This paper is being submitted March 24, 2013 for Professor Barbara Bailey’s Criminal Investigation course at DeVry University by Jonah Colombo…
Assignment 12: The McMartin Case The media greatly favored the prosecution while the trial began. The media did not question the prosecution and rarely, if at all, mentioned anything from the defense. David Shaw even wrote about the skewed coverage that occurred during the trial. In addition to Shaw’s writings, Wayne Satz, who was a reporting the case and children’s allegations in favor of the prosecution, presented the views of the children and parents’ claims in such a way that there was no challenge to what could have happened.…
The popular television show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigations has been on the air for 12 years, and it has brought forth the behind-the-scenes actions of criminal investigations, even if its portrayals are not always scientifically accurate. This has caused an interest in the forensic sciences that has led most people to a skewed view of how a criminal investigation actually works. The reality of a criminal investigation is that it is generally more tedious and difficult than the theory of criminal investigation would have you believe. By examining the forensic and investigative procedures of the case of Pamela Foddrill, it is apparent that the theory of criminal investigation was not representative of the procedures concerning examination of the body, but that it was demonstrative of much of the investigatory steps taken by police, like search warrants. On August 18th, 1995, 44-year-old Pamela Foddrill disappeared from the town of Linton, Indiana. Pamela went to buy some groceries at the local IGA and was abducted: her body was found wrapped in a sleeping bag near Russellville, Illinois four months later. Roughly four years later, five individuals were held responsible for their part in the abduction, rape, and murder of Pamela Foddrill: Roger Long, John Redman, Jerry Russell Sr., Wanda Hubbell, and Plynia Fowler. Long, Redman, and Russell are serving life sentences, while Fowler pled out to 14 years and Hubbell pled out to 20 years of incarceration.…
In the Levon Brooks case. Brooks was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder of a three year old girl. He was charged with Capital Murder, and sexual battery. Things that lead to his wrongful conviction were invalidated or improper Forensic Science, and Government Misconduct. Government misconduct is considered when lying or intentionally misleading jurors about their observations, failing to overturn exculpatory evidence, and providing incentives to secure unreliable evidence from informants.…
In the year of 1991 a murder had taken place that brought upon suspicion and several conflicts amongst officials. The murder was of a man by the name of Frank Boyle and one of the suspects for the crime was Michael Feeney, the police had been informed that he was seen near the victim’s truck earlier that day. During the investigation of the murder, the police went to Feeney’s residence and waited for him to come out. When there was no answer, the police had to barge in and they searched the premises without permission. The house was an equipment trailer and the police found Feeney in his bed, they told him to get up and they saw blood stains on Feeney’s shirt. After noticing blood on his shirt the police immediately arrested him and briefly advised him of the right to a council. The accused was asked several questions and his shirt was later seized. He had been questioned for eight hours straight and he still wasn’t able to contact his lawyer, during the questioning Feeney admitted to stealing the victim’s cigarettes, beer and also some cash.…
"The news media are one of our main sources of knowledge about crime and deviance. Often the media will create a moral panic surrounding crimes and criminals or deviants.…
The abduction and subsequent murder of the toddler James Bulger, from a shopping centre in Liverpool, was a crime which brought about a huge moral panic in Britain in the 1990’s. A murder of any sort brings about a moral panic, but when the victim, and in this case the defendants, are both children, it attracts overwhelming media attention and a vast moral panic is quickly spread. It has been previously said that it is the most monstrous of crime when a child elects to kill another child. Theories of moral panics are sparked when they are spread; the ‘Grassroots Model’ (Critcher, 2008) theory occurs when the public and media collaborate, consequently leading to fears becoming exaggerated; in the case of James Bulger; ephebiphobia, which is the fear of children and youth. The murder of Bulger made parents realise how defenceless their own…
Individuals break crimes all the time but some cases take America by storm with the mass amount of media coverage. The Scott Peterson trail is a prime example of a criminal case that took the nation by storm. What makes the Scott Peterson trail special is the fact that for the first time in California an individual was sentenced to death based solely on circumstantial evidence. In this paper I will be discussing the Scott Peterson case in three key areas background/summary, evidence, and finally crime elements.…
Berger, R., Free, M., Searles, P. (2009). Crime, Justice, and Society: An Introduction to Criminology. Pennsylvania State University: Lynne Rienner Publishers. p331.…
What is the common element of the trials for O.J. Simpson, Sam Sheppard, and the Menendez brothers? All these cases were surrounded by media frenzy. The public is barraged with all types of information once it is released. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? With so many media influences from print to cameras can one truly assume an unbiased position? Many factors can play a role in the outcome of a trial. A person’s fame, fortune, or lack of is sometimes an element. In 2007 Collins said:…
Nye, Chad F. Law and Society : Journalism and Justice in the Oklahoma City Bombing Trials. El Paso, TX, USA: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 3 April 2015.…
The media uses great power in our society as a way to get information out to the public. This could have a great influence on the decision process of a death penalty case. Journalists, radios, TV, and news media not only talk about evidence, but also help to decide what issues and stories publics chat about. Many crimes that are committed get wide spread mass media coverage. This can cause problems for all sides involved in handling such heart wrenching casing like death penalty cases. The crime squad officers involved in criminal cases may become entangled with the media in the process of providing evidence about a death penalty case. Mass media exposure of a trial, particularly…
The 6th amendment states that “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury…” (“Bill of Rights.” Bill of Rights Institute”). Although the criminal justice system still follows the fundamentals of the sixth amendment, with the advancement of technology the difficulty to supply a trial without a biased jury is increasing. Due to the high media exposure, the public is able to form a preconceived verdict controlled by the press. Despite the belief that all defendants are said to be “innocent until proven guilty” the influence of the media leads the public to counteract the set principles of the criminal justice system.…
High profile murder cases like the Victoria Stafford Case and Luka Magnotta Body Parts Case have the power to shake up communities and even stir up trouble internationally. Many people become affected by such a case, even if just from hearing about it on television. Parents, other family members and friends are forced to hear gruesome details, stories and…
Petherick, W. (2012). Crime Library: Criminal Minds and Methods. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from TruTV-Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/profiling/victimology/1.html…