Full Description
This book delves into a multitude of practices that, although deemed "lawful" by courts, are undeniably "awful" and unethical. From police officers employing deceit to extract confessions or consent to search, to prosecutors manipulating innocent individuals to relinquish their rights and plead guilty, to excessive force by law enforcement, these practices erode public trust in the criminal legal system and deny justice to those affected.
With a critical examination of these deeply flawed tactics, this volume goes beneath the surface to explore their profound impact on the ethical standards and emotional health of justice system practitioners. It forcefully argues for a reclaiming of The Social Contract and for peace officers and prosecutors to unequivocally reject these unethical methods and recognize the urgent need for a criminal justice system that truly embodies ethics and fairness.
This work equips police officers, prosecutors, judges, and legislators with invaluable research, enabling them to actively advocate for a transformed system that ethically serves justice for all in the post-George Floyd era.
Contents
Part 1. Setting the Stage.- Introduction.- The United States Constitution and the Social Contract.- Part 2. Police, Misconduct, and Supreme Court Complicity.- Moral Injury, Compound Officer Trauma, and Officer Mental Health.- Court-approved Police Deception in Obtaining Consent to Search.- Court-approved Police Deception in Interrogations.- Fourth Amendment Erosion and Novel Crime-Fighting Technologies.- Police Discriminatory Enforcement and Excessive Force.- Part 3. Prosecutor Misconduct and Supreme Court Complicity.- Prosecutors' Obligations for Post-Conviction Integrity & Due Process Review.- Plea Bargaining: Ascendancy and Improper Prosecutorial Leverage and Deceit.- The Way Forward: A Conclusion and Call to Action.- References.- Appellate Cases Cited.- Index.
