Prosecutorial Ethics and Decision Making

Course Description

Other than the authority given to a soldier in time of war, few in government have the power of a prosecutor. A prosecutor may methodically and intentionally seek to take the life of another. A prosecutor may seek to remove a person from society, put them in prison, and keep them there until they die. Society gives prosecutors broad discretion. Certainly a prosecutor must follow the rules of law and ethics, but is that all we as a society should ask of a prosecutor? Many decisions made by a prosecutor are guided by ethics, others decisions require that a prosecutor look beyond the rules of ethics. When the rule of law and ethics allow for the death penalty in a specific case, what other considerations may a prosecutor use when determining whether to seek the ultimate penalty? When thousands of crimes occur in a single day, how should a prosecutor determine which cases are deserving of the government's resources? This course will focus on how a prosecutor should exercise his or her discretion.

Code

LAW 650G

Credits

2

Subject

Law