Criminology Discussion 4

Description:

For this forum, students will review a court case and apply concepts relevant to courts and the law.  Through this, you will attain a better understanding of the functions of the American court system, the steps and processes in a criminal jury trial, and the types of evidence used in a criminal trial.

Read in your textbook (at the beginning of Chapter 10) the story about the Gigi Jordan trial.

Craft an initial post of at least 200 words that thoroughly addresses the following elements:

1. In Chapter 8 you learned about the four primary functions of the courts.
   • Briefly define and discuss the four functions of the courts in your own words.
   • Which of these functions is demonstrated in the case of Gigi Jordan (there can be more than one)?  Discuss.
2. Consider the steps of the criminal jury trial that you learned in Chapter 10, as well as the types of evidence you learned about.
   • What are the steps in a criminal jury trial, according to Chapter 10?
   • Which of these criminal trial steps are demonstrated in the textbook excerpt at the beginning of Chapter 10? (Yes, it is a short excerpt.  You can still analyze the passage for the required information.)
   • Consider the types of evidence discussed in your text (real, circumstantial, testimonial, etc.).  What types of evidence were used in this case, based upon the brief excerpt reading?  Define the type(s) of evidence used, then discuss how the type(s) manifested themselves in the Jordan case.

Remember to reference the Module 4 materials (textbook and online content) to provide evidence for your arguments.

Be thorough in your response to ensure you fully address the questions and meet the requirements on content and length.  You should demonstrate a solid grasp of the readings and concepts mentioned above.