Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense: Is a Liar’s Squad Coming to Your Town?

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CJUS 350

Research Paper: Final Assignment Instructions

Overview

A criminal justice research paper developed at the 300-level requires much careful consideration and commitment to scholarly development. The research paper must be properly written with minimal grammatical and content errors.

Instructions

You will write a 5–7-page research paper in current APA format. Your research paper must have a title page which must not be numbered and does not count toward the total page count of the paper. A complete reference page using a proper alphabetical format must be at the end of the paper. The paper must include at least 5–7 scholarly sources to include the class textbooks and the Bible.

The paper will be written in first person. You are the Chief of Police. Imagine you are writing to the City Manager, Mayor, County Commissioners or Civil Service Board in your jurisdiction.

Research papers will be graded according to the following general guidelines:

· Content

· Conformity to appropriate APA formatting

· Appropriate sources

· Accuracy of documentation and formatting of sources

· Unity (maintaining a controlling idea or thesis and not digressing from it)

· Coherence (establishing a smooth and logical flow of thought)

· Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.

Research Paper Topic

Disclosing Officer Untruthfulness to the Defense: Is a Liar’s Squad Coming to Your Town?

Since 1963, a series of United States Supreme Court case decisions have clarified that, in criminal cases, prosecutors must disclose to the defense evidence favorable to the defendant. This includes information that may be used to impeach the credibility of government witnesses, including law enforcement officers. These decisions mean that police officers who have documented histories of lying in official matters are liabilities to their agencies, and these histories may render them unable to testify credibly.

With this in mind, you are the Chief of Police of a municipality. Your Deputy Chief of Police advises you that one of your officers was investigated for inappropriate use of one of the computers in the patrol division. As a result of this internal investigation, it was determined that the officer used this computer to search pornographic web sites. When confronted with this allegation, the officer denied any knowledge of this incident. Upon further investigation, the computer crimes analyst determined that the officer’s log on password was used to enter the unauthorized web sites. The officer then admitted to his wrongdoing and stated it would never happen again. This officer has been with your organization for 15 years, and the only other disciplinary action taken against him was for being involved in an at-fault traffic accident 10 years ago. As the Chief of Police, how would you handle this situation?

Would you terminate this 15-year veteran with a virtually clean record? Why?

Or would you impose significant disciplinary action as opposed to termination? Why?

As part of this research paper, read the following United States Supreme Court Cases:

· Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)

· Giglio v. United States, 405 U. S. 150 (1972)

· United States v. Agurs, 427 U. S. 97 (1976)

· Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U. S. 419 (1995)

· United States v. Bagley, 473 U. S. 667 (1985)

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Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Step 1: Understand the Assignment Context

• Carefully read the scenario about the officer’s misconduct.

• Note the key legal framework: Brady, Giglio, Agurs, Kyles, and Bagley cases regarding disclosure of evidence and officer credibility.

• Recognize that you will write in first person as the Chief of Police addressing a city official.

Step 2: Develop Your Thesis

• Decide your position: terminate the officer or impose significant disciplinary action.

• Your thesis should clearly state your decision and reasoning. Example: “Based on the officer’s 15-year record and the implications of the Supreme Court rulings, I recommend imposing significant disciplinary action while implementing monitoring protocols.”

Step 3: Research and Gather Sources

• Use 5–7 scholarly sources, including textbooks, law reviews, and the Bible.

• Focus on topics such as police misconduct, internal affairs policies, ethics, and legal precedent.

• Recommended resource links:

  • OJP Resource Center – Police Misconduct

  • Google Scholar for legal case analyses

  • APA Style Guide

Step 4: Outline Your Paper

• Introduction: Context of the case, purpose, and thesis.

• Background: Summarize the officer’s misconduct and disciplinary history.

• Legal Analysis: Discuss the Supreme Court cases and their implications.

• Decision Rationale: Explain why termination or disciplinary action is appropriate. Include ethical, operational, and public trust considerations.

• Policy Implications: Discuss how this decision affects the department and future cases.

• Conclusion: Reiterate your decision and summarize supporting arguments.

Step 5: Drafting

• Write in first person as the Chief of Police.

• Use clear, professional, and persuasive language.

• Support each point with citations from scholarly sources and the Bible where relevant.

Step 6: APA Formatting

• Title page (not numbered)

• 5–7 pages of content (excluding title and references)

• References page in alphabetical order

• In-text citations in APA format

Step 7: Review and Edit

• Check for grammar, clarity, and flow.

• Ensure your thesis is consistent throughout the paper.

• Verify that all sources are correctly cited.

Step 8: Submit

• Upload your paper to the LMS before the deadline.

• Use Turnitin to check for originality.

Extra Tip: Keep the paper professional and persuasive; you are making a case to city officials. Use the legal cases to strengthen your arguments.

Additional Resources for Research:

• National Criminal Justice Reference Service

• Police Misconduct Case Studies

• APA Citation and Formatting Help