Final Blog

Legal Issues has been a fun an interesting class. Some of my highlights from the class were the debates, watching “Prison Town U.S.A.”, and creating our false advertisements. I thought the debates went really well and I learned something from everyone’s debates. I also gained a better understanding and knowledge of my specific topic (the death penalty). Debates were a fun and interesting way for all of us to learn about and discuss current issues that we are dealing with today. I think that the debates were a very important and successful unit and you should defiantly try it with your class next semester. My only change to the debates would be to give the audience more opportunity to ask questions and express their opinions. Perhaps you could pick one topic and split the class in half and have an entire class debate. Overall I thought the debate were awesome and an effective way for us to learn about current legal issues.
I also especially enjoyed the film “Prison Town U.S.A.” I thought it was a very interesting move and it brought up a lot of issues I was not even aware existed. I thought that the movie also fueled good discussions in class. The movie was informative, interesting, and relevant to the class. We got to see a party of the legal system in action. I feel it is important for us to know about the issues that coexist with prisons and prison systems. The movie was a great way for us to get a better understanding of this legal issue. Hopefully next semester the class will have an opportunity to watch this movie or another movie similar to this one.
Another class unit I enjoyed were the false advertisements. I thought they were a fun hands on way for us to learn about the topic. There are a lot more involved in false advertising, in terms of laws to help prevent it and types of false advertising, then I had originally realized. The false advertisements that we created in class were funny but they also were a good example for us to see what false advertising could be. Hands on art projects are always a fun way for me to learn and I think they add to the class. The more I enjoy an activity the more I will be interested in and remember the topic we were studying. Projects like this would be a fun thing to do with you class next semester.
The panels with Mrs. Herman’s class were also one of my highlights from class this semester. The panel was interesting and a unique way to learn about our topic and the other panel’s topic. I liked that we had to play a character that did not necessarily share our personal views. This forced us to look at the topic from a different point of view and gain more knowledge that we may not have gained if we had just argued our personal opinion. The panel was something I had never done in another class before. Something else that I also thought added to the success of the panel was that we combined with another class to do it. A new group of students helped keep the panel interesting. I hope you are able to do this activity with the class next semester because I think it was defiantly worthwhile and was an important part of the class as a whole to me.
I really enjoyed this class and the topics we discussed in class. The class was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about all types of legal issues, most that I had not even thought existed before the class. Thank you so much for a great class!

Prison Town, USA the documentary we are watching in class is very depressing and exposes the side of law enforcement most people never see. If it weren’t for this documentary I would have never known the negative affects prisons have on the towns and cities they surround. Until this documentary I never thought about were prisons were located and the repercussions of them being in certain locations. The citizens of Susanville, C.A. thought that the prisons would help improve their failing economy, however it only lead to further economic recession. In Susanville people don’t have many options either they work for the prisons or they try to find a minimum wage job anywhere they can. I was really anger that the prisons were no longer going to purchase their milk from the local dairyman. If I could sign his petition I would. I agree with everything he said. If he loses the prison sales then he loses 25% of his income, which means we will have to lay people off because there won’t be enough money to pay for their salaries. If he has to let people go there will be more people in Susanville who will be unemployed and the town will become more poverty stricken. People will not have enough money to afford to go out to local restaurants and support local businesses because they lost their job at the dairy plant. The entire Susanville economy suffers if the dairyman loses his contract with the prisons. After watching this documentary I would never want to live in a Prison town and I think that if the people of Susanville had known that this would be the out come then they never would have agreed to have the prisons built there. After the close of the Mill Susanville went into economic depression and poverty and, although the prisons promised to bring more money to the town, the prisons only added to that.
The story of Lonnie is one that shows the flaw in the parole system. Because of California’s 3-strike law Lonnie went to prison for 16 months because he was caught stealing food for his hungry children. Him and his wife both served time and their two boys were placed in foster homes until their mother’s release from prison. After Lonnie served his 16 months he had to stay in Susanville while on parole. There were very few jobs available in Susanville to begin with, and Lonnie was only able to find a few odd jobs paying minimum wage. The jobs were few and far between. Lonnie and his wife could not afford to pay their rent because of the lack of available jobs. They had no means to make money. Because of his parole Lonnie couldn’t leave Susanville, but if he is unemployed and homeless he won’t be allowed to complete his parole. Lonnie can’t leave Susanville where there are no jobs and no means to make money and he also can’t complete his parole until he has a steady income and a home. It is a vicious cycle. He and his family are stuck in Susanville where there is no opportunity for a better future for their family. They are stuck like many other prison families in Susanville. The prisons have caused more trouble and poverty than the economic boost they originally promised. It seems to me that Susanville will be stuck in poverty and an economic slump as long as the prisons are there, but if the prisons close or move Susanville will completely collapse. There is little hope for the people of Susanville and Prison Town, USA.

I am sure that many of you are aware that late last week and early this week there was talk of the state “shutting down” until congress was able to agree on a new budget. In the end the state “shut down” for about four hours Sunday night and Monday morning. In class there were many questions about what would happen while the state was “shut down” and how we are affected by it. The first thing that you need to know is why the state would need to “shut down”. The reason for a “shut down” is that the Republicans and the Democrats in Michigan’s congress are unable to agree on a new budget for the state. The original state tax, before the new budget, was 3.9% the Democrats wanted to raise it to 4.6%, however the Republicans wanted to only raise it to 4.3%. Unless a compromise is made or one side gives in to the other the state has no new budget and would therefore be forced to “shut down” until a verdict was reached. Luckily, it did not take congress more than four hours to end the “shut down” with a new budget. A compromise was reached and state tax was only raised to 4.35%. If the state were to be “shut down” for more than just a couple of hours government services will be unavailable/ closed. Here is a list, courtesy of http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070930/NEWS06/709300604, of government services that will be unavailable during a state “shut down”:
· Renew your driver's license or tabs at a Secretary of State branch office.
· Drive across five drawbridges -- they'll be left in the up position.
· Dodge horse manure on Mackinac Island. Manure pick-up will stop.
· Find relief at a highway rest stop. They'll all close.
· Know that the gallon of gas you pumped is really a gallon. Inspectors won't be checking pumps.
· Know that inspectors are making sure recalled food is removed from grocery stores.
· Bet at a horse race track.
· Get a discrimination complaint investigated.
· Get a wetlands, air quality surface water discharge or dredging permit.
· Enjoy the Michigan Historical Museum.
· Do some research at the Library of Michigan.
· Check out the cannons at Ft. Mackinac on Mackinac Island.
· Open a new case to get assistance for unemployment, food stamps or foster care.
· Buy a lottery ticket or claim winnings on an old ticket.
· Go to a state park.
· Get your dead deer checked at a state check station.
· File a complaint at a Michigan State Police post.
· Say good-bye to barrels on the state's highways. Road projects stop, the barrels stay.
· Things you won't have to worry about:
· Prisons -- felons stay put.
· Getting Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment or welfare checks for existing cases.
· Investigations of child abuse or neglect and foster care complaints.
· Testing drinking water supplies.
· Payments for day care centers, adoptions or foster care homes.
· Payment of child support from non-custodial parents.
In my opinion, if the “shut down” had lasted longer than there would have been mass chaos throughout the state. All though a “shut down” would press congress to make a decision on the budget I think that the cons out weigh the pros. There should be a better way to go about making state budget decisions. In the end a decision was made and the Republicans were most pleased with the outcome. I agree with the Democrats. If we were to raise state taxes then the state would be able to make more money and get out of this economic rut we are a currently stuck in. What do you think about the state’s decision on the new budget and what a state “shut down” entails?

In class Monday, during our current events discussion the issue of what is “insanity” and when are you not held responsible for a crime you committed was brought up. Hannah’s article talked about a woman who murdered her children because “the voices in her head told her to”. The woman also said that the “voices” told her to kill her self, but she didn’t. Why is it that she listened to the “voices” when they told her to kill her children but when it came to her own life she didn’t listen? The women plead insanity. Someone who is truly insane would not have the luxury of choosing when they will listen the “voices” telling them what to do. This case brought up good questions from the class. What is “insane”? The general definition of insane is “not sane; not of sound mind; mentally deranged.” Typically in a criminal case if someone pleads insanity the basic definition is that the person is unable to tell right from wrong. Who decides what is insane and what is normal? The subject of pleading insanity is a very sensitive subject.
My current event article was about an 18-year-old boy, John Mullarkey, who killed his girlfriend, Demi Cuccia, and blamed his actions on an acne medication he was taking. John gave a written statement that said, “If someone did something, and they were on medication, would they be found guilty?” This question goes back to the idea of insanity. If someone is taking a medication that alters their state of mind can they too plea insanity? Can they be held responsible if their actions may have been caused by a side effect of a medication they were taking? John Mullarkey was taking Accutane, an acne medication, at the time of the murder. Rare potential side effects of Accutane include depression, psychosis, suicide, hearing and vision problems, blindness from increased pressure on the brain, damage to the liver, pancreas, intestines or esophagus. The potential side effects of Accutane are extreme, but can they be responsible for the murder of a 16-year-old girl? I believe that Mullarkey is solely responsible for the murder of Demi Cuccia. Even though he was taking this potentially mind altering drug John had been witnessed before threatening to kill Demi. Mullarkey knew right from wrong and he knew that what he was doing was bad. Before the murder Mullarkey showed no other of the potential side effects caused by taking Accutane.
Could an insanity plea is just a way to try and get away with murder… In both Hannah’s article and my article, no matter how you look at it, someone is taking the lives of innocent people.
What do you think? What is insane to you?