Does The Punishment Fit The Crime?
Read over the different case studies below.
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Write down the Case Study letter.
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Write down wether or not you agree with the punishment given.
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Give at least 1 detailed reason for your answer.
Challenge
Question
If you do not agree with the verdict, what do you think they should receive as punishment instead?
REMEMBER to explain why.
Case Study A
NAME: Lance Armstrong
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AGE: 40
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CRIME: Using sprt enhancing drugs to win 7 Tour de France titles and a World Championship.
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VERDICT: Found guilty of using sports enhancing drugs.
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PUNISHMENT:Tour de France titles stripped from him, medals taken away and a life time ban from sport. Relay team amts also had their medals stripped from them, despite none of them testing positive for using sports enhancing drugs as well
Case Study B
NAME: Oscar Pistorius
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AGE: 30
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CRIME: Fired 4 shots that killed his girlfriend in the bathroom of their home as he thought there was an intruder in their house.
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VERDICT: Murder
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PUNISHMENT: 15 years in prison Eligible for release on parole after 3 years with an electronic tag.
Case Study C
NAME: Nat Fraser
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AGE: 54
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CRIME: Hiring someone to kill his wife and dispose of her body. To this day there is still no trace of her.
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VERDICT: Conspiring to murder Mrs. Fraser, murdering her, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
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PUNISHMENT: Life in prison with a minimum of 25 years.
Case Study D
NAME: Chris Brown
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AGE: 20
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CRIME: Beating up his then girlfriend, singer Rihanna until she lost passed out and verbally threatening to kill her.
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VERDICT: Found guilty of domestic violent and felony battery.
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PUNISHMENT: 5 years on probation, to serve 180 days of community service and attend domestic violence counselling.
Case Study E
NAME: Robert Thompson and Jon Venables
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AGE: 10 and 10
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CRIME: Abducting, torturing and killing a 2-year old boy.
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VERDICT: Convicted with murder.
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PUNISHMENT: Serve a minimum of 15 years in prison. In 2001 they were released from prison after 8 years as they were deemed to not be a threat to the public. Both men were given witness protection style protection.
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Jon Venables as since re-offended and be re-imprisoned on multiple occasions.
Challenge Question (Optional)
You are a judge and a criminal is before you.
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They are being accused of drunk driving and crashing and destroying another car that was driving on the opposite side of the road.
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The man driving is 24 years old, a very good university student with good grades and he recently lost his mother to a heart condition.
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What punishment do you give him and why?
Challenge
Option
What punishment would you give him if he killed the people in the other car?
Challenge
Option
What punishment would you give him if he did not kill anyone but his own legs became so severely damaged they had to be amputated?