that way they don’t put their career in jeopardy or the lives of their partners in danger. Everyone knows that there is always three sides to a story: what one individual says happens, what the other individual says happened, and what happened. With the execution of body-worn cameras, it would eliminate, the reduction seen in complaints filed and sustained against officers and videos can reduce the need for lengthy
Police body cameras are extremely helpful to the justice system and law enforcement because they provide visual and audio evidence for events that have happened. They are efficient and reliable because they are clipped to a police officer's shirt, and records everything that goes on during a dispute. Police body cameras improve police accountability, they provide evidence in criminal cases, and prove police testimony to the public and to Law Enforcement. They record interactions between the police officers and the public, and provide truthful information to the public and Law Enforcement agencies. One thing that police body cameras do is improve police accountability.
Both law enforcement and civil rights advocates are excited by the potential benefits of body worn cameras to improve community policing and safety. There are many benefits for both citizens and law enforcement officials if body
After several cases with shaky witnesses and cases that have become national headlines have made citizens at edge with law enforcement officers. The use of body worn cameras to be worn by local law enforcement officers during their shift would be a major turnaround in some cases. The use of body-worn cameras has become a prestige piece of equipment to help better assist the community and other local law enforcement agencies. Moreover, using the body-worn cameras during the entire shift will eliminate the complaints caused by citizens and clear up harassment charges being brought upon by citizens as well. Having local law enforcement officers wear body-worn cameras could clear up a lot of questions they have and would eliminate the daily questions that goes through citizens heads when the turn on the news to see another unarmed citizen has fell to the hands of a law enforcement officer, while his body-worn camera was not
Although some people may not like body cams, their benefits are too important to ignore. There has been many citizens that have complained about the use of body cameras. Police Officers have commented that these body cameras invade unwanted personal privacy. Some Police Officers believe that body cameras will not help decrease force by Police Officers because a
There are some studies that reveal that the use of body cameras in the Law Enforcement decrease use of force, discriminatory and excessive police severity when they are working. The complaints from residents also decreased since they are using body cameras. This is because agents maybe are scared of people watching the images of their work, so they act more carefully about criminal policy and procedures. They want to be an example for people and they want the approve of the citizens while they are working. Therefore, there are changes in the action of the agents when they use body cameras, this fact may limit the use of discretion in the field and help the citizens to be more
Well, having body cameras as part of an officer’s uniform has its pros and cons. 1.The pros about body cameras are that it can prevent violence. A 2013 University of Cambridge study found that when police wear body cameras, both police and respondents are less likely to use violence. The study indicated a drop in use of force by more than a 50 percent. Body cameras could thus make the streets safer for both officers and the general public (Baum, E.,2015).