Writers Den

The Portfolio Project requires that you conduct observations in a courtroom and compare these
observations with library research on a related topic, compiling everything you learn in one final
paper. There are several components to this project and four preliminary deliverables. Please
read through them carefully.
Preliminary Components:

Select online court coverage to analyze

Observe your chosen court coverage for a minimum of 2 hours

Present a formal outline of your research paper

Submit a list of sources

Submit a formal research paper, detailing your observations

Select Online Court Coverage
you may observe one of the following criminal court proceedings online.
OJ Simpson’s murder trial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA5sj_zTD9M
http://ktla.com/2014/06/12/ktla-video-archives-o-j-simpson-murder-trial/

George Zimmerman’s murder trial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdzrBw-x8Xc

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/george-zimmerman-murder-trial-19643603

http://www.foxnews.com/live-coverage/zimmerman-trial

Jodi Arias murder trial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ4Svvm7reY

http://www.hlntv.com/search/content/jodi%20arias%20video

http://crimeandcourtsnews.blogspot.com/p/jodi-arias-trial-watch-full-court-videos.html

Observe Chosen Court
For the Court Report, prepare a well-written 2-3 page paper, formatted according to CSU-Global
and APA guidelines, about your court observation experience. Provide the details of the
proceedings of the court you visited (court name, date, judge, type of proceedings) and the
name(s) of cases(s) you observed. Describe the proceedings that took place, what you learned,
and what (if anything) was surprising to you. In addition, pick one aspect of the court proceeding
(such as arraignments, sentencing, role of court personnel, the attorneys ethical
responsibilities, etc.) that you will study further for your final Portfolio Project.
Formal Outline
submit an outline of your final paper.
List of Sources,

Submit a list of sources to be used in your final paper. (See requirements for sources below.)
The Final Paper
In the final paper, which is due at the end of Week 8, synthesize observed data from your court
experience with research gleaned from at least five reliable, academic sources (one must be the
textbook for this class) on the area of criminal justice you selected earlier in the term
(arraignments, jury trials, sentencing, etc.). Compare and contrast what you personally
observed in court with one or more normative positions argued or implied in your library
research regarding how that particular area of criminal justice should function.
Specifically, your final paper should include:

Your revised Court Report

An analysis of the area of criminal justice you observed and researched. First, describe
the area of criminal justice. Then, analyze the components of that area of criminal
justice, including relevant laws and policies, ethical obligations of involved legal
professionals, and the ways in which societal variables such as race, class, gender, and
level of educational attainment affect proceedings in that area of criminal justice. Use
your research to corroborate your discussion.

A comparison and contrast between the realities of what you observed and what your
library research taught you. Describe what the law and ethics dictate should take place
in this area of criminal justice (such as an explanation of charges during an
arraignment), and discuss how what you observed did and/or did not conform to these
expectations.

An evaluation of the conformities and the nonconformities you described in number 2 to
arrive at a conclusion about what you observed versus the ideal in our criminal justice
system, including suggestions for how the system could improve or, at least, better
mirror the considerations of the law and of ethics.

Present your response in an analytical research paper of 10-15 well-written with APA guidelines.