General Instructions
1. Technical
The completed research paper should be typed in MS Word only, Arial or Times New Roman, 12 pt
font, double-spaced format with footnotes and bibliographic references, not less than 8 pages nor
exceeding 12 pages in length. It will have a minimum word count of 1750 words. This page
requirement does not include an abstract or bibliography page.
Always check for grammar, spelling,
and proper citation before submitting your work. It is expected that the student will devote a great deal
of initiative toward producing a quality product worthy of the high academic standards established at
Saint Leo University. This research paper is worth 27 points and will represent 27% of the final course
grade.
This is not a personal opinion paper; all of it must be backed up by your research. Your paper should
cite those sources you are relying on to formulate the pros and cons as well as your final
recommendations. Your paper should include a minimum of five reference sources. These references
can be five cases or five journal articles or a combination of cases and articles.
As discussed in the syllabus, Saint Leo University uses Turnitin to validate the originality of a
student’s work. Turnitin is integrated into the Research Paper Dropbox and your paper will be
assigned an originally score. Any papers with an originality score of greater than 15% will be subject
to an automatic score of 0, as well as potentially subjecting to the student to referral to the Academic
Standards Committee for an academic integrity review.
A tip:
Do not wait until the last few days before the paper is due, to submit it to the Dropbox. A paper
may be resubmitted to the Dropbox should the originality score be too high, provided it is still before
the final due date for the assignment.
Please note that your instructor is available to assist you at any time. All you have to do is ask!
Background
You are the Special Assistant to the Saint Leo Chief of Police (or, Saint Leo County Sheriff, as you
prefer). As such, you are a very trusted and dependable aide. The chief relies on you for your good
judgment, experience, and analyst
The Chief/Sheriff is fairly new to the Saint Leo Police Department (SLPD/SLCSO). There are many
problems in the department, not all of which are the fault of this chief. However, the Chief/Sheriff
wants to address some of the more pressing problems and resolve them, without litigation if possible.
The Department’s General Counsel is involved in ongoing litigation and is not available to provide
guidance, and outside counsel is expensive and premature at this point. The Chief/Sheriff knows you
are not an attorney, but you do have a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Saint
Leo University.
The Chief/Sheriff knows that this respected institution has educated you well for this
Therefore, the Chief/Sheriff needs your analysis of the facts and the relevant law on the
problems presented.
The various problems confronting the Chief/Sheriff can be found at the end of this document. Be sure
to notify your professor by the conclusion of Module 2 as to the scenario you are selecting.
3.
Format
Your paper is to be structured as follows for
each
separate fact situation
you are researching. In your
paper, put each of the sub-headings listed below in bold, so that it is clear to the reader that you are
following the mandatory format:
a.
Summary of Facts –
This is a summary of the facts which are relevant to the issue you are
researching. You may add some facts but only if they are necessary to your research.
b.
Issues Presented –
What legal issues are created by the facts with which you are
presented? The Sheriff usually presents more than one.
c.
Arguments Presented by Each Side –
How many sides are there? What is the best case
for each side?
d.
Applicable Law –
This is where you describe the cases, statutes, regulations, and other
sources from your research which are relevant to your issues. If some of the cases briefed in
the course apply to your issues, you may cite them. However, you must also show that you
have conducted independent research and describe different cases which are relevant.
e.
Recommendation –
This is where you advise the Sheriff as to what decisions should be
made regarding the issues at hand.
f.
Reasons –
In this section, tell the Sheriff why you made those recommendations.
Remember, the Sheriff wants the legal basis for your recommendations, NOT your personal
opinions.
g.
Core Values –
In this section, describe the Saint Leo core values which are implicated in the
arguments presented by each side and in your recommendations.
Bibliography –
This should contain non-legal references only. Legal case citations should be
in footnotes in the body of your paper; follow APA guidelines for citation
Scenario #7:
Officer Speedy of the Saint Leo police department was patrolling in her cruiser around midnight last night.
A black sports car came careening around the corner and almost hit the cruiser. Officer Speedy pursued
the sports car at a rate of speed in excess of 100 mph through downtown Saint Leo. The bars were
closing and a number of people were in the area. Officer Speedy lost control of the cruiser, jumped a
curb, and hit and killed a pedestrian on the sidewalk. The sports car driver looked back to see what
happened to the cruiser and drove into a telephone pole, killing him. The family of the pedestrian is
threatening to sue the Sheriff and the city of Saint Leo. The family of the sports car driver is threatening to
sue the Sheriff and the city of Saint Leo. The sheriff wants to know if either party has any legitimate
claims, and if so, what are they? The department does not have a “hot pursuit” policy. Is that going to hurt
the Sheriff’s case against any lawsuits? The Sheriff wants to know if she should discipline Officer Speedy
and, if so, what are the arguments for and against
