Jamal, a straight A junior in High School, was recently involved in a physical fight with another student in the corridor of the school. Juan is a recovering alcoholic who has absenteeism issues and poor grades. Although Juan was held back in sixth grade, and struggles with social situations, he has never been involved in any disciplinary action at school. However, Jamal recently completed 90 hours of community service after being convicted of disorderly conduct and simple assault from an unrelated incident.

The school video recordings show Jamal instigating the fight, yet student witnesses reported to school officials and law enforcement that Juan was the instigator. During the investigation, a drug dog alerted law enforcement to the possibility that a controlled substance was present in Juan’s locker. When confronted by law enforcement, Juan claimed Jamal planted the drugs in Juan’s locker to hide Jamal’s own habit. Regardless, Juan was placed under arrest. An external security camera recorded a verbal altercation between law enforcement and a group of young adults who felt Juan’s arrest was racially motivated.

Tasks:

You are the District Attorney’s Investigator and have been asked to evaluate this situation as pursuant to Juan’s upcoming trial. Compose a 3-6 page paper to address the following:

Identify, define, examine, and discuss the crimes potentially committed by Juan and Jamal.
Identify the victim(s) in this scenario. Outline the rights of the victim(s) as they related to social responsibility.
Compare and contrast the legal issues that could arise for the police department in this scenario.
Analyze how societal diversity might have played a role in this case. Discuss ethical practices utilized by law enforcement that help them to maintain their objectivity throughout their investigation of this incident, Jamal and Juan’s backgrounds, and the underlying interests of social order.
Evaluate the use of technology, such as video tape recordings, as demonstrative evidence in the courtroom.