Excelsior College Role of the American judicial system of America Questions

• Begin by reviewing pp. 314 – 315 in the American Courts Text on the impact of courts in the incidence of crime
• Now, read about what defines a legal or constitutional “stop and frisk” (Links to an external site.) and in this seminal New York Court of Appeals (second level appellate court) case, People v. DeBour (Links to an external site.)
• “We Were Wrong: Ending Stop and Frisk Did Not End Stopping Crime.” (Links to an external site.) (NY Daily News)
• • Philadelphia Defends Policy on Frisking, With Limits (nytimes.com) (Links to an external site.)
• Next, watch this short op-documentary about the impact of stop and frisk on one young man in Brooklyn, New York (nytimes.com) (Links to an external site.)
• Finally, read two articles about appellate courts narrowly overturning convictions because the stop and frisks used by police were unconstitutional, as well as a related appellate court decisions:
  • Courts Putting Stop – and – Frisk Policy on Trial (nytimes.com) (Links to an external site.) [Video file][5 min 55 sec]
  • Second Weapon Conviction is Overturned on Frisk Issue (nytimes.com) (Links to an external site.)
    • The above article refers to the decision in Matter of Jaquan M

Describe how the appellate courts have shaped policy on the question about how far police officers can go to prevent and investigate criminal activity.