Oceana Case Study

1. Was the Revised Criminal Statute 320-1 of the State of Oceana properly applied to this case?

Yes. According to Revised Criminal Statute 320-1 of the state of Oceana, any person who knowingly and intentionally takes the life of another is guilty of murder. The penalty for conviction is execution or life imprisonment without possibility of parole at the sole discretion of the trial judge. Ms. Clark admitted to knowingly killing Mr. Clark and was found guilty by a jury of her peers. It was the sole discretion of the trial judge to sentence Ms. Clark to execution which is allowed per the Revised Criminal Statute 320-1 of the state of Oceana.

2. Were Ms. Clark and Mr. Clark legally married?

No. To be legally married in the state of Oceana,

Does State v. Salt apply to this case?

No. State v. Salt provides that if the husband caught his wife and her lover in the act of committing adultery, he would be justified in killing her. Because they were not legally married, there were no roles of husband and wife. Adultery is when a spouse has sexual intercourse with another person. Ms. Clark was not married to Mr. Clark, so he did not commit adultery.

4. Does State v. Fenny apply to this case?

Yes. In State v. Fenny, it has been upheld that for State v. Salt to apply, it must be the actions of a husband in a legally recognized, heterosexual marital relationship. Ms. Clark was not a husband or in a legally recognized marital relationship. Because she did not meet the requirements, she should not be absolved of killing Mr. Clark. 5. Do Ms. Clark’s religious believes keep her from being criminally liable?

No. The Real Live Church of God does not instruct their followers to kill. Revised Criminal Statute 320-1 states any person who knowingly and intentionally takes the life of another is guilty of murder. There are no provisions in the statute that allow for religious beliefs to override it. Ms. Clark still has the responsibility to follow state

Ms. Clark had a fair trial that correctly applied Revised Criminal Statute 320-1 of the State of Oceana, State v. Salt, and State v. Fenny. Ms. Clark was found guilty by a jury of her peers and admitted to knowingly killing Mr. Clark. The judge must sentence Ms. Clark to either be executed or spend the rest of her life in jail without the possibility of parole if found guilty of knowingly killing another person. Ms. Clark did knowing kill another person, was found guilty, and the judge decided to sentence her to death. The Statute was applied correctly to this case and there is no legal reason to reverse the decision of the trial court