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Courtroom Bribery

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Submitted By jwaddell4
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Introduction - The study of bribery and corruption in the courtroom is paramount to protecting the rights of every person seeking justice. The fact that a judge or District Attorney is 99% honest simply will not suffice. Even the 1% must be treated fairly and equally under the laws of our country. Just like Jesus would leave the ninety-nine to go after the one, we must protect everyone equally under the laws established. Meditate on the words of Edmund Burke “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” The study and revelation of courtroom corruption is significant because I have personally observed bribery in the hallways of courtrooms in North Carolina. A wise man once told me that the courtroom is not black or white, but green because the person with the most money is routinely dispensed the best outcome. Another personal reason that this topic is personally significant is because I now reside in the state of Mississippi where the 2004 Corporate Crime Reporter asserted that our state was the most crooked state in America. (Mokhibar, 2004)

I. The problem is that too many times the issues in the courtroom are not really about the truth.

A. Case study on the Duke Lacrosse case involving Durham County District Attorney, Mike Nifong. (Yaeger, 2007)

B. Factors involved in the Duke Lacrosse case, and the lives that were destroyed as a result of courtroom corruption.

1. The politics of race involved in decisions to prosecute.

2. The role of the media in pressuring public officials to make a decision without conducting proper due diligence.

3. The stark contrast between the alleged offenders and victims.

4. The role of the general election, and the demographics in the city of Durham.

II. The love of money is the root of all evil. (King James Study Bible, 1988)

A. Embezzlement of public monies in the state of Mississippi.

1. Chancery and Circuit Clerks demonstrates how and why embezzlement occurs. (Crockett, 2007)

2. Justice Court Clerks, and how they interact with individuals, local and state law enforcement agencies, businesses, and the local board of supervisors.

3. The Office of State Auditor investigates the theft of public money.

III. The evidence of things not seen.

A. The increase of campaign contributions, and the effect on cases of courtroom corruption. (Baldwin, 1985)

1. Study of Mississippi Judge McRae, and the $1.2 million dollar campaign contributions that led to his demise.

2. The quality of people entering public service versus private practice. (Dash, 2007)

Conclusion - There are a myriad of reasons why public officials head down the dark road to corruption. My research will show that corruption is not a new phenomenon that we are facing in the 21st century. The problem is prevalent at every level from the city, state, and federal court levels. Corruption and misconduct go hand in hand as evidenced by scandals that have rocked courtrooms from coast to coast.

Bibliography

Baldwin, J. (1985). The Evidence of Things Not Seen. New York, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Crockett, J. R. (2007). Hands in the Till: Embezzlement of Public Monies in Mississippi. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi.

Crockett, J. R. (2003). Operation Pretense. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi.

Dash, M. (2007). Satan's Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption, and New York's Trial of the Century. New York: Crown Publishers.

King James Study Bible. (1988). Lynchburg, VA: Thomas Nelson.

Mokhiber, R. (2004, January 16). Democracy Now. Retrieved February 18, 2013, from Democracy Now: http://www.democracynow.org/2004/1/16/mississippis_1_corporate_crime_reporter_ranks

Yaeger, D. (2007). It's Not About The Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered. New York, New York: Threshold Editions.

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