Innocent Commission Essay Example for Free

Innocent Commission Essay It is better to let a thousand guilty individuals go free than to let one innocent person suffer (Volokh, 1997). The rationale behind this statement is that nobody can put a price in the life and liberty of a person. Wrongful conviction of an innocent man destroys his whole life and family. While the innocent is suffering the punishment for something that he did not do, the guilty is enjoying the freedom that the innocent man deserved but has been deprived of. The Criminal Justice System provides that in criminal cases, the burden of proof required to convict a person is proof beyond reasonable doubt and this burden lies in the State. This means that if there is so much of an iota of doubt in the innocence or guilt of a person then the State has no choice but to let the accused go because it has not fully satisfied its burden. Wrongful conviction is caused by several factors such as improper forensics, false conviction and other unfortunate incidents. Improper or unvalidated forensics is one of the biggest causes of wrongful conviction in the United States. Before DNA testing was available, many individuals were sent to prison on the basis of the eyewitness testimonies which are not one hundred percent accurate. The discovery of DNA analysis in the 80s greatly helped in ruling out and identifying innocent from guilty persons. Aside from DNA testing, other forensics tests are used to verify completely the identity of the victim and the accused such as tests to compare bite marks, shoe prints, firearms, hair microscopy and many more. Some of these may not be fully subjected to rigid evaluation and there may be a tendency for these tests to be handled incorrectly or presented vaguely in trial which in turn may lead to a wrongful conviction (Innocence Project, N. d.). Innocent individuals also get convicted based on false confessions not only from them but from acclaimed eye witnesses as well. In some cases, the accused, even though innocent says some incriminating statements that sooner or later lead to their conviction. There are many reasons why innocent people confess to crimes they did not commit. Some of them are just coerced or under duress when they made that statement. Studies show that some confessions are influenced by the mental state of the person. For instance, confession from minors are often unreliable given the fact that they are not fully aware of the repercussions of their actions and they can easily be persuaded. Children under legal age can seem to be quite vulnerable that some law enforcers seem to take advantage of this kind of situation(Innocence Project, 2003). When a crime happens and the victim files a charge, he becomes a witness for the State and in turn, the government will do everything they can to overturn the burden and get the bad guy out of the street. It is a good thing that the State is there to protect its people, however, it becomes a bad thing when the prosecution oversteps some boundaries in order to secure a conviction regardless of the guilt or innocence of the accused. The Criminal Justice System should be given credit for their hard work solving crimes and capturing the guilty. The police and other fellow law enforcers are reliable and trust worthy but as rewarding as the job is, there can be a few bad apples in the department and as sad as it is to admit, these incidences cause people to lose faith in the government (Innocence Project, 2003). Helping the victims get justice for what happened to them and putting guilty people in jail are both remarkable acts but helping an innocent person escape the punishment he does not deserve also has its own equal reward. References Innocence Project. N. d.   Understand `the Causes. Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://www.innocenceproject.org/about/Contact-Us.php Innocence Project. 2003. North Carolina Actual Innocence Commission.Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://www.innocenceproject.org/docs/NC_Innocence_Commission_Mission.html Volokh, A. 1997. n Guilty Men. University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/guilty.htm

Human Beings as the Puppets of Society Essay -- Papers Behavior Sociol

Human Beings as the Puppets of Society Sociologists have long argued about whether or not we are controlled by the structure of the society in which we live, in other words, are we or are we not ‘puppets of society’. Social structure theorists such as Functionalists and conflict theorists like Marxists, believe that we are ‘puppets’ and that our behaviour is controlled by the structure of the society in which we live. Both theories suggest that people are controlled by society but this argument is opposed by social action theorists such as Symbolic Interactionists who believe that society is created by the individuals themselves. To show far it can be argued that human beings are ‘puppets of society’ this essay will look at functionalism and social control through the family, Marxism and social control within the education system and then look at the opposing theory of Symbolic Interactionism. It is also intended to discuss the recent structuration theory of Giddens who argues that these theories are no longer valid in determining if we are ‘puppets’ because both structure and action are necessary for society to exist and thus in some instances in our lives we are ‘puppets’ and others we are not. According to Jones, Functionalists like Durkheim consider ‘human behaviour as learned behaviour’(2004, p.6), in other words everything we know and do has to be taught to us given that when we are born we have no knowledge of anything. They argue that all our behaviour is learnt through the socialisation process. Functionalists consider that primary socialisation is the basis to learning the norms, values and roles of society and... ...eeded, so it could be argued, therefore, that even though at times we are free agents and have an individual choice in our actions we are also ‘puppets of society’ because of the many of the structures of society. References List Czerniawski, G., 2004. What is the Role of Education? Sociology Review, 14 (2), 24-25 Giddens, A., 2002. Sociology. 4th ed. Polity Press Jones, P., 2004. Introducing Social Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press Wilson, A., 1985. Society Now: Family. London: Tavistock Publications Bibliography Moore, S., 2001. Sociology Alive. 3rd ed. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd Haralambos and Holborn, 2000. Sociology Themes and Perspectives. 5th ed. London: Collins Educational Bauman Z & May T., 2003. Thinking Sociologically. 2nd ed. London: Blackwell Publishing Ltd

He Written Articles Essay

Loud speech. Bravado, boasting. Overly animated or entertaining. Boisterous. Overly friendly to other guests and employees. Drinking alone. Drinking too fast. Ordering doubles. Careless with money. Urging other people to have another drink. Annoying other guests and servers. Complaining about drink prices. Complaining about drink strength or preparation. Argumentative. Aggressive or belligerent. Obnoxious or mean. Making inappropriate comments about others. Crude behavior. Inappropriate sexual advances. Foul language. Making irrational statements. Depressed or sullen. Crying or moody. Radical changes in behavior. Speaking loudly, then quietly. Drowsy. Bloodshot, glassy eyes. Slurred speech. Difficulty remembering. Slow response to questions. Spilling drinks. Rambling conversation, loss of train of thought. Trouble making change. Difficulty handling money, picking up change. Lack of focus and eye contact. Difficulty lighting a cigarette. Lighting more than one cigarette at a time. Letting a cigarette burn without smoking. Clumsy, uncoordinated. Difficulty standing up. Unusual gait. Stumbling. Bumping into things. Swaying, staggering. Unable to sit straight in chair or on bar stool. Can’t find mouth with glass. Falling down. Mussed hair. Disheveled clothing. Falling asleep. Remember, just because a person exhibits one, or even several, of these signs it does not necessarily mean that the person is intoxicated. A sober person may exhibit some of these signs as well– which makes determining intoxication even more difficult. However, if a person who is drinking alcohol shows a combination of several of these signs and/or exhibits significant change(s) in behavior, the likelihood of that person being intoxicated is increased. Ultimately, you must use your own judgment to decide whether or not a person is intoxicated. These signs are intended to help you make an informed judgment, and then articulate your decision.

The Concept Of Labeling Of Juvenile Delinquents By Members...

Unit 5 DB 1 The Interactionist Approach We are beginning to see more than often, labeling of juvenile delinquents by members of their society. The term labeling theory explains how labeling tends to applied members of society, whether it is formally or informally, and the type of effect these labeling can have on juveniles and deterrence. Akers Sellers, (2009), Bernard, Snipes, Gerould, (2010), states that the labeling theorists assert that society creates deviance by creating laws, and they tend to agree that the original action of deviance displayed by an offender is not as important as the continuation and escalation of deviance. Labeling theory has more experiential support than deterrence theory. The Labeling theory acknowledges the role that is played by formal/informal social control. Labeling theory is â€Å"also recognizes that criminal behavior is not an illness or something that can be treated as â€Å"curable† and this theory distinguishes between primary deviance and secondary deviance and acknowled ges that these be treated differently† (Baldwin, 2014). Deterrence, on the other hand, suggests that the embarrassment and shame of being caught in a felonious act and then being called a criminal is enough to prevent future criminal acts. When examining â€Å"labeling theory it is more accurate when researching adolescences from disorganized neighborhoods or criminal families† (Baldwin, 2014), and deterrence might be more precise â€Å"in cohesive neighborhoods than inShow MoreRelatedThe Labeling Theory For Juvenile Delinquency1577 Words   |  7 PagesThe Labeling Theory The labeling theory addresses deviants and puts concern on behaviors that other theories do not. Most theories are primarily concerned with why individuals commit more crime. 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In this paper, I will discuss the implications of labeling specifically in the articles â€Å"The Saint s and the Roughnecks† by William Chambliss and â€Å"On Being Sane In Insane Places† by David Rosenhan. Additionally, I will be discussing the far-reaching effects of negative labeling an individual, with respect to concepts such as labeling theory, theRead MorePolicing The Lives Of Black And Latino Boys1348 Words   |  6 Pagesstories and experiences of criminalization as targeted minority groups. Rios had grown up in the ghetto of Oakland, was a former gang affiliated member, had been in and out of the juvenile systems, and was labeled a delinquent by many of his peers growing up. Unlike many, Rios overcame the criminalization, victimization, brutality, and negativity that society uses to control and beat down men and women of minority races. 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The sample for the study consisted of inhabitants of the randomly selected families in the neighbourhoods’ of Amukoko community. The adapted form of Guidance and Counselling Achievement Grade Form was used for data collection and the data collected were subjectedRead MoreLabeling Theory3304 Words   |  14 PagesLABELING THEORY Sociologyindex, Sociology Books 2008 Labeling theory arose from the study of deviance in the late 1950s and early 1960s and was a rejection of consensus theory or structural functionalism. Tannenbaum was among the early labeling theorists. His main concept was the dramatization of evil. He argued that the process of tagging, defining, identifying, segregating, describing, and emphasizing any individual out for special treatment becomes a way of stimulating, suggesting, andRead MoreStatus Offenders, Dependent and Neglected Youths, and Juvenile Victimizations1872 Words   |  7 Pagesand Neglected Youths, and Juvenile Victimizations: As they come into contact with the juvenile justice system different, delinquent youths are treated differently in this system. Notably, the jurisdiction of this system and its courts also extends to non-delinquent youths like dependent and neglected youths, and status offenders. However, non-delinquents are not only viewed differently but they are also treated separately from delinquents. In most cases, non-delinquents are regarded as children