Juvenile Interrogation - Admissibility of a Juvenile Confession Essay

Juvenile Interrogation - Admissibility of a Juvenile Confession - Essay Example Hence, prompt the police investigators holding this false confession as an absolute truth and valid meant for presentation in the court. However, the court has set guidelines, which all the involved parties during juvenile’s interrogation ought to observe. Similar to other offenders, juvenile once they break the law ought to undergo the same procedure but treated differently while in custody. This is especially during the interrogation where there ought to be an attorney or a parent (Sherman, 2011). Since, this is the vital process whereby due to the child’s age and state of mind, certain parties may end up doubting the information’s validity presented in court as an evidence or confession. Therefore, the court cites that the only admissible confession is from a juvenile who is above 14 years and not below that age (Maynard & Sumner, LLC, 2012). Since the court presumes one at that age he or she can make informed decisions while aided by either an attorney or a parent. This is to ensure the police investigators do not result by other means meant to compel the child against his or her wish into confessing (Sherman, 2011). However, the wish to have either a parent or an adult assistance always depends on the child whereby t he involved parties ought to respect the offender’s waiver rights (Sherman, 2011). If this is the case, then confessions via the appropriate procedure are admissible in court. Nevertheless, police investigators ought to attest beyond doubt that the confession was made in the absence of coercion, which is via using visual aids like videos (Sherman, 2011). In addition, despite the police investigators employing the right procedure meant to attain the child’s confession, still, face numerous challenges. For instance, the child may end up giving false confessions (Leo & Liu, n.d). This is due to either the parent or an attorney’s insistence advising the juvenile to tell the â€Å"truth† whereby their inclination is on one side, which is admitting the offence.  

Marijuanna as a Gateway Drug Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marijuanna as a Gateway Drug - Research Paper Example In a report presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse concludes that any person smoking marijuana is 104 times more likely to use cocaine as compared to any other person that has never tried marijuana. In fact, one commonly come across stories about drug addicts who start their stories with marijuana and then end up trying every drug known to humankind (Iversen, 2001). There are no doubts in the fact that there is strong correlation between the use of marijuana and use of other drugs; however, this correlation does not represent causation. In other words, the statement that use of marijuana leads to other drugs is incorrect because scientists and researchers of â€Å"National Institute of Medical Marijuana discarded this idea as far back in 1999† (Earleywine, 2002). The researchers concluded that the patterns of drug use amongst the lifetime of people share striking similarities and use the marijuana precedes the use of many other drugs but that is primarily because of the fact marijuana is the most widely available illicit drug. In fact, these patterns also indicate that even before using marijuana these people use nicotine and alcohol usually long before they of the legal age to do the same (Hanson, Venturelli & Fleckenstein, 2011). In that way, alcohol and nicotine would have to be labeled as gateway drugs but the same is not true because these drugs or their effects have failed to show elements or tendencies of attracting people to other drugs (Kleiman, Caulkins & Hawken, 2011). Every year the federal government conducts two huge surveys in order to explore the changing trends of drug use in the population. Over the past decade, year after year, the number of people who tried marijuana has been greater than that of people who have tried cocaine and heroin. In the year 2009, over 2.3 million tried marijuana and the same number of heroin and cocaine remained at 0.18 and 0.6 million respectively. If marijuana was such a strong gateway drug then this should have increased the number of cocaine and heroin consumers as well (Kleiman, Caulkins & Hawken, 2011). One possible explanation of marijuana leading to other drugs could be understood by the example of music. A person who likes music, or listens to a genre of music for the first time and likes it, is likely to look for new bands and singers in that genre. This is because people have the general tendency to look for change and new ways to impress themselves. Sticking to one song, band, or genre is most likely to feel boring within a short time. The same is true for marijuana. When marijuana starts appealing to certain people, they like to diversify their taste and look for new drugs, which could give them the same or even better feeling (Hanson, Venturelli & Fleckenstein, 2011). Another reason behind the correlation of marijuana and other drugs relates to the supply chain of these drugs. You can only find a heroin dealer if you have an expert consumer of weed. Heroin and c ocaine dealers face greater penalties and their limited supply makes it hard for the suppliers of these hard drugs to trust customers easily.

Written submission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Written submission - Essay Example The rest of the tenants (15%) are single. There is some ethnic diversity in the estate. The current turnover is at 18%, however, re-letting is a major challenge especially in the case of smaller properties due to the estate’s poor reputation. There is also the problem of a high percentage of the tenants having rent arrears. Most of the customers are in the Housing Benefit scheme and this is one of the major reasons why so many of them have rent arrears. Currently the tenants do not have their own Tenants Association. The level of sense of community is very low, but a few of the residents are eager to change this. There is also very limited customer engagement with Southway and other agencies. Some of the issues and problems facing the estate include a high crime rate which is one of the reasons why the estates has such a high turn over rate and a low re-letting rate. Some of the most common crimes committed in Lowfeaf include burglary and drug dealing. The estate’s physical appearance is also very shabby with poorly maintained gardens and litter scattered everywhere. There is also a lot of graffiti on the walls which makes the place look unfriendly. Lowfeaf estate has an annual community budget of  £10,000 which is currently not being used. The regular staff available includes a community officer and income management officer. There is also the Customer Involvement Team and Your Neighborhood Team Manager who provide support services. There are plans to begin a home improvement programme which is set to take off within six months. There is also an environmental programme which is planned to start in the next nine months. The major issue in this estate is its reputation. Therefore the best plan is one that will help create a good name for Lowfeaf. I have developed a three year plan that will see Lowleaf turn from a shabby-looking, crime-laden estate to one of the most enviable residential areas. The plan

Summary on Review of Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary on Review of Literature - Essay Example Even with their limited resources, they do not only produce more jobs but are also more innovative than large firms. Chia (2009) undoubtedly reckoned that Singapore’s SMEs play an important role in the country as they are a critical pillar to Singapores economy, employing 60 per cent of the workforce. There are about 160,000 SMEs, hiring 1.7 million workers and contributing 40% non-oil foreign exchange to Singapore’s GDP (MTI 2009; Shin and Soh 2009). The major problems Singapore SMEs face as a result of the recession include loss of revenues that happens because their sales volumes have drastically been reduced as they could not export many of their products to overseas; insufficient capital to fund some of their operations due to the restrain on lending from banks and other lending institutions as the financial crisis bit harder; a drop in production as industries attempt to cut cost by firing some of their workers (OECD & APEC 2008, pp.103-104). Barton (2009) found out that Asian sub-continent might have found itself in this recession mess because of its over-dependence on Western economy, coming from the crisis spearheaded by the sudden demise of Lehman Brothers and other giants Western financial powerhouses. This condition, according to Holland et al (2009) has caused contraction or shrinking of Asian economies. Even as a leader in private banking, Schuman and Chowdhury (2009) found out that all past efforts have meant little in the face of the current downturn. It is as a result of this that Singapore Government realized that prompt actions must be taken in order to salvage its SMEs while maintaining overall economy growth in the country (Chia 2009; Asia Monitor, 2009). While the recent global recession is receding (Economic Survey of Singapore Second Quarter 2009, 2009), declining GDP, competitiveness, new world order, soaring unemployment rate and long-term job losses are always the most politicized and demoralizing fa ctor which

First impressions Essay Example for Free

First impressions Essay In my opinion it is your first impression of something that ultimately gives you the perfect vantage point in which to accurately assume the true nature of something. Your notion of this something is then unaffected or swayed by any outside sources or by second guessing yourself. Upon first experiencing this first time offered course, I immediately felt right at home concerning the direction in which the course was headed and also with the enthusiasm and involvement of the professor. The first class began as any other, anxiously awaiting an unknown professor and the educational information he bears. With a proverbial collective sigh of relief, the class was greeted with a pleasant professor offering a most interesting lesson plan on the writing in the discipline of psychology. After welcomed introductions class was underway and a new appreciation for my major was attained. Our first homework assignment required us to read and analyze an article entitled â€Å"Making Science Understandable to a Broad Audience† by Richard Reis. The article portrays the notion that we as those in search of educational advancement must accommodate the manner in which we write for individuals many whom are otherwise unaware. This piece I believe sets the tone for this course in its entirety and my perceptions as to what is seeks to achieve, in that to truly know and understand an idea or concept one must have the ability to correctly perceive and present information of the utmost importance to the vast majority. Throughout my college career I have strived to put forth my best effort and achieve a great standing in all my courses. I plan on not doing any different here, so upon perusing the course syllabus I noticed many assignments wherein groups were involved. In my past experience, sadly I have had many instances in which fellow group members became ‘clingers’ to my dedicated work whilst I labored on it. Assignments listed as anything prefaced by the dreaded utterance â€Å"Group,† made me question my position here. Despite my reservations I believe that those fellow students in my class are just as dedicated as I and wish to succeed just as much. Without further explanation of the group work involved, much of it looks fairly familiar to projects that I have done in past classes both in college and high school concerning poster presentations and literature reviews. My worries, other than those aforementioned, lie in the â€Å"Individual Components† of the course description and what they might entail. At least for me, when work pertaining to that of doling out constructive criticism is required I simply feel inadequate in telling others how to go about their work. Other than that one hiccup, the rest of the work to be done individually seems common or at least manageable. In the past I have kept a record or journal of daily events of significance, in that I can see doing well in keeping a research journal. Being accustomed to modern times and technology use should help serve me in using the â€Å"Learning E-Portfolios,† and submitting assignments online. My major is in psychology and therefore have read extensively on the subject as well as taken previous writing courses, all of which will hopefully aid me in doing well this semester. I feel as though this course will play towards my strengths and will be successful overall. Although, I do not expect to go without surprises, I trust this course to challenge my writing ability as well as my grasp on psychology ASSIGNMENT REFLECTION FORM 1. How would you describe your experience in working on this assignment (Was it difficult to begin? Did the ideas come easily or with difficulty? What obstacles did you face in the process of writing? How long did it take you?)? A: As with any paper, I found it slightly difficult to begin because I enjoy taking the time to organize my thoughts into a cohesive and coherent piece. In the writing process I found it difficult to completely fulfill the requirements in that the book contained in the courses required reading section had been backordered and in an attempt to continue, I had purchased a copy on Amazon.com and am sadly still awaiting its arrival. From beginning to end this essay took me around two hours to complete in its entirety. 2. What do you see as the strengths of this paper? A: I believe the strengths of this paper to be my honesty involving the course. It may or may not help with improvements and or changes in future assignments and course direction. 3. What do you see as areas for improvement in the paper? A: Not to sound clichà © but I believe that all papers still require improvement. No matter how many edits or drafts it takes there will always be one idea or point that may have been over expressed or a central one that had been simply left out completely. I may need to improve upon my ordering or overall flow of my paper to achieve a better read. 4. What did you learn (about yourself, the subject, writing, or reading) from doing this assignment? A: While writing this piece I learned that I truly enjoy expressing myself through writing. Although I consider myself to have a limited vocabulary I find nothing more exciting than to surprise someone with my work.

On Identity, Amin Maalouf

On Identity, Amin Maalouf To Be and Not To Be. In this book, Amin Maalouf, discusses one of the most vital notions of the self; identity, in an analysis of historical and contemporary contexts aiming to reveal the misconceptions and abuses of this mode of recognition. Whether national, religious, ethnical or other, identity has been the prominent element and more than often the instigator of serious upheavals in the world. He examines how we have come to define ourselves and how certain modes of identification can be dangerous. Every time identity is determined on the basis of a single form of affiliation, danger arises, since this often leads to fanaticism, whose various shades appeared throughout history and continues to exist in time. He attributes this to an ill understanding of identity and an unnecessary paranoid attempt of its preservation. The two main themes of this work, religion and globalization, are corollary treated. The author provides a clarification of how these two affect and form one another. He addresses the matter of religion, by trying to deduce how it came to emerge as the focal proponent of identity in present times via a chain of questions, attempting to understand its significant universal reemergence. He proposes some answers, attributing this phenomenon to the descent of Communism and Marxism, for instance, and how this is a reaction to their emphasis on secularism. The author opposes the primacy of any kind of religious affiliation and calls upon a new element of association. He advocates the separation of church and identity, and affirms that this type of identifying affiliation ought to be replaced with a more humanistic one. He does not take a stance against religion per se, for he personally, as he explains, does not oppose religious affiliations and recognizes the perpetual significance of their nature. But as mentioned earlier he condemns the distraught tendency of shrinking identity down to one form of association. This regression of identity generates what he calls killer identities. I believe there exists another, similar form of regression, which he did not mention, one which I would call guilt identities .This is common among members of historically or currently exploited groups, who have developed a tendency to abuse such associations. Some Palestinians still do apply and obtain scholarships that were only assigned to their nationals at various higher educational institutions, for instance, when in fact they can afford to pay for the whole student body. Another example of this would be the Jews redundant reference to the Holocaust. This abuse and manipulation of history, I find to be highly despicable and disrespectful, for the only Jews that have all the right to refer to it I think are the ones who survived it. Similarly some African Americans use slavery or racism to justify their personal failure, which is absurd for while racial discrimination can definitely be the case in some instances, major inequalities that exist and persist are because of class and lack of opportunity. Then the author turns to the issue of globalization, describing the power of its disseminating nature. In this discussion, he explains that the reason for the reemergence of religion lies in its power to gratify two of the most basic human yearnings, the need of belonging and that of spirituality. At the same time, he argues that because of this religion is being ascribed as the antidote to globalization. The author presents a very sound analysis of religions ascent. However, his condemnation of the primacy of its affiliations appears simply irrational, for religion, like everything else, has its extremities, varying from fanaticism to apathy. It is these that tarnish its name, and it is these that should be condemned. Although I do acknowledge Maaloufs position and his attempt to reach a much more profound and comprehensive link of association, such as humanity, I still do find it rather idealistic, almost utopian. For even though it is the only common trait across the globe, humanity has seldom succeeded in uniting nations history is a vigilant witness of that. In spite of its significance, people have never treated humanity with high regards. I cannot conceive of a reason that would inspire them to acknowledge it now. I do agree that this human notion Maalouf proposes would be an ultimate global bliss, yet I do not think that the world is ready for it, given the state of chaos it is in now due to political systems, materialistic notions or simply apathy. This is precisely why I think that religion, when taken for what it really is, as opposed to a set of dogmatic customized interpretations, would serve as an absolute unifier, which ever religion it might well be I am no fanatic myself to state that my faith is the true one. We do not have to all ascribe to the same one (while that would be ideal, I am seeking to be reasonable). I know what faith is able to do to ones perception of life, and I do not think seeing the world through ones religion of choice turns a person into an extremist. Religion, when taken for what it really is, is the b elief in being a part or pertaining to something bigger than ones self, a system of tolerance and preservation of the most basic rights and dignity. It can only gratify the human in you and not the opposite. We are all in need of that kind of touch to our souls, otherwise our lives would be like frameless pictures, dull and fragile. In addressing the tangible battle between identity and globalization, the book demonstrates how this clash has constantly been disregarded as a normal reaction to change and hence not in fact been taken seriously. It advocates that we as individuals ought to take this with real concern, since we are to the most part, subconsciously engaged in it. Knowing who we are and where we stand is something we have come to take as evident, a conception that is shaken often times when an incident occurs, significantly altering things and putting us on sides we did not know existed. It is this very specific state of consciousness that this essay is aiming to stir. The author explains that ones heritage can be divided into two types, vertical and horizontal, and affirms that our horizontal heritages have more affect on us than we realize. That is to say, when considered objectively, one actually has more commonalities with his contemporaries than with his ancestors. This point is worth contemplati ng deeply, I believe, since we do, by convention or denial, tend to primarily, if not exclusively, identify ourselves by our vertical heritages. This notion of heritage incorporates the true essence of identity for people tend to often times presume that identity is something fixed that you get at birth and anything past that would be treated as treason. In fact, it is the actual opposite of that: identity is a constant state of evolution. The vertical heritage is what is bestowed upon us at birth and then everything else one encounters in his life will build up ones horizontal heritage. These levels should be recognized and understood so one could have a solid and healthy perception of himself for as Maalouf stated; it is necessary at this point in time to draw attention to the gulf that exists between what we are and what we think we are (Maalouf p.86) In their judgment of globalization, people should not forget that like any other medium, it is inherently neutral and holds the potentiality of both good and bad in it. Any medium is in a state of neutrality until used, and hence any condemnations of globalization would not only be groundless but ridiculous as well. The author attempts to demonstrate the potential good that globalization can bring; he believes that such a phenomenon can help create a universal identity. He explains this by asserting that the only primary feature of identity that should be grasped is humanity and that this is the only type of affiliation that would never shrivel the concept since it is what we all have in common, regardless of our differences. Hence, I believe, the paranoid notion that by accepting this undeniable bond, people will risk becoming less of the individuals that they are is absurd. This specific type of union is not exclusive in nature and therefore cannot possibly cause any sort of loss. This globaphobia, I believe, stems from basic human insecurities, for fear of the unknown instigates fear of the other, and fear of a universal identity is in reality a cling to existence. People will always try to distinguish themselves in order to prove their presence. When a group of different people meet, they usually identify themselves by nationalities , and when a group of the same nationalities meet, identification becomes on a regional basis and when those of the same region meet, it boils down to areas and neighborhoods. These sub-levels of identity go even deeper, since every individual is unique and will continue to defend that singularity whenever a presumed threat is perceived. Hence, although the human universal identity that Maalouf is advocating might seem to be too unrealistic a demand from the world at present, it seems to be the more objective approach to any chance of peace, for nothing is more certain and real than humanity in its true form. Everything else is in the realm of terms and actions where intentions and motives rule, giving the international arena a complex and slippery base. Humanity, on the other hand, is the only part of us that is irrefutable for one cannot merely pretend to be a human being! (One could argue that history has produced examples of certain exceptions to that, such as seemingly inhumane tyrants practicing brutal depravity on the human race, but these are of no significance to my argument). This human connection, that Maalouf advocates, I believe is indeed the deepest of connections, whose depth emanates from the fact that it shatters all trivial ties and is subtly effortless. It is an ability we all possess inherently by virtue of birth. And I believe that the reality of this was so adequately presented in this book. On Identity has undeniably enhanced my understanding of what identity really is, and has acquainted me with a couple of new theories as well, all while bringing into my consideration certain elements that I so plainly regarded as evident, I would definitely recommend it ,it was a pleasure to read.

Commentary: Fitt IV Essay example -- English Literature

Commentary: Fitt IV The extract from Fitt IV describes the first intended blow of the Green Knight against Gawain. Many lines at the beginning of the extract are dedicated to creating the image of the Green Knight picking up his weapon and preparing himself to deal the deadly blow to Gawain. Much of the focus is on the Green Knight’s physical strength, for example ‘With alle the bur in his body’ and ‘Hade hit dryven adoun as drey as he atled, / Ther hade bend ded of his dynt that doghty was ever’. Moreover, the description of the weapon also provides a formidable presence for Gawain, ‘Gederes up hys [the Green Knigh’s] grymme tole, Gawayn to smyte’. However, instead of landing the fatal blow on Gawain’s neck, as discussed in the contract of the game, Gawain flinches away from the axe. The Green Knight is outraged and tells Gawain ‘Such cowardise of that knight cowthe I never here’ as Gawain recoiled in fear before encountering any pain. The Green Knight sees Gawain moving away from the blow of the axe as compromising his reputation as a knight at the court of Camelot. Throughout the first three fitts of the story Gawain can be seen as the epitome of chivalry, a virtue essential to an Arthurian knight. His behaviour when first accepting the challenge of the Green Knight demonstrates the chivalric asset of selfless loyalty towards his King, but also shows his humble attitude by the language he uses ‘And lest lur of my lyf, quo laytes the sothe / Bot for as much as ye ar myn em, I am only prayse; / No bounte bot your blod I in my bode knowe’. These chivalric qualities are further stressed by the Gawain-poet when describing Gawain’s armouring scene. Gawain’s shield, featuring the pentangle, is an iconic i... ...rld seems more virtuous than himself at that moment. The extract from Fitt IV is an essential moment of the story of ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’. It encompasses part of the climax of the story, depicting that which Gawain has been working up to all year. The section also acts as a moment of tension within the final beheading scene as it is expected that Gawain will endure the blow and lose his head. However, the act of Gawain flinching away from the axe works as an anticlimax, a pattern which is repeated for the next two attempts of beheading. It is also surprising from the readers’ perspective that Gawain should recoil from the blow as up until this point he has been characterised as knightly, loyal and truthful. This moment in the story is an interesting change in pace and foresees the sudden twist in the plot at the end of the beheading scene.