A critical analysis of the bias and shallowness of the media in its reporting of the riots following the acquittal of police charged with beating Rodney King.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 10 sources, 1999, $ 63.95
Abstract "This study will examine the media coverage of the 1992 riots in Los Angeles following the acquittal of the police officers charged with beating Rodney King. The thesis of the study will be that the media was biased in its coverage of the riots, and that that bias was based on racial stereotyping.
From the Paper "This study will examine the media coverage of the 1992 riots in Los Angeles following the acquittal of the police officers charged with beating Rodney King. The thesis of the study will be that the media was biased in its coverage of the riots, and that that bias was based on racial stereotyping.
The sources consulted for this study indicate clearly that there was substantial bias in the coverage of the rioting. That bias involved reporters' assignments, the power over who wrote the words of the stories filed, the description of the rioting and its participants, and, most importantly, an almost total absence of meaningful analysis of the deeper socioeconomic issues which gave rise to the rioting.
Ishmael Reed, in Airing Dirty Laundry, posits the theory that the media is rife with subtle and not-so-subtle racial bias ..."
This paper reviews the book "Gideon's Trumpet," about a hobo and real-life convict in Florida in the 1960s whose fight for freedom led to a landmark case being heard in the United States Supreme Court.
Abstract This is a book review of Anthony Lewis' book, "Gideon's Trumpet." The legal figures and details of this case are presented to the reader, who is taken through all of the different stages in order to understand the process involved this type of legal case. The book gives the reader insight into how legal verdicts are reached, including the process the judge must go through in order to reach a binding decision. It looks at an individual's right to counsel, how the courts can influence the formulation of state and federal laws and serves as a good resource for law students seeking to learn about the legal system in the United States.
From the Paper "The book as a highly informational literary work to the ordinary reader sends that reader to a crash course in rules of court and how judges and justices reach verdicts. It tells him how a complaint moves from the first step to the middle and the last, how it is taken up or rejected. And because it talks about a true-to-life case of a convict who petitions the highest Court of the land for his own release and obtains that petition, the book is a call for courage and encouragement in the presence and supremacy of justice even among weak, erratic human beings in robes."
Abstract This paper will discuss the article "Leopold and Loeb: The Crime of Compulsion" by Clarence Darrow. This paper will argue for Darrow's perspective on the Loeb case, in that he believes that genetic and environmental cause are the real reasons for Loeb to not get the death penalty for the kidnapping and murder of Bobby Franks. By combining both of these principles into this argument, we can see why the death penalty is an unjust punishment for this case.
Abstract This paper analyzes the different reasons proffered for why Socrates chose to accept a punishment of death rather than attempt to use the opportunities given him to avoid the death penalty. Ethics, martyrdom, and directions from a divine power are some of the reasons that are discussed. Arguments that point out why the reasons may be wrong are also discussed.
From the Paper ""The Death of Socrates" was the most prominent painting of Jacques-Louis David, one of the premier neo-classicist painters of the late 18th century. In this painting he depicts the seminal philosopher of ancient Greece raising his hand to emphasize a point, even as he is about to drink the hemlock that will kill him. This underscores what we know of Socrates: that despite his claim of knowing nothing, that as Bertrand Russell claims, ?it is impossible not to feel that he firmly believes in immortality, and that his professed uncertainty is only assumed.? (Russell, pg. 89) We see Socrates given several opportunities to escape death; he is first offered banishment from the city and then given the ability to propose an alternate punishment. These he squanders, preferring to die by the city's laws rather than thwart them, which he is clearly capable of doing. We are left to question why Socrates effectively chose death in the end, despite having defended himself admirably."
Abstract Examines the accusation against Flipper of embezzlement of Army funds and conduct unbecoming an officer, his ultimate acquittal of embezzlement charge, and his dishonorable discharge from the Army in 1882.
From the Paper "This research paper discusses the court martial of Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper (Flipper) (1856-1940). Flipper, the first African-American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point and one ..."
Abstract This paper looks at the setting and political backdrop behind the 1886 arrest of French Jewish military officer Alfred Dreyfus for passing on documents to the German army. It examines how he was was arrested, not allowed to have contact with anyone outside the prison, pressured into a false confession, court-martialed behind closed doors, and convicted. It looks at the attempts to prove him innocent, including those of prominent journalist Emil Zola, and how he was eventually acquitted and returned from Devil's Island in 1896.
From the Paper "Still determined to protect their reputation instead of promoting the truth, the military charged Zola with the very serious French crime of ?slandering the military.? (Editor, 1998) Zola was found guilty, and he was sentenced to a year in jail (Staff writers, 2004). He managed to escape to England and thus avoid going to jail, and continued his campaign from there to free Dreyfus (Editor, 1998). As the efforts of the military cover-up became more and more obvious, intellectuals around the world spoke out for Zola, who had previously criticized the French press for their anti-Semitism (Editor, 1998). At this point the Dreyfus affair had become completely politicized with Royalists, military and nationalist factions all taking one stand, with Republicans, socialists and anti-clerical groups on the other side (Staff writers, 2004)."
Abstract This paper debates how the insanity plea and its use to obtain verdicts of acquittal for murderers is insane insofar as it allows criminals to escape punishment, reenter society, and possibly kill again.
From the Paper "While the chance for murderers to plea insanity if they really are mentally imbalanced appears fair, it is not. This appeal has been used to get many cold hearted murderers acquitted and go free. In being free they have the opportunity to kill again. In this way, the law is saying that the insane can murder without having to pay a price for their action. Allen Brownfield, an editor of the Human Events magazine and a well known author, makes this issue very clear in "Defense Attorneys Mad about Insanity Defense." As Brownfield says, "The growing use of the insanity defense is part of a larger trend in society to eliminate personal responsibility for one's actions." The case of the Menendez brothers proves this."
This paper is an essay that explores the sociological significance of the police shooting of a young West African immigrant Amadou Diallo by imagining the explanations of people from various political persuasions.
Abstract This paper explains that the shooting of Amadou Diallo on the streets of the Bronx, has become the epicenter of a national debate on New York City police misconduct and the racial divide between urban officers and the minority communities they patrol. The author presents the possible reaction of radical leftists, moderate leftists partially committed to relativism, centrists, moderate conservatives partially committed to absolutism and extreme conservatives properly known as racists and absolutely committed to absolutism. The paper admits that, perhaps traversing the political spectrum to explain delinquent minority behavior was a mistake, because political views naturally rely upon generalizations contradicted by real world phenomena; but real world phenomena, manifested in our personal experiences, are potentially misleading, too.
From the Paper "Moreover, liberals rely upon potentially inaccurate generalizations in deeming America a racist society: Of all encounters between African Americans and New York City police, a small fraction result in the evils visited upon Abner Louima or Amadou Diallo. For every cab driver who purposefully neglects prospective African American passengers, another, perhaps several, pull over. For every store clerk who follows, physically or visually, African American shoppers, many greet their customers with a smile. Yet liberals judge the NYPD a racist institution, and cite cab driver and store clerk prejudices as evidence of a chronically racist society. Again, if the conservative view is wrong because of its reliance on generalizations and stereotypes, fine. So too is the liberal view for precisely the same reasons."
Abstract This paper discusses the events that led to the Chicago conspiracy trial of the Chicago Seven; its outcome, and its fairness. It looks at the 1968 protest at the Democratic National Convention and the acquittal of the defendants on conspiracy charges, as well as the conviction of some on lesser charges. The paper examines the courtroom behavior of the judge and the courtroom as a "street theatre."
From the Paper "There are few years in recent American history more generally turbulent tense and filled with public protests than the year inw hich President Lyndon B Johnson announced that he would not seek or accept a second term as president and ..."
Tags: Chicago Seven, 1968 Democratic Convention, Days of Rage
Abstract This paper discusses Lizzie Borden's trial for the murders of her father and stepmother and explains that this was a situation that had never before been seen in any previous American murder case. This was the case of a privileged, upper-class woman who had allegedly murdered her parents in cold blood. This paper will describe the facts of the case, then analyze some of those facts and ultimately draw a conclusion as to why Lizzie Borden was eventually acquitted of the brutal murder of her father and stepmother.
From the Paper "Lizzie Borden's trial for the murders of her father and stepmother was a situation that had never before been seen in any previous American murder case. This was the case of a privileged, upper-class woman who had allegedly murdered her parents in cold blood. This paper will describe the facts of the case, then analyze some of those facts and ultimately draw a conclusion as to why Lizzie Borden was eventually acquitted of the brutal murder of her father and stepmother. Facts of the Case On August 4, 1892, the couple of Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered by in Fall River, Massachusetts. The cause of death for both of them was bludgeoning by an axe. There were no signs of disturbance in the house -- other than the two bodies. Lizzie Borden, who was thirty-two, was Andrew Borden's youngest daughter."
Abstract This paper discusses how the diagnosis of multiple personality disorder (MPD) in criminal trials has to date been used as a basis for the insanity plea in a number of acquittals ranging from forgery to rape to murder. The 1980 inclusion of MPD in DSM-III as a distinct clinical entity has given evidence to the disorder as an accepted psychological condition by the American psychiatric body and its eventual appearance in criminal settings. The paper further discusses how despite its inclusion in the classification of mental disorders much controversy has surrounded MPD and its viability in a courtroom setting.
Abstract This paper explains that problems, such as false reporting and accusations, cultural misunderstandings, racial bias, unnecessary harsh sentences and overall judicial inconsistencies, exist in the child abuse reporting system. The author points out that the large percentage of inappropriate reporting also places an unnecessary burden on the already overwhelmed child protective agencies and threatens to undermine public support for their efforts. The paper suggests that, with time and experience, it will be possible to standardize the approach toward sentencing so individuals will receive accurate judgments of incarceration, probation, education or acquittal based on the true circumstances. This paper includes several long quotations.
Outline:
Introduction Definition of Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
Spanking versus Serious Physical Abuse
Study by Baumrind: Most Parents Spank without Ill Impact on Children
Statistical Reporting of Child Abuse Numbers
Numbers of Reporting Increased 20 Times
Large number of "Unfounded" Reports
Inappropriate Reporting Places Unnecessary Burden on Child Protective Agencies
Better Reporting on What to/Not to Report
Disagreement of Over/Under-Reporting of Child Abuse Claims
Investigative/Tool Inconsistencies
Racial/Cultural Misrepresentations
American Psychology Association Recommendations
Learn about the Culture
Examine Discrepancies between Accepted Cultural Practices and the Behavior
Look at the Continuum of Cultural Behaviors, Determining Relationship Socioeconomic Issues such as Poverty and Substance Abuse
Is Alleged Abusive Behavior is Truly Harmful to others?
Person's Level of Acculturation to U.S. Culture
Reporting Bias
Suggested Actions
Narrow the Scope of Child Abuse and Neglect Definitions.
Place the Investigatory Powers with the Police
Re-Criminalize Child Abuse and Neglect.
Repeal Mandatory Reporting Laws Effect in all the States.
Make Child and Family Services Voluntary
From the Paper "As with any law that is passed, it is necessary to clearly define terms so that certain persons or groups of persons are not being treated differently in terms of that law and the punishment fits the crime. In cases of child abuse, there are numerous cases, especially with severe physical, psychological or sexual violations, where an individual should receive a strict penalty. However, there are also a large number of others cases where the abuse is minimal, questionable (spanking, for example), cultural, or even misinformed. In these latter situations, it may be better to find alternate ways to help these individuals and the victims."
Abstract The paper elucidates the reasons for the Los Angeles riots and discusses the causes and underlying principles. The acquittal of the three police officers of the beating of Rodney King is stated as being one of the main triggers of these riots but, as the paper discusses at length, there were also many other social and political causes. The paper recognizes that there remains a deeply-rooted resentment felt by African Americans because of socio-political and economic inequity.
From the Paper "Comparing the 1965 Watts Riots and the 1992 Rodney King Riots, there are several coincidental (?) parallels. Both instance involved white Anglo police officers; there was an African-American motorist as the victim, and there was a beating that occurred on an African-American. Rodney King and Marquette Frye, instead on being suspects in a traffic violation, became "martyrs" in the eyes of the African-American community. Especially with the Rodney King affair, he became the symbol of political, social and economic oppressions faced by African-Americans not only in the Los Angeles area but the United States too. To make matters worse, the 1992 riots were "purposefully defined this civil disorder as a rebellion, as opposed to a riot, because of the gaping disparity in economic opportunity and in treatment by the criminal justice system of poor residents in South-Central Los Angeles, the site of the conflagration (Watts, 2003). Feeling always the underdog with repressive laws, neighborhood segregation, disparity in income and outright disgust for the color of their skin by the Anglos, African-Americans went on a rampage to vent all the pent-up anger within. "In other situations, the anger and frustration was expressed by pulling white motorists from cars and trucks and brutally beating and kicking them. In one such case, Reginald Oliver Denny, was pulled from his truck as he stopped to prevent hitting looters who filled the street."
Abstract This paper discusses some criticisms of the US criminal justice system, such as its racism and lack of effectiveness, giving examples of both. The writer then describes both the inquisitorial and adversarial systems of justice and explains how each one works in practice. The writer concludes that although a more just verdict might result under the inquisitorial system, the writer's preference lies with the adversarial system where confusion, skilled lawyers, and compassion would be more likely to result in an acquittal.
Outline:
Part 1
Part 2
From the Paper "In addition to the criticism of racism, another frequently voiced criticism of the criminal justice system is its lack of effectiveness. In her article, "A Bridge to Order? Restorative Justice and Mental Adjustment in urban America," Stephanie Milton suggests that the United States look beyond the punitive criminal justice system to seek a system that focuses on rehabilitating criminals instead of punishing them. Many agree with Milton's position, suggesting that today's criminal justice system simply demoralizes and punishes criminals, only to eventually let them back out on the streets, worse than they once were."
Tags: effectiveness punitive rehabilitation impartial verdict, trial by jury, lenient
