Unit I Case Study Security in High Profile Cases (Case Study Sample)

Unit I Case Study Security in High Profile Cases
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Unit I Case Study Security in High Profile Cases
Courts sometimes have to deal with notorious or high-risk cases. The media frenzy that usually accompanies these cases can pose a challenge in the provision of a fair trial, which is a constitutionally guaranteed right. There should be enhanced security measures in the courtroom to protect the privacy and safety of the parties involved, court staff, judge, jurors and witnesses. There should be a laid down strategy on the exit and entry from the courtroom to ensure the smooth running of trials. Limited sitting space should also be accounted for. The judge is also required to establish and enforce rules that would govern the case. The judge should insist on decorum and dignity in the courtroom and should also insist on behavior that is courteous amongst all members present in the courtroom. The judge should also establish guidelines that would govern the media within the hallways, courtrooms and areas around the court house. Gag orders can also be issued to prohibit the parties, witnesses, law enforcement and attorneys from discussing the matter with the media especially when a party is most likely to be prejudiced if such order was not to be incorporated or a fair trial would be administered. Potential jurors should also be shielded from the media by the judge. The privacy and safety of jurors in high-profile cases is of paramount importance. It is also necessary in some situations to isolate or sequester the jury to prevent the undue influence that may be fueled by the media and for their own safety (Berson, Fautsko & Swensen, 2012).
The jury in this case was not sequestered. Sequestration has not been in favor of many judges for a long time. The rationale behind this is that isolating the jurors leads to more problems as opposed to offering solutions to problems. For instance, it increases the possibility of juror drop out. Jurors that have family responsibilities are also not able to stomach a few nights separated from their families and end up leaving during the case because of circumstances that are rendered personal. Such kind of departures then increase the chances for a mistrial. The eagerness for jurors to return home when subjected to sequestration would compel them to make hast deliberations and thus increase the chances for an unfair trial. Judges sequester juries in the case of material that is inadmissible that is subject to discussion by the press. Threats of harassment from protesters, associates of the criminal and reporters can also warrant a sequestration. This has however been less frequent in high-profile cases since the O.J. Simpson trial of 1995, where the long sequestration of jurors was deemed to be counterproductive. This being a grand jury in this case, they do not require sequestration during the deliberations of the case but the proceedings are completely closed to the defense counsel and the public, and they are also secretive (Trumbull, 2014).
The judge in this case was Joseph Walsh III of the St. Louis Circuit. The County prosecutor was Robert McCulloch and the accused person herein was the police officer, Darren Wilson. The grand jury in this case was made up of 12 people that were selected randomly over a fair cross-section of citizens in accordance with Missouri law. It was 75% white; three white women and six white men, one black man and two black women. The St. Louis County is made up of 70% of white people but Ferguson, the St. Louis suburb has approximately two-thirds of black people. The defendant happened to be a witness in his own case and Dr.Michael Baden was also a witness. He had performed a private autopsy upon the deceased on his family’s behalf (Trumbull, 2014).
This case led to many security concerns because the victim was black and the police officer charged with the offence of causing his death is white. They have been a lot of debated in America with regards to the treatment of black people by the white police officers. Ferguson, being made up of more blacks and whites, stirred grievous security threats to peoples’ property and safety because of this case. Civil unrests and protests erupted and this attracted more protestors from other regions all over the state. National debates on African Americans and law enforcement and the use of the police force in Missouri and the nation as a whole also erupted. There was violent...