LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN INVESTIGATIONS

LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN INVESTIGATIONS

Legal and ethical issues arise due to the evolving nature of criminal investigation, advancements in technology, and increased public awareness, among other reasons. A historical example from the 1960s is the question of a suspect’s legal rights while in custody, an issue that resulted in the now-famous Miranda warnings. Miranda reduces ambiguity by requiring a verbal statement directly addressing those rights.

For this Assignment, you analyze a current legal or ethical issue related to investigations and propose a way to address it.

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.

Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

To prepare:

Choose one of the legal or ethical issues below drawn from the course topics.

Conduct research in the Walden Library to locate at least five academic sources on your chosen issue.

Technology

Should law enforcement utilize whatever tools necessary until told otherwise—that is, does public safety override the law’s ability to keep up with technology?

Standardization Across Disciplines

Are the evidence collection tools and procedures the same in all jurisdictions and disciplines (e.g., hospital procedures such as nursing processes, standardization for collecting sexual assault evidence, lab procedures, etc.)?

Legal Interpretation and Development of New Laws

Proper evidence protection is the result of learning from mistakes that may have ruined evidence in the past. Mistakes are not always deliberate efforts to undermine the law.

Deception in Interrogation

Where is the line drawn between deception and acceptable tactics to establish the truth?

Submit a 750-word paper that addresses the following:

Summarize the ethical or legal issue you have chosen.

Explain how the issue has evolved over time.

Explain your position on the issue, being sure to support your position with evidence from academically appropriate sources.

Propose a process, policy, or legal change that could have short- or long-term effects to address the issue you have chosen.

Your paper must reference at least five academic sources.