Read the Ethical Challenge Is it ethical to allow citizens to take the law into their own hands, no matter what the provocation? and respond in two paragraphs how you would handle the ethical dilemma.
A Writing Assignment
You are chief prosecutor in a rural county. A man takes his 6-year-old daughter to a dude ranch run by a trusted friend. When his daughter goes missing he frantically searches the property. Some kids say that they saw the friend take the girl into the woods. He follows and finds his “trusted” friend assaulting the young girl. In a rage, he picks up a piece of wood lying nearby and strikes the man repeatedly around the head and neck, resulting in his death.
Write an essay answering this question: Would it be legally ethical to dismiss the charges considering the circumstances or would you charge the dad with murder since he used a weapon to kill? As you formulate your answer, bear these facts in mind: First, the legal penalty for child abuse and rape cannot be death; that is, capital punishment is not an option for people who commit such crimes. On the other hand, some state self-defense laws permit people to use deadly force in to protect another person (see, for example, Section 9.32 of the Texas Penal Code here: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.9.htm). Also answer this question: Is it ethical to allow citizens to take the law into their own hands, no matter what the provocation?
