Two men in Philadelphia are still on the run after driving a stolen SUV into a family selling fruit for their church, killing three young children.

 

The AP reports that the men carjacked a women at gunpoint and forced her into the back seat of her Toyota 4Runner. They spun out of control only a mile away, crashing into a family selling fruit at a stand on a street corner.

 

Philadelphia Homicide Captain John Clark confirmed that the slain children were 7, 10, and 15 years old. Police commissioner Charles Ramsey issued a statement, saying:

 

"There are no words to describe how I feel right now, but we do need to find these two guys."

 

Fox reports that the 34-year-old mother of the children is in critical condition, as is the 45-year-old carjacking victim.

 

As police continue their search, over $100,000 in rewards are being offered for the capture of the two men. 

 

 As the prosecutor:  Prosecutor- Who is the “ideal” juror to help you solidify your case against the defendants? Why? Who do you try to avoid having on your jury? Why?

 

Your opening statement would be what: Prosecutor- Your responsibility is to provide evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the 2 defendants are guilty of murder.

 

 

Witness testimony:

 

Prosecutor- What questions would you ask the witnesses? Why (rationale for the question)?   What questions would you ask during cross examination? 

 

Closing arguments:  Prosecutor closing arguments would be what?

Prosecutor

 

Course project:

The student will also conduct one well thought out power point presentation. The student will need to present arguments during a criminal trial from the position of the prosecution or defense: Each student will need to provide items in bold-see below. Students who have a last name that begins with the letters A-L will present arguments from the prosecution perspective. Students who have the last name that begins with the letters M-Z will present arguments from the defense perspective. The following is the case for this project.

 

Case to be reviewed:

 

Two men in Philadelphia are still on the run after driving a stolen SUV into a family selling fruit for their church, killing three young children.

 

The AP reports that the men carjacked a women at gunpoint and forced her into the back seat of her Toyota 4Runner. They spun out of control only a mile away, crashing into a family selling fruit at a stand on a street corner.

 

Philadelphia Homicide Captain John Clark confirmed that the slain children were 7, 10, and 15 years old. Police commissioner Charles Ramsey issued a statement, saying:

 

"There are no words to describe how I feel right now, but we do need to find these two guys."

 

Fox reports that the 34-year-old mother of the children is in critical condition, as is the 45-year-old carjacking victim.

 

As police continue their search, over $100,000 in rewards are being offered for the capture of the two men.

 

■A criminal trial has several phases:

■Jury selection - A pool of potential jurors is gathered, and asked a number of    questions. The prosecution and defense each can choose to exclude a certain number of people from the jury.

·         Prosecutor- Who is the “ideal” juror to help you solidify your case against the defendants? Why?

o   Who do you try to avoid having on your jury? Why?

·         Defense- Who is the “ideal” juror to help your client “beat the charges?” Why?

 

■Opening statements - Each side presents an overview of the case, from their perspective. The prosecution goes first, followed by the defense.

·         Prosecutor- Your responsibility is to provide evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that the 2 defendants are guilty of murder.

·         Defense- Your responsibility is to provide evidence your clients are not guilty of murder.

 

■Witness testimony - Each side can call witnesses and ask them questions about the case and/or the defendant. First, the prosecution calls their witnesses, who can then be cross examined by the defense. Then, the defense calls their witnesses, who can be cross examined by the prosecution.

·         Prosecutor- What questions would you ask the witnesses? Why (rationale for the question)?

·         Defense- Would you call any witnesses?  If so, who and why?

o   Do you allow your clients to testify on their behalf? Why, why not?  If so, what questions would you ask them?

·         Both- What questions would you ask during cross examination?

 

■Closing arguments - The prosecution, and then the defense, make a brief statement summarizing their side of the case.

·         Prosecutor- Closing argument.

·         Defense- Closing argument.

 

■Jury Instruction - The judge addresses the jurors, explaining to them the crime the defendant was charged with, and the legal standard they must apply when deciding whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty of committing that crime.

 

■Verdict - The jury weighs the evidence presented, applies the proper legal standard, and decides whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.

 

The power point needs to be at least 10 slides. Be creative, but be sure to answer all of the questions thoroughly.