Purdue PA260 2020 March Unit 3 Discussion (dq1+dq2) Latest

PA260 Criminal Law

Unit 3 Discussion

DQ1 In the interest of conducting a lively, engaging Discussion, please keep the following in mind:

Opposing viewpoints are key to any vibrant discussion, but remember to use internet etiquette and be respectful of your classmates' views and opinions. Provide constructive feedback or ask clarifying questions if you do not understand a classmate's comment. Most importantly, have fun interacting with the unit content, your classmates, and your instructor!

For Discussion requirements, refer to your course Syllabus or to the Discussion Rubric, posted in Course Documents.

Taking Sides: The Zimmerman Trial. Murder, Manslaughter, or Innocent?

The shooting death of Travon Martin in February 2012 by George Zimmerman sparked great debate in the legal community. The state delayed prosecuting Zimmerman but ultimately charged him with second degree murder. Some believed he should have been charged with first degree murder, and many were outraged when he was acquitted entirely. For more details about the shooting and trial, see the source below.

Source: Zimmerman Facts. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts/.

In this exercise, you will explore the various degrees of murder that might have applied in the Zimmerman case to understand how to apply statutory criminal law in practice.

The jurisdiction is Florida, so you will need to look at the statutory law for murder and manslaughter on Florida Homicide.

Source: The 2014 Florida Statutes. Retrieved from http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0782/0782.html.

If your last name begins with A–I, you will argue for first or second degree murder. If your last name begins with J–R, you will argue for voluntary or involuntary manslaughter. If your last name begins with S–Z, you will argue that no crime was committed here.

Post your response here. Take some time to read and comment on your classmates' responses and see if your perspective changes by the end of the week.

DQ2 In the interest of conducting a lively, engaging Discussion, please keep the following in mind:

Opposing viewpoints are key to any vibrant discussion, but remember to use internet etiquette and be respectful of your classmates' views and opinions. Provide constructive feedback or ask clarifying questions if you do not understand a classmate's comment. Most importantly, have fun interacting with the unit content, your classmates, and your instructor!

For Discussion requirements, refer to your course Syllabus or to the Discussion Rubric, posted in Course Documents.

Criminal Law in the News: Op-ed

Research current events related to the course topics covered in Unit 3 and post at least one of these events to the Discussion. Within your posting, describe how your chosen item ties in to a review of the material in this unit. You may use the Library or any other outside resource for your research. Be sure to use proper citation format. Review your fellow students’ postings and respond to at least one event posting throughout the week.

Post your response here. Be sure to comment on at least one of your classmate’s posts.