fandomhigh | Advanced Criminal Justice, Class 28, Period 1, 04.20.06

[OOC: Continuing "Raid Wiki For Info" Week! Also, I've finally updated the Class Info Post.]

"Hello, students! Today we're discussing two opposing models of Justice. But first, a reminder: there's only a week of classes left!"

"Okay, the two models are the Conflict Model and the Consensus Model. The Conflict Model states that the organizations in the Justice System should - and perhaps do! - come into contention with each other. For example, police are determined to put people in prison and even have clearance rates. Similar stories with the prosecutors. But prison officials may be concerned wiith overcrowding and do what they can to limit their numbers. Perhaps they even let criminals out more easily."

"Another example would be the way that police can be so determined to arrest superheroes sometimes. Or the courts with their fines for public destruction. It's all conflict. Competition, even, to see which wheel on the Tricycle of Justice is the best."

"On the other end of the theoretical teeter totter is the Consensus Model. It says that the Justice System should - and perhaps does! - work together and cooperate. The police and courts work together to send bad people to prison. The prisons hold the bad people. Superheroes assist where they can. The important thing is that, egads, we're on a tricycle and we're having fun! Look at us zoom down this hill! Wheee!"

"Some people have speculated that we shoot for Consensus but Conflict is our reality. My question for you is what do you think about the whole thing? Consensus? Conflict? Are we one? Are we the other? Is one better? What are we doing with our shiny, red tricycle?"

"Please discuss!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I think that sometimes the cops are in too much of a hurry to arrest someone and get them in jail in high profile crimes," Veronica said, thinking about her own personal experiences in Neptune. "And then, once they have what they think is their man, they make any other evidence they find fit that theory, instead of letting the evidence tell the truth."

"Do you think the courts, to pick a wheel at random, support this, or does it hurt them enough to cause conflict with the police?"

"The courts totally support it," Veronica said. "Judges are elected officials in most places and they have to worry about public opinion and how it will effect their next campaign."

"And what about when that evidence that had been forced to fit the theory turns out to be nothing but shiny rocks during the trial and the supposed criminal gets off? Or if it's overturned later? Is that just a risk they're willing to take?"

"I think it's a risk they're willing to take," Veronica said. "The cops aren't really looking to re-interpret the evidence and the courts will overlook discrepencies. So unless the defendant has a really good lawyer ~~or a spunky blonde PI~~, the truth won't ever come out."

"So in this case, the Conflict Model would actually be preferred? If they were competing with the police, the courts would want to examine the discrepencies. That way they could proudly yell, 'Hey, look at us! We're the front wheel!'"

Veronica considered that. "Yeah, I guess so," she said. "It's all supposed to be about checks and balances, right? So if they're all in bed together, the system will stay corrupt."

"That's a very reasonable way of looking at it. Good job!"

Advanced Criminal Justice, Class 28, Period 1, 04.20.06

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Re: Talk, Take Notes, Pass Notes, Etc. [Class 28]

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Pass Notes, Etc. [Class 28]

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Pass Notes, Etc. [Class 28]

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Pass Notes, Etc. [Class 28]

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Pass Notes, Etc. [Class 28]

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Pass Notes, Etc. [Class 28]