PART 1: Discretion in the U.S. criminal justice system was at one time defined by Roscoe Pound, a legal scholar and educator (1960) as follows: “an authority conferred by law to act in certain conditions or situations in accordance with an official’s or an official agency’s own considered judgment and conscience.” Discuss the following:
Do you think there is too much discretion in the criminal justice system? Explain.
Are there certain jobs or roles in the criminal trial process (from investigation through appeal) that have more discretion than other jobs or roles?
Is there too great a concentration of discretion in particular jobs or roles in the criminal justice system?
Do you think it would be desirable to limit the amount of discretion in the criminal justice system? If so, how would you do this? What might be the effects?
PART 2:Your first task is to post your own Key Assignment Outline to the discussion area so that other students are able to review your plan. The Phase 4 IP is the Key Assignment for this course. Your task is to develop an outline for your response to the Phase 4 IP. You are to post that outline to the Phase 4 Discussion Board area. Attach your document to the main discussion post, and include any notes that you feel are appropriate. The purpose of this assignment is to help improve the quality of the Key Assignment Draft you will complete for the Phase 4 IP.
