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Northern Essex Community College

Module 10 Writing Assignment

Review the assignment overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview

This activity is designed to help you apply the exclusionary rule to real-world criminal cases and deepen your understanding of how evidence is evaluated in court. Building on your class discussion, you will analyze a publicized criminal case to determine whether evidence should have been excluded based on constitutional principles. You will explore how exceptions to the exclusionary rule can affect the admissibility of evidence and assess their impact on case outcomes. The focus of this activity is on legal reasoning rather than case summary, encouraging you to think critically about fairness, constitutional protections, and the balance between individual rights and law enforcement authority.

Student Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the assignment and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Examine the extent that data has on developing policies to address criminal behavior. (LO3)
  • LO2: Identify the differences between the UCR/NIBRS and NCVS as they relate to crime data. (LO3)
Assignment Topic

Expanding on your class discussion, identify a publicized criminal case in which the exclusionary rule did apply or should have applied based on the way evidence was obtained.

In your response, address the following:

  • Briefly describe the criminal case, including the nature of the offense and how evidence was obtained.
  • Explain the exclusionary rule and its purpose within the criminal justice system.
  • Analyze how the exclusionary rule applies (or should apply) to your selected case:
    • Identify the specific constitutional issue involved
    • Explain why the evidence should have been excluded or why an exception applies
  • Apply one exception to the exclusionary rule:
    • This must be a different exception than the one you used in your online discussion
    • Explain why this exception strengthens or weakens the argument for admissibility
  • Conclude with your assessment:
    • Do you believe the outcome of the case was fair? Why or why not?

Your case does not need to explicitly mention the exclusionary rule. You are encouraged to use legal reasoning and course concepts to explain how the rule could reasonably apply.

Acceptable and Ethical Use of AI
  • Use AI to help you organize the key principles of the exclusionary rule and its common exceptions so you can plan how they might apply to your selected case before writing your response.
  • Use AI to assist you in structuring your legal reasoning by thinking through how an exception to the exclusionary rule could justify admitting or excluding evidence in your chosen case, before completing the activity.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your assignment.

  • Your paper should be 2-3 pages, using APA style, including 12 font and 1-inch margins.
  • A minimum of at least two (2) sources, with proper APA citations in a Reference Page and proper in-text citations.
  • Abstract NOT needed.
  • Submissions are checked against a Plagiarism Checker and AI Detector.
    • Direct quotes should not exceed 15% of the total paper.
    • AI Usage – you must use AI ethically. Papers written by an AI is cheating.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your assignment through the designated submission area.
  • Ensure your file is in [accepted format: Word, PDF, etc.].
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. Follow course policies regarding academic integrity and the use of outside sources or tools.