Psychology over Public Policy

1. Psychology over Public Policy” Please respond to the following:

• Review the video titled “Choosing an Expert Witness” (7 min 10 s), located at http://www.policeone.com/training/videos/5956403-Choosing-an-Expert-Witness. Determine two (2) key factors that legal system professionals could use when selecting an expert witness. Next, discuss one (1) fundamental way that an expert can influence the legal system and analyze whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage to the legal system. Provide a rationale for your response. Per the text, the need for expert testimony is based on the belief that experts have specialized knowledge that helps jurors understand the particulars of the evidence being presented to them. Find one case (past or current) that utilized an expert witness and discuss how this expert assisted the jury and court process. Discuss the evidence that they were called to clarify and speak as an expert.

2. “Roles of a Forensic Psychologist”

• Review table 12.1 “Core Ethical Principles for Psychologists” in Chapter 12 of the text. Select one (1) of the listed principles and provide a hypothetical example of a case in which that principle would come into play. Analyze the manner in which a psychologist would act to defend the principle in that case. Provide a rationale for your response. Identify two (2) situations in which the various roles of a forensic psychologist could be in conflict with each other, and discuss a means to determine which role should be primarily adhered to in each situation. Provide a rationale for your response.

3. “Death Penalty” Please respond to the following:

• Read the article titled, “Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate” located at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/us/18deter.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. Next, take a stand for or against the death penalty and discuss the effectiveness of the death penalty in preventing murders.Identify and discuss one (1) major difference between State Tort Cases and Federal Section 1983.

4. “Electronic Surveillance”

• Read the article found on the New York Times titled, “Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts” found at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/politics/16program.html?pagewanted=all. Next, support your opinion for or against the use of electronic surveillance of U.S. citizens without court orders in cases of suspected terrorist activities.

Answer Prewview

One of the famous recent cases where the importance of an expert witness was shown is in the landmark case of U.S. v O’Keefe. The case involved e-discovery dispute. A former government employee was the accused. When the court ordered for search of electronic files so that relevant information would be found and this was done, the accused objected the process…

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