In the final assignment for this class, you will select one of the following three Maryland appellate court opinions in which the defendants were tried and convicted of arson and prepare a six to ten page paper addressing the sections set forth below. The cases are also available under Course Content.

Fischer v. State of Maryland, 117 Md. App. 493 (1997)

http://law.justia.com/cases/maryland/court-of-special-appeals/1997/113s97.html

Pryor v. State of Maryland, 195 Md. App 311 (2010)

http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/cosa/2010/118s09.pdf

 William Simpson v. State of Maryland, 214 Md. App. 336 (2013)

http://mdcourts.gov/opinions/cosa/2013/2833s11.pdf

This assignment will introduce you to the concept of case briefing and will also have you explain additional items of concern that will help you build an understanding of the case and the criminal prosecution. In completing the assessment, use information from the text, supplemental readings, videos, classroom conferences/discussions, and external sources, including electronic and print sources. In doing so, however, be sure to appropriately cite any language, opinion and/or analysis taken from other sources.

Use either American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines or Bluebook citation format.

Please be cognizant that, when using sources not normally considered scholarly, e.g., videos, television programs, and newspaper and magazine articles you will be held responsible for determining their scholarly value. If you are in doubt, contact me.

The required sections of the paper are as follows:

I. Elements of the crime. Identify and discuss the elements of the crime, as the prosecution proved them.

II. Defenses claimed by the defense. Identify and discuss any defenses claimed by the defendant.

III. Constitutional protection issues. Identify and discuss any constitutional protection issues (e.g., Miranda warnings, search and seizure).

IV. Case brief. Use the required formula:

1. Title and citation

2. Facts of the case

3. Issues

4. Holding (the final decision)

5. Reasoning (how the court arrived at this holding)

6. Analysis (how the facts of the case meet the legal criteria for prosecution)

V. Your judgment. If you were the judge or a juror in this case, would you have agreed with the outcome? If yes, explain why; if no, explain why.

Format Requirements

• Paper should be between six and ten pages (1,500 to 2,500 words)
• Double space
• 12 pt. font
• 1" margins
• Use APA citations for all sources
• Include APA reference page (not included in word count)