For example, the Miranda decision of 1966 clarified the specific interrogation and arrest guidelines used by officers but even the reading of Miranda rights can be a manipulative function. Confessions must be reliable and fair. Trickery and deceit are commonplace in the interrogation procedure, for the officer of the law continually straddles the line between ethics and the necessity of capturing criminals. Joycelyn Pollock describes police ethics in terms of four basic categories in Chapter 6: "Ethical Dilemmas in Police Work." The issues addressed in the literature, such as corruption, brutality, and bribery, are not necessarily encountered by police officers on a daily basis. In fact, many officers note that drinking, sleeping, and having sex on the job are more common ethical offenses than bribery (90). Pollock notes that officers generally view five main elements that comprise the "good" police officer: legality, service, honesty/integrity, loyalty, and ascription to the Golden Rule. These five elements can be grouped into four main ethical categories: those involving discretion and the law; those involving duty and service; those involving honesty; and those involving loyalty. Of these, the conflict between loyalty and whistleblowing and...
Kappeler also investigates the complexities of police ethics in Chapter Seven, entitled "Police Ethics, Legal Proselytism, and the Social Order: Paving the Path to Misconduct." The author states that the path to unethical conduct "begins with a way of thinking," (111). Many individuals fall into the trap of black-and-white morals, which can be morally and ethically blinding. Officers of the law contend with a series of ethical conundrums, such as the fact that many behaviors that are permitted legally are actually unethical, such as the use of manipulation. Such behaviors are not only acceptable as a part of the job, but are even expected of the officer. Police officers can therefore get away with more borderline or overtly unethical behavior without suffering personal or social consequences. Furthermore, officers of the law can develop elaborate means of self-justification, including denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemning the condemners, and especially, appeals to higher loyalties. Finally, Kappeler asserts that police ethics are a collective responsibility.
Cyndi Banks' Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice No serious-minded individual over the age of twelve actually thinks that justice and ethical issues involved in criminality are purely black-and-white or clear-cut issues of good and bad. The first chapters of Cyndi Banks' (2008) Criminal Justice Ethics, however, make it clear that the issues of right and wrong in the criminal justice system are far more complex, specific, and subtle than
Criminal Justice Career How will this new terminology and knowledge apply to a career in criminal justice? Criminal justice is seen as the practices, system and the concerned government institutions that are focused on implementing social control, participating in crime mitigation and sanctioning the law violator by imposing penalties and rehabilitation programs. It covers the private sector, the pubic sector, NGOs, state and the local governments as well (Oregon Laws, 2007). To
However, as criminals become more aware of undercover tactics, the covert officer is required to provide more and more proof that he is indeed a criminal- which leads to the officer committing acts that compromise his or her integrity for the sake of maintaining cover. By understanding the often conflicting nature of these goals, deception and integrity, we can see how an undercover officer can become confused, lost, and
Some attorneys simply seem to enjoy outrageous conduct when it comes to proving the innocence of their client, and some simply relish the feeling of power they have in the courtroom environment. Giving attorneys too much power can lead to problems in the courtroom and in the justice system. The debate over punishment that fits the crime and the death penalty also seem like debates that will rage for
S. (Bluhm & Heineman 2006: 124). As a result of surveillance activities carried out under the U.S. Patriot Act, they were apprehended, although other than a vague email there was no evidence of any planned attack (Bluhm & Heineman 2006: 124). They were originally accused of knowing about the 9/11 terror plot (Temple-Raston 2007:2). According to Temple-Raston, "many people ask me why the United States hasn't been hit again. The FBI
The infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial turned out to be a good case in point of what an officer should not do with regards to a criminal case. As the lead investigator looking into the murders of Mr. Goldman and Ms. Simpson, Detective Mark Fuhrman was a great example of ineptitude. There is a deep rooted theory that Det. Fuhrman planted evidence at the crime scene and falsified official police
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