paper #2
LJST 25
Fall 2007
Paper #2
Please write a 5-7 pp paper (1500-2000 words, reasonable font) on the following question. Be sure to articulate a clear argument and support it with concrete evidence from the class materials, including quotations and examples. Pay careful attention to your writing, its style and clarity. This paper is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, Nov. 29; late papers will be penalized and I will not comment on them.
Please be sure to append to your paper and sign the honor pledge we discussed at the beginning of the semester.
Imagine yourself as a law student training to be a defense attorney. You need to develop some strong general arguments that you can use to attack the claims detectives make in court about their investigations and the confessions they receive during interrogations. Unfortunately, you have no actual experience in the courtroom, so you must turn to films to help you develop your critiques. Drawing upon the films and supporting essays from the middle section of our syllabus, write a memo that addresses the following issues:
- the goals, strengths and weaknesses of investigative techniques of the sort used by Clarice Starling and/or Danny Witwer
- the power and fragility of evidence gained by confession
- the concerns you might have about relying on films to help you develop these critiques (you can write about this issue separately or weave it into your overall argument)
