(Please read through the instructions in the slides, Once you find a good case complete the assignment questions from the file I attached below “FBS 155 Workshop 1 Assignment.docx” )(Also I attached the rubric below to check the work) ( This is the start of a big research paper so I’ll be using the same court case for further instructions so pick wisely something manageable, also look at the instructions on the slides because there is a list of cases that I can’t use and a list of ideas)
The courts are increasingly relying on
neuroscience and biological evidence to
make decisions about defendants’
competency, culpability, and sentencing.
The first part of your research paper will
require you to locate and briefly summarize a
criminal court case in which biological
evidence was used in court to demonstrate a
defendant’s criminal responsibility.
The case must have taken place in the United
States after 1993, and cannot be one of the
following cases covered in class:
- People v. Weinstein
- Texas Tower shooting of 1966, Charles Whitman
- The Curious Case of “Mr. Oft”
- People v. Steele (the case covered in the example paper)
- It must be a criminal case. In other words, the
defendant must be accused of a criminal offense. - The biological evidence must be relevant to a
defendant’s criminal responsibility. - The biological evidence must be something that we
covered (or will cover) in this class
The first part of this research project will require you to locate and briefly summarize a criminal
court case in which biological evidence was used in court to demonstrate a defendant’s criminal
responsibility (or lack thereof). I recommend using Google Scholar and Westlaw to locate court
cases.
Instructions:
Work together to locate court cases that meet the assignment criteria (see Canvas).
3. You must each find a unique court case.
4. When you encounter difficulties or need clarification, please ask! Overcoming the
challenges of finding relevant case law is part of the learning process in this assignment.
Workshop Questions to Answer:
- Court case name & year
- Biological evidence:
- How was evidence used?
-
Did the evidence change the trial/case outcome?
This assignment will be graded on a complete/not-complete basis. That is, if you submit the completed workshop assignment on time, you will receive full credit regardless of the quality of your answers. This assignment is purely for your benefit, so you will get what you put in.
Note that it is a very good idea to still take this assignment seriously, as it will form the basis for your Research Paper Part 1 Assignment. I will be grading the Research Paper far more thoroughly!