Term Paper on "Criminal Investigations"

Term Paper 3 pages (1020 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Criminal Investigations:

The process of investigating, reporting, and prosecuting criminal offenses requires both legal and ethical preparations in order for successful prosecution of a case. The need for legal and ethical preparations is fueled by the fact that there is an unbelievable amount of work that needs to be done in relation to the statements, items, evidence, and witnesses before a case is presented in a court of law before a judge or jury. While there are various types of crimes, several ethical aspects must be considered from the start of the case i.e. when an investigator arrives at the crime scene. Ethical considerations are vital to decisions that incorporate force, discretion, and due process that need individuals to make enlightened moral judgments. Actually, the study of ethics enables professionals and practitioners in the criminal justice system to identify the necessary ethical considerations of several actions and the associated moral principles.

Ethical Considerations when Investigating Homicide and Rape Cases:

Banks (2004) states that ethics is the germane of many management and policy decisions within the criminal justice system associated with punishment and help in determining whether to impose, deter, or rehabilitate just deserts. Due to the importance of ethics in the criminal justice field, various cases require certain ethical considerations to be addressed when investigating the particular offense. For investigators of crime, one of the most important considerations that must be taken into account is the need to be non-biased and open-minded even before arriving at the crime scene. This is despite of the difference in ethical considerations depending on the specific case being investigated.

Homicide is an offense that involves the illegal yet un-predetermined voluntary murder of another person that is likely to earn the convicted offender a sentence that is greater than manslaughter but less than murder. This type of case requires specific legal and ethical preparations and considerations since the victim of the offense isn't there at trial. In the process of investigating this crime, the investigator should show extreme compassion and sympathy to the relatives and friends of the victim. This is primarily because the relatives and friends would be very upset with the death of the victim and are likely to be informants or witnesses for the case. Since the investigator cannot ignore their emotions, part of their work could involve building relationships with the relatives and friends of the victim (Lyon, n.d.).

On the other hand, the ethical considerations that should be taken into account when investigating rape cases is increased sensitivity to the rape victim. The need for such sensitivity originates from the fact that the rape victim may be in a state of emotional shock that could probably impact the process of finding necessary information to investigate the suspected offender(s). Investigators should also demonstrate the element of sensitivity when gathering, preserving, and transmitting evidence from the commencement of the process at the crime scene.

Reducing Ethical Problems Associated with Investigating Homicide and Rape Cases:

In relation to the investigation of these crimes, the inability of the investigator to take into account the… READ MORE

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