Summative Assessment: Criminal Court System Presentation

by | Nov 28, 2024 | criminal justice

Imagine that you have been asked to talk to a local high school history class about the history of the criminal court system. You will need to explain to the class how the American criminal court system came into existence, its evolution, and how it operates today.

Choose either your local federal court jurisdiction or your state court jurisdiction.

Assessment Deliverable
Create an 8- to 10-slide presentation to use as an aide as you speak to the local high school students. In your presentation:

Explain the history of the criminal court system and how it has evolved over time.
Explain the meaning of the dual court system.
Explain the history of jury trials and how they have evolved over time.
Explain the difference between a bench trial and jury trial and how each works within the system.
Explain your local court structure.
Explain how a jury works in your local jurisdiction.
Explain the history of the appellate court structure.
Explain the appellate court structure within your local state or federal district.

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.


This question has been answered

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.

Presentation: The American Criminal Court System

Slide 1: Title Slide

The American Criminal Court System: A Historical Overview

Slide 2: Early Colonial Courts

  • Colonial courts were influenced by English common law.
  • They handled a variety of cases, including criminal offenses.
  • Often, local officials, such as magistrates or justices of the peace, presided over these courts.

Presentation: The American Criminal Court System

Slide 1: Title Slide

The American Criminal Court System: A Historical Overview

Slide 2: Early Colonial Courts

  • Colonial courts were influenced by English common law.
  • They handled a variety of cases, including criminal offenses.
  • Often, local officials, such as magistrates or justices of the peace, presided over these courts.

Slide 3: The Development of a Formal Court System

  • Constitutional Era: The U.S. Constitution established a federal court system with the Supreme Court at the top.
  • State Court Systems: Each state established its own court system, often modeled after the federal system.
  • Dual Court System: This system consists of federal and state courts, each with its own jurisdiction.

Slide 4: The Dual Court System

  • Federal Courts: Handle cases involving federal laws, treaties, and the Constitution.
    • District Courts: Trial courts of general jurisdiction.
    • Circuit Courts of Appeal: Review decisions of district courts.
    • Supreme Court: The highest court in the land, reviews cases from lower courts and interprets the Constitution.
  • State Courts: Handle cases involving state laws.
    • Trial Courts: Courts of general jurisdiction that hear both criminal and civil cases.
    • Appellate Courts: Review decisions of trial courts.
    • Supreme Court: The highest court in the state.

Slide 5: Jury Trials

  • Historical Context: Jury trials have a long history, dating back to ancient Greece and Rome.
  • Purpose: To ensure that a defendant is judged by a jury of their peers.
  • Process: A jury is selected from a pool of potential jurors, and the trial proceeds with opening statements, presentation of evidence, closing arguments, and jury deliberation.

Slide 6: Bench Trials

  • Judge as Trier of Fact: In a bench trial, the judge decides both the facts and the law.
  • Advantages: Faster and less expensive than jury trials.
  • Disadvantages: May be less impartial than a jury.

[Your Local Court Structure]

  • Local Trial Courts: Discuss the specific trial courts in your jurisdiction, such as district courts, municipal courts, or county courts.
  • Appellate Courts: Explain the hierarchy of appellate courts in your state or federal district.

Slide 7: The Jury Selection Process

  • Jury Pool: A pool of potential jurors is selected from voter registration lists or other sources.
  • Voir Dire: The process of questioning potential jurors to determine their qualifications and impartiality.
  • Challenges: Attorneys may challenge potential jurors for cause or peremptory challenges.

Slide 8: The Role of the Jury

  • Fact-Finding: The jury listens to the evidence and determines the facts of the case.
  • Applying the Law: The judge instructs the jury on the relevant legal principles.
  • Reaching a Verdict: The jury deliberates and reaches a verdict of guilty or not guilty.

Additional Tips for Your Presentation:

  • Use visual aids like diagrams and charts to simplify complex concepts.
  • Practice your presentation to ensure smooth delivery and timing.
  • Engage your audience with real-world examples and anecdotes.
  • Be prepared to answer questions from the students.
  • Consider using technology, such as PowerPoint or Prezi, to create a dynamic presentation.

By following these guidelines and tailoring your presentation to your specific audience, you can effectively convey the complexities of the American criminal court system.

This question has been answered.

Get Answer