You are a computer forensic examiner working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI is investigating a series of threats posted on social media by Franklin B. Saunders.
Saunders is:
● an undergraduate student at George Mason University
● a sophomore majoring in Chemistry with a concentration in Materials Chemistry
● currently a resident on campus at GMU
During the course of the investigation, the FBI has been in contact with the George Mason University police department and Violence Prevention Committee (VPC). Saunders has been reported to the VPC on two previous occasions.
After evaluating the social media posts, the FBI has probable cause to believe that Franklin B. Saunders is a credible threat to the students and faculty at George Mason University.
Your job is to write a search warrant and affidavit to search Saunder’s residence located at:
4335 Chesapeake River Way, #302
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Affidavit in Support of Search Warrant
I, [Your Name], being duly sworn, depose state as follows:
I am a computer forensic examiner employed the Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and have been so employed for [X] years. am currently assigned to the investigation regarding the series threats on social media by Franklin B. Saunders.
on my training and experience, I am familiar with the methods and techniques used investigate and analyze digital evidence, including social media posts and communications.
The FBI has been conducting an ongoing investigation the threats by Franklin B. Saunders, an undergraduate student at George Mason (GMU), located in Fairfax, Virginia. Saunders is resident on campus at GMU.
4 Saunders is a sophomore majoring in Chemistry with a concentration in Materials at GMU. Based on the information during the investigation, is probable cause to believe that he poses a credible threat to the students and faculty at George Mason University.
Throughout the course of the investigation, the FBI has been in contact with the George Mason University police department and the Violence Prevention Committee (VPC). Saunders has been reported to the VPC on two previous occasions, indicating a pattern of concerning behavior.
In order to further the investigation and gather additional evidence related to Saunders’ threats, it is necessary to search his residence located at 4335 Chesapeake River Way, #302, Fairfax, Virginia 22030.
The items to be seized during the search include, but are not limited to:
Computers, laptops, and external storage devices
Mobile phones and communication devices
Written or printed materials related to the threats made by Saunders
Any other electronic devices or evidence that may be relevant to the investigation
It is believed that the above-mentioned items will contain evidence of the threats made by Saunders on social media, including posts, messages, or any other digital communication related to his plans or intentions.
The search warrant seeks to obtain evidence relevant to violations of federal laws, including but not limited to:
18 U.S.C. § 875(c) – Transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce
18 U.S.C. § 875(d) – Threatening interstate communications
Any other applicable federal laws related to threats and harassment
I respectfully request that a search warrant be issued authorizing law enforcement officers to enter the residence of Franklin B. Saunders located at 4335 Chesapeake River Way, #302, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, and to seize the listed items of evidence related to the investigation.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
[Your Name] Computer Forensic Examiner Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Sworn to before me this _____ day of ____________, 20.
Judge’s Signature United States District Court
