Supreme Court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supreme Court - Essay Example Upon the state's appeal, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals adhered to the suppression ruling in a decision of two-to-one. The issue in this project deals with witnesses to a crime identifying a suspect prior to in-person identifications. One teller had seen the defendant's arrest on television the night before a photo lineup was scheduled. Another teller had seen the defendants' photo in a newspaper story covering his arrest. And yet another teller was shown a lone picture of the defendant instead of a photo array. A police lineup was never completed. This presents a case of power of suggestion. In the case of Simmons v US (1968), the US Supreme Court saw the problem of declining accuracy of identification after witnesses had viewed pictures of suspects. The court ruled that seeing a picture may have a detrimental effect on identification accuracy because"the witness is apt to retain in his memory the image of the photograph rather than of the person actually seen" (quoted in Brown, Deffenbachher, & Sturgill, 1977, p. 312) Eyewitness testimony can be an important tool in the field of justice. However, it can also convict innocent people. In 1991, the percentage was estimated to be at 45% (Loftus & Ketcham, 1991). According to more recent studies, some experts say we are closer to 1% today. This is undoubtedly attributed to the introduction of DNA and the modern technologies now available to forensic scientists. The profiling of DNA was introduced in 1984 by Alec Jeffreys, a renowned geneticist at the University of Leicester, England. Jeffreys' genetic fingerprinting was used to convict a murderer in England in 1988. Today, a DNA sample is one of the most dependable techniques used to apprehend a suspect in a criminal case. Psychology in law states that the use of eyewitness testimony alone is the cause of convicting innocent people. Psychologically, body language and innocent remarks made by officials showing photos and conducting lineups can send unintended subliminal messages to the witness. The witness' level of confidence can be inspired by a perception that the police must be right, because this is what they're suggesting to be true. This can distort a person's memory. A 1997 study led by the National Science Foundation proved that a distorted memory can now fail to know recollect accurately. Studies have also revealed that when the victim is the witness, he has an aggressive desire to nab a perpetrator. In this scenario, they are extremely sensitive to any signals they receive from authorities. If the police have a person in mind, they can unknowingly convey that message to the victim (Loftus, 1998). This suggestibility is the normal tendency of people to agree with what they perceive to be what the authority figure wants to hear (Sadava & McCreary, 1997). Showing a lone photo to a witness sends the subliminal message that 'we believe this is the guy.' Showing a photo array can send the same signal..'one of these people is the one.' Witnesses can sometimes make rash decisions so as to get the whole process over with. For all these reasons, most law enforcement officials would contend that the identifications of the three tellers should be suppressed in court. With all its faults, eyewitness testimony can still be a strong tool. Each individual can see the same event differently (William, 1999). To

Fundamentals of Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations Essay

Fundamentals of Strategic Planning in Complex Organizations - Essay Example To realize the desired outcome that accounts for the interests of all stakeholders in the health sector, strategic trends in the health care environment are highly characterized by operational changes. One of the strategic trends observed in the health care environment is the persistent bid to make healthcare services more affordable, and subsequently enhance universal coverage. This trend is consistent with the social, economic, and political goal of improving the social welfare of the disadvantaged population. Another strategic trend relates to increased number of public and private health care operators. The motive is to implement strategic plans that make it possible for health care organizations to take their services closer to the people. Over and above this, government regulation of health care organizations, health care financiers, and all other relevant parties involved constitute a critical strategic trend in health care markets (Harrison, 2010). This move is valid in the s ense that the end-user or the consumer remains protected from exploitation as the health care sector grows and expands. While health care organizations have been quick to identify emerging opportunities in the health sector, most of them do not utilize their full potential. ... Final Project Proposal: Strategic Plan for a Residential and Day Treatment Facility for Individuals with Mental Illness and/or Mental Retardation Background The growth and development of healthcare facilities has been enormous over the years, and societies across the globe has benefited from this trend. Health complications also keep changing, making it necessary for health care operators to keep at par with changes in the health care environment. Providers of healthcare services have responded swiftly to health care market trends for both existing and emerging health issues. In general, stakeholders in the health sector are collaborating in formulating and implementing strategies that are designed to improve the health welfare of the society. Amid the vibrant activities, plans, and strategies that have rocked the health sector, it has become necessary to address specific health issues in a certain way as opposed to another. In other words, it is essential to narrow down major health issues and/or complications, and ultimately address them as a singled out aspect of the larger health care environment (Levin, Petrila & Hennessy, 2004). Doing so provides a better ground for dealing with specific health issues intensively, as opposed to addressing diverse and dynamic health complications all at the same time. In this respect, the ultimate focus in this project is directed towards a residential and day treatment facility for individuals with mental illness and/or mental retardation. Although majority health care facilities have mental illness and/or mental retardation departments, not all facilities cater for all-round needs of the patients. On the same note, there are health care facilities that are primarily set up for persons with mental illnesses and/or mental