Midterm Paper
Utilizing class materials and individual research students will write a 5-6 page paper which examines an important Supreme Court case. The paper will consider the effect of the case on our criminal justice system and on our overall criminal justice policies.

All papers should be fully referenced with in-text citations and a complete reference page that
follows APA citation guidelines. All papers should have an introductory and concluding
paragraph. Please note that grammar, spelling, and good writing are key components of this assignment.
Students should provide subheadings for the following when writing their paper:
o
Introduction: An introductory paragraph which introduces the reader to the student’s
topic and provides an overview on what the student’s reader will learn by reading his/her
paper. It should have three basic elements: a) a topic sentence which defines the topic
and “grabs” the reader (i.e., the attention getter); b) a thesis statement which is the
argument that will be presented (i.e., the main point of the paper), and c) outline
sentences which describe the main topics in the “body” (i.e. other) paragraphs.
o
Summary: Students must read, comprehend, analyze and summarize a Supreme Court
Case. They must research relevant literature on their case topic, using information from
previous courses, as well information gathered from systematic research. What were the facts of the case, what was the Court’s decision, and what was the basis for the Court’s decision? Students should carefully consider previous cases, existing statutory law, etc.
(LO 1 &LO 2).
o
Policy Impact: Students must put forth a reasonable and empirically substantiated
argument and demonstrate how the case impacts criminal justice policy and practitioners.
Students must understand the rationale for its basis and be able, not only to apply the
theoretical model to an area of the criminal justice system, such as policing, the
judiciary/courts (including the prosecutor and defense offices), or corrections, but be able
to show how the Court’s decision impacts current practices, in addition to their own
career. Students should discuss the case’s impact on criminal justice policy by reviewing
its theoretical and practical implications for criminal justice professionals. Students will
research how this new law has affected criminal justice practice. For example, how did
police practices change after Miranda? How it did affect potential suspects? What do
scholars say about its significance? This part should be well researched and it is
recommended that the students utilize journals to acquire their information. Students are
required to cite properly according to APA guidelines with both in-text citations and a full
reference page (LO 1, LO 2 & LO 3).
o
Summary Statement: Students should devise an argument agreeing or disagreeing with the Supreme Court decision. When writing this portion of the paper, which is persuasive, students should use facts of law, legal precedent, scientific data, etc., to substantiate their position, without writing in the “I” format (LO 2 & LO 3)

Grading:
The learning outcomes (LO) for this assignment are the following:
Assessment Goals:

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The purpose of this assessment was to determine whether the following four learning outcomes
were achieved:
• The ability to conduct formal research as it relates to thesis development with
documented and substantive empirical support (LO 1)
• The ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills when examining Constitutional issues
and how they impact the criminal justice system (LO 2)
• The ability to apply both theoretical and practical principles in a concrete and material
way (LO 3)
• The ability to communicate well, via effective and comprehensible writing skills (LO 4)
Learning Outcome Measures:
Students must read, comprehend, analyze and summarize the Supreme Court Case. They must
research relevant literature on their case topic, using information from previous courses, as well
information gathered from systematic research (LO 1 &LO 2).
Students must put forth a reasonable and empirically substantiated argument and demonstrate
how the case impacts criminal justice policy and practitioners. Students must understand the
rationale for its basis and be able, not only to apply the theoretical model to an area of the
criminal justice system, such as policing, the judiciary/courts (including the prosecutor and
defense offices), or corrections, but be able to show how the Court’s decision impacts current
practices, in addition to their own career (LO 2 & LO 3).
The paper must be well organized, grammatical sound and easily understandable (LO 4).

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