Week 4 Discussion
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week based on the course competencies covered. For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned. Provide a detailed response to the topic questions in the Discussion Area. For this assignment, post your responses directly to the Discussion Area; do not attach any documents.
To support your work, make sure you use your course and text readings. When asked, also use outside sources. As in all assignments, cite the sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week
Judicial Conduct
In this assignment, you will research about different aspects of judicial abuse of power.
Using the South University Online Library, research the following:
- Judicial misconduct
- Judicial ethics
- Conflict of interest
- Recusal
Based on your research and these four elements, discuss the following scenario and give reasons for your answers.
Scenario
An angry state judge held state attorneys in contempt for failing to follow a court order and deliver critical documents to defendant Anne Marie Johnson’s attorneys. Judge Joe Wilson yelled in open court, “That was an official court order; is everyone at the state attorneys office just out to lunch or simply dumb? I don’t issue these court orders just to hear myself talk!” It is unusual, but not unheard of, for a judge to hold prosecutors in contempt, but Judge Wilson entered a contempt charge for the prosecutors assigned to this case and ordered each to spend forty-eight hours in jail with a $500 fine. Judge Wilson and Anne Marie Johnson were later seen having late night coffee at a local coffee shop by an intern who works in the prosecutor’s office. On the basis of the above scenario, answer the following:
- Discuss the effects of judicial abuse of power and misconduct, as well as any remedies.
- Present an argument both for and against Judge Wilson for judicial disqualification or recusal from the case.
- Discuss whether there is any harm in Judge Wilson having coffee with Anne Marie Johnson.
- Discuss whether there is concern for the tone and language Judge Wilson used when speaking to state attorneys.
