Assignment # 1
Below there are three scenarios of prosecutor behavior. Lets discuss the legality and ethical actions of
the decisions made by the prosecutor in each scenario:
● Announcing a suspect of a drive-by shooting to the media so the offender was in danger from
rival gang members, and then offering protective custody only if the man would plead guilty.
● Authorizing the arrest of a 10-year-old boy who confessed to a crime, even though there was
no serious possibility that he was guilty, to pressure a relative to confess.
● Authorizing the arrest of one brother for drugs, even though the prosecutor knew the charge
would be thrown out (but the man would lose a scholarship to college), to have leverage so
that he would give evidence against his brother.
Assignment # 2
Assume that you are a prosecutor or judge and wish to refer the case to one of the four available
restorative justice options. Which restorative justice option is best suited and why?
An 18-year-old male with no prior record has been convicted of a “hate” crime. He, with two juveniles
(ages 15 and 16), burned a cross in the yard of a church and painted derogatory racial messages on its
front door. Most of the church congregation is African American; the offenders are white, and the
18-year-old is reportedly affiliated with a white supremacist organization. The offender states that he
began his involvement with the organization only recently and committed the offense as part of his
initiation. The church members are divided on what should be done.