3. Ethical Worksheet - Law Enforcement

"ETHICAL WORKSHEET "copyright Thomas H . Bivins , 2000 with modifications by Coleen M . Cusack , 2003 "STUDENT NAME "1 . What is the ethical issue / problem ? Define in one or two sentences "Moral agent is a Police Officer who , with years of experience and training , knows when a man has been driving under the influence of alcohol . What should the moral agent do if he knows of someone who drove under the influence of alcohol but does not have enough evidence to support his case for possible conviction "2 . Most Important Facts (MIF . Which facts have the most bearing on the ethical decision

presented ? Include any potential economic , social or political pressures "When the two police officers responded to a reported domestic violence call , they saw a man walking staggering on his way to the residence and saw him dropped and picked up something that appeared to be a set of car keys . When the two officers approached the front door of the residence , they saw a blue station wagon and one officer tocuhed the hood and discovered that it is still warm to the touch . Before reaching the door , a woman opened the house and greeted them , telling them that their services are no longer needed , denying that she had been hit . When the husband joined at the wife at the door , the police questioned him and slurred while answering the latter 's queries . When asked if he had been driving , he denied it When tested for sobriety , it was revealed that the husband 's blood alcohol level is .20 , twice the legal limit The Police officers arrested and charged the husband . One officer , submitted a non-accurate report on the incident which lead to the conviction of the man "3 . Claimant , Obligations and Perspectives : Identify each claimant who has an interest in the outcome of this ethical issue . From the perspective of the moral agent (individual contemplating ethical course of action ) what obligation is owed to the claimant ? Identify the perspective of each of the claimants by indicating what outcome they would prefer to this issue "CLAIMANT "OBLIGATION "PERSPECTIVE "3A The person to be charged of the crime - the Husband "Fidelity Non-Injury "The husband is a citizen which the police officer swore to protect . With that responsibility , it is unbecoming of a police officer to arrest and charge a man of a crime when not all requisites of the crime has been met "3B Other people who may be charged of the crime " Fidelity "A person who may commit a crime is still protected by the law . They have certain rights like the right to be heard , the right to a fair trial and the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty . If a police officer can arbitrarily change facts of an event in to secure conviction , that would be a unjust and a contravention of laws "3C Other Police Officer "Fidelity "The other police officer submitted the report accurately so it not right that the police officer try to...