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Officer Testimony: Det. Furhman in OJ Simpson Trial

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Find a current or past court trial (via Internet or television) where an investigator or officer is called to testify. Evaluate the officer's role and if he/she follows the guidelines on pp. 129-34 of the text. Then evaluate one-fourth to one-half of the officer's court testimony. In 800-1,150 words, identify and summarize the trial you observed and evaluated. Explain:
The courtroom role of the investigator or officer.
How well the investigator or officer adhered to guidelines recommended in the text.
If the outcome of the case was affected positively or negatively by the testimony.
Methods or techniques that may have improved the investigator or police officer's
testimony.
Where and how you found the court case, including a Web site link for an online
source or an APA formatted citation for a television source.

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Solution Summary

The solution looks at the demands & challenges on law enforcement officers when they are called to testify on a trial. Giving officer testimony tests not just the procedural & investigative skills of an officer, in the case of former detective Mark Furhman, his person, his legal & procedural knowledge, especially that of due process were tested as well. The O.J. Simpson trial being a sensationalised case, it is at times difficult to separate opinion from facts. This solution looks at the role of law enforcement officers in a courtroom, how cases are affected by the manner of their testimony, and provides an analysis of the role of former Det. Furhman in the ultimate outcome of the case. Attached is a word format of the solution.

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Evaluating Officer Testimony:
Former LA Detective Mark Furhman

How an officer behaves & presents his testimony in a courtroom setting when he is called to witness in a trial is just as vital as his role was in apprehending the suspect or investigating the case that is being tried or another which is related to it. Law Enforcement officers are bound to their duty which is primarily to enforce the law & protect the public from threats as well as assist in achieving a sense of stability & peace within the community. An officer's investigation & duty asks that he/she be knowledgeable about the judicial & criminal proceedings. Law enforcement officers take part in the practice of policing & implementation of justice and whatever it is that they do in the course of their work must always follow due process. While it is true that law enforcement officers are trained to 'read body language' and 'speculate' possibilities in the course of an investigation, the must do so an in informed and grounded manner, never straying from their non-abstract obligation of performing their jobs as law allows them to. Law Enforcement officers must follow procedures just as they are making sure that everybody else does too.

In a courtroom setting, a law enforcement officer must show a complete grasp & control of ...

Solution provided by:
Xenia Rochelle Jones, MA, PhD (IP)
Education
  • MPhil/PhD (IP), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • MA, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • Certificate, Geva Ulpan (via Universita Tel Aviv)
  • BA, University of the Philippines
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