Assignment 1: LASA 2: Case Felony Packet—File Preparation and Trial Preparation

This assignment will help you explore the history of discovery laws in your state and how the discovery laws might have changed for the better or worse today. It is coupled with learning how to prepare a case to be turned over to the district attorney’s (DA) office and prep a case for trial.

You are a deputy assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Roan County Sheriff’s Office. You assisted in the Jenkins murder investigation and the Marshall attempted-murder investigation. You are in charge of preparing the case file (discovery) to be turned over to the DA’s office. You are also in charge of working with the DA to prep the case for trial. Below is a list of tasks to complete to prep this case file to turn over to the DA’s office. The last three points in the list help prep the case for trial.

Click here to download the learning resources folder.

Complete the following tasks:

• Research the discovery laws in your state. What is discoverable in a criminal felony case? For example, under North Carolina General Statute Section 15A-501, all materials, including photos, notes, phone messages, etc., must be turned over to the state for prosecution of each felony case. Each state is different.

In a 1- to 2-page APA-formatted paper:

• Part I: Compare and contrast any changes your state has made to the discovery laws within the past twenty-five years.
• Part II: Compare and contrast your state’s discovery law to North Carolina General Statute Section 15A-501.

• To prep the case to turn over to the state, read the District 5 Discovery Policy, which applies to the Jenkins murder case file and the attempted-murder case file of Marshall (two different cases; the same crime scene).
• To prepare the case to turn over to the state, Bates stamp, using the District 5 Discovery Policy numbering system outlined in #2 of the policy, all the documents in the case file (i.e., witness statements, evidence log, sketch, and lab report). If you do not have a Bates stamp, please follow the instructions in the District 5 Discovery Policy for inserting numbers in documents in #3 of the policy.
• To prepare the case to turn over to the state, use the Case Summary instructions and template provided in the learning resources folder and complete a Case Summary Form for this case with only the relevant facts to this case. Not every instruction will be used to complete this form.
• To prepare the case to turn over to the state, complete the Law Enforcement Officer Certification Form template provided in the learning resources folder, leaving the Assistant District Attorney Section blank.
• In preparation for trial, use the Spreadsheet template provided in the learning resources folder and use the first spreadsheet tab labeled Witness List to complete the items listed for all witnesses—civilians and law enforcement in this case.
• In preparation for trial, use the Spreadsheet template provided in the learning resources folder and use the second spreadsheet tab labeled List of Involvement to complete the items listed for all witnesses—civilians and law enforcement in this case.
• In preparation for trial, use the Spreadsheet template provided in the learning resources folder and use the third spreadsheet tab labeled Evidence List to complete the items listed for all witnesses—civilians and law enforcement in this case.

Recommendation: Keep this assignment in a safe place as you build a portfolio of your work to show future employers what you can do!

Submission Details:

• Save the final spreadsheet as M5_A1_Lastname_Firstname.xls.
• By Saturday, August 16, 2014, submit your final spreadsheet to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.

LASA 2 Grading Criteria and Rubric

This assignment is worth 300 points. Download this rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.

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Assignment 2: The Art of Investigation—Putting It All Together

We have come a long way through this course. Since this is the end of the course, on the basis of what you have learned, we will discuss the art of investigation and look at how the ability of an officer affects the finality of a case.

By Sunday, August 17, 2014, in at least 250 words, post to the Discussion Area answers to the following questions:

• What are the things to be kept in mind before the start of any investigation? Should the investigator do some sort of self preparation before the start of an investigation?
• What are the most vital aspects of most criminal investigations?
• What extra or specialized facets are present in other specialized investigations?
• How can the ability of and approach by a detective affect the outcome of an investigation?
• What are the most important types of physical evidence that may identify a suspect?
• Now, with your new knowledge of criminal investigation, how has your perception of investigative techniques changed?

By Wednesday, August 20, 2014, respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by commenting on their examples and explanations.

Discussion Grading Criteria and Rubric

All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 40 points. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.