Unit 6 Essay- Criminal Justice Ethics
Prof. Stoehr
May 28, 2013
Prof. Stoehr
May 28, 2013
Nikita Diaz
Kaplan University
Unit 6 Essay
CJ340-02
Nikita Diaz
Kaplan University
Unit 6 Essay
CJ340-02
Lon L. Fuller, former Carter Professor of Jurisprudence at Harvard Law School, observed in The Morality of Law, “Even if a man is answerable only to his conscience, he will answer more responsibly if he is compelled to articulate principles on which he acts.” To me this means that you have to answer to your own self and that you judge yourself on your thinking and possible actions. You have to weigh the outcomes and ask yourself what you can you live with doing? It’s what your moral thinking is and how it is applied.
Scenario 1 - Drugs at a Friend’s House There is a moral dilemma for this situation. I am an off duty police officer and observe several other people at a friend’s party using the recreational drug, cocaine. The friend of mine is outside with others and I don’t know if she knows that illegal activities are being done in her home. I would ask myself, do I call my supervisor and make them aware even though I’m off duty? Or do I ask my friend if she knows anything about the activities being done in her home and if she does, do I call it in and make arrests for what I observed and learned or let it slide with a warning because she’s a friend? My instincts are to go question my friend. I would still call it in, but depending on whether or not she knows about the activities, would mean if I would make an arrest on her with the others or not. Cocaine is an illegal drug and I have seen what it can do to people. I might lose a friend over it, but arresting them would not only get the drugs off the street, but it will also possibly help those being caught using the substance. There are rehabilitation programs out there to help them. If I chose to let it slide, it could be a slippery slope and lead to me letting it slide more often and letting criminals and possible addicts go. It would
May 28, 2013
Prof. Stoehr
May 28, 2013
Nikita Diaz
Kaplan University
Unit 6 Essay
CJ340-02
Nikita Diaz
Kaplan University
Unit 6 Essay
CJ340-02
Lon L. Fuller, former Carter Professor of Jurisprudence at Harvard Law School, observed in The Morality of Law, “Even if a man is answerable only to his conscience, he will answer more responsibly if he is compelled to articulate principles on which he acts.” To me this means that you have to answer to your own self and that you judge yourself on your thinking and possible actions. You have to weigh the outcomes and ask yourself what you can you live with doing? It’s what your moral thinking is and how it is applied.
Scenario 1 - Drugs at a Friend’s House There is a moral dilemma for this situation. I am an off duty police officer and observe several other people at a friend’s party using the recreational drug, cocaine. The friend of mine is outside with others and I don’t know if she knows that illegal activities are being done in her home. I would ask myself, do I call my supervisor and make them aware even though I’m off duty? Or do I ask my friend if she knows anything about the activities being done in her home and if she does, do I call it in and make arrests for what I observed and learned or let it slide with a warning because she’s a friend? My instincts are to go question my friend. I would still call it in, but depending on whether or not she knows about the activities, would mean if I would make an arrest on her with the others or not. Cocaine is an illegal drug and I have seen what it can do to people. I might lose a friend over it, but arresting them would not only get the drugs off the street, but it will also possibly help those being caught using the substance. There are rehabilitation programs out there to help them. If I chose to let it slide, it could be a slippery slope and lead to me letting it slide more often and letting criminals and possible addicts go. It would
References: Fuller, Lon L. (1975). The Morality of Law. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. (p. 159)