Assignment on Ethics in the Criminal Justice System

Running head: ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Introduction
The professional behavior and ethics are a significant segment of the administration od
criminal justice. The ethical principles involves establishing moral judgment concerning what is
good or bad or what is right or wrong. Ethics cater to make correct choices at the time of
dilemmas engaging moral concerns. The administration of criminal justice encounter ethical
problems and thus it is significant to tackle with them in an expert way. However the
administration undergo ethical issues in certain circumstances that are hard to deal with and thus
the criminal justice professionals are obliged to adopt moral decisions of what is wrong or right.
The same can be done with the support of appropriate critical thinking (Muller, 2015). The good
ethical principles guide to individual to conduct in the professional manner. The unethical
conduct by system of criminal justice are severe in addition to that there are probabilities for
disputes in the zones of the criminal justice that leads to the unethical judgment. If the operation
of the criminal justice administration is immoral as well as there is no professional conduct then
it is obvious for the community to drop faith in the system of criminal justice.
Facts of the case
On April 4, 2015 Scott was on his way to auto shop to repair broken taillight. The officer
named Michael Slager pulled his over broken taillight. The officer named Slager approach the
car of Walter Scott and then went to his patrol car. Later on Scott departed his car and then fled .
the officer Slager rush after and both of them had bodily altercation. Then officer shot Walter

2ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Scot to his back eight times and he died. The whole incident was covered by a video recording
taken by the unidentified witness who observed the incident (Chapon, 2017). It inclined to
impeachment for the officer. The Walter Scott case has been demonstrating the brutal act of the
police officer who is the criminal justice administrators to the defenseless African American
men. Later on due to such illegal act he was sentenced to imprisonment for longer period. The
act of the alleged police officer is questionable from the standpoint of ethical principles. As he
failed to take ethically correct decision in that particular situation which led to the death of Scott.
Ethical issues
The issues that evolve from the situation are misuse of the governmental authority,
repressive criminal legislation, in addition to that violation of the rights of the citizens. The law
enforcement officers encounters diverse ethical issues in their course of profession. Firstly
determining the proper quantum of power that is to be applied at the time of arrest. Secondly
safeguarding the rights of the civilians while advocate and sustaining legislation. Acting in
unbiased and impartial manner and also avoid profiling (Bruchansky, 2015). Thus taking right
decision can be problematic for the law enforcement officers or the public servant. Thus taking
ethically sound decision may be disappoint or hurt another group or persons. The ethical decision
is one that cause least quantum of disappointment or harm ( Blinder, 2017). The legislation and
behavior guidelines construct a outline is respect of ethical policing. However ethical principles
and critical thinking on the part of criminal justice professionals guaranteed that justice is
attended.

3ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Rule
Police integrity and ethics are the crucial aspect of the statutory enforcement structure
that provides efficient practices of crime control. The amalgamation of training, legislation as
well as standards assist the law enforcement officers to maintain ethical conduct on their
profession. Therefore holding the position of power also implies to apply the power in the
reasonable and fair manner and also legitimately. Thus it necessitate the police officials to cohere
to the stringent ethical rules to evade corrupt or controversial misuse of authority or power
(Oxtiz, 2017).
The law enforcement officers are anticipated to carry out the ethical codes outlining the
guiding principles to the ethical conduct of the police professionals. In order to be efficient the
ethical code must be the portion of demeanor of each officer (Humbach, 2016). In addition to
that the police officials must learn to think and live ethically in order to evade contradictory
conduct.
Ethically wrong
The law enforcement officials in the criminal justice system have to abide by the
guidelines of ethical principles. The criminal justice professionals have power guaranteed to
them for maintaining the law and order of the community. However it should be kept in mind
that the power that conferred to them must be utilized in the fair and reasonable manner. The
police officials at the time of arrest should use reasonable force and in case the conduct of
officials cross the reasonable force will amounts to unlawful act in the criminal justice system
(Akinyemi, 2018). The criminal justice structure is formulated to cater the civilians and not to
penalize them in unjustified manner or only assist particular classes. The criminal justice

4ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
structure of the United States is grounded on emerging philosophy concerning rehabilitation,
criminal conduct and justice, the philosophy is grounded on ethics that establish principles on
which the statute and practices of criminal justice are constructed and shaped.
Alternative course of action
The action plan is required to be formulated that is reliable with ethical significances that
have been determine as core to dilemmas. Firstly it is required to establish facts that surrounds
ethical dilemmas. Facts are significant consideration in the law enforcement. To inquire cases the
officials should rely upon facts to protect against cognitive biases and misinformation. Secondly
determination of legal duties and obligations by the criminal justice professionals. However legal
and professional obligations might not always need path of action that happen together with
these responsibilities. The awareness of legal and professionals obligations should be known to
permit the professionals to be absolutely acquainted of the outcome of the action (Samuel, 2017).
Safeguards
The safeguards that can be adapted by the criminal justice professional in course of their
duty to combat ethical issues involves several methods. Firstly to cater efficient service to the
community. Secondly the police official should conduct with integrity and honesty. Thirdly to
remain impartial that implies that personal prejudices, grudges, political aspirations, beliefs as
well as friendship have no places in the process of decision making of the professionals of law
(Degefa, 2015). The police officials should uphold the legislation without any form of malice or
favor and compromise. Fourthly the law enforcement officers are solely accountable for
upholding the standard of professional behavior in addition to that should adapt reasonable
action for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing the standard of the ethical conduct.

5ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Other measures
Other measures that can be adapted by the criminal justice professionals in order to
ensure that unethical conduct does not happen in future. When there exist hostility towards or
impartiality against specific religious, ethnic or other category of group that affect the duties it is
treated as ethical violation. All Americans are entitle to get similar rights as well as protections
under the legislation. It is not acceptable and authorized that the police officials apply the
legislation on their own discretion upon selected category of individuals. Thus the police officers
must take decision which is free from biasness and impartiality. There should be restriction on
exercise of excessive force by criminal justice professionals.
Conclusion
Thus it can be concluded from the above mentioned discussion that the professional
conduct and ethics are directly connect to each other. Deficiency of ethics paves the way to
absence of the professional conduct that implies a fragile administration of criminal justice. Thus
the ultimate liabilities of the law enforcement officers involves catering to the mankind,
protecting lives of the individuals and safeguarding the weak section from oppression,
maintenance of law and order and to esteem constitutional liberty of the individuals.

6ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
References
Akinyemi, G. O. (2018). Restorative Justice: A Critical Review. EC Psychology and
Psychiatry, 7, 862-868.
Bruchansky, C. (2015). Towards a Digressive Society.
Chapon, S. (2017). The Willing Suspension of Disbelief and Legal Ethics: A class-room
experiment on the Influence of American TV Legal Dramas on French Law Students.
Degefa, A. (2015). Justice that Heals and Restores: The Potential of Embracing Borana Oromo
Indigenous Justice System Alongside the Ethiopian Formal Criminal Justice
System (Doctoral dissertation, Addis Ababa University).

7ETHICS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Humbach, J. A. (2016). Whose Monet?: an introduction to the American legal system. Wolters
Kluwer Law & Business.
Muller, E. L. (2015). The Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics and the
Moral Formation of Lawyers. Journal of Legal Education, 64(3), 385-402.
Blinder, A (2017, December 7) Retrieved from NYtimes
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/us/michael-slager-sentence-walter-scott.html
Oxtiz, M. V. (2017, December 7). Retrieved from NBCNEW:
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-michael-slager-
ex-officer-sentenced-20-years-n825006
Samuel, M. (2017, September 17). BlackPast . Retrieved from Blackpast:
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/scott-walter-lamar-1965-2015/