instruction attached 

CCJ 410 Courts in TV, Movies and Literature: Second Exam

Instructions: Please respond to one (1) of the following questions. Your response cannot

exceed 1500 words (excluding in-text citations and bibliography). You are expected to reference

the Textbook, scholarly journals, and cases to support the arguments you are making for the

question you select. Although the primary focus for the exam questions is on the material in

Week 7-Week 10, you may use scholarly resources that were available in the ‘Suggested

Readings’ and the Textbook from Week 1-Week 5. Your exam must be submitted to

the Second Exam Drop Box by 11:59 pm on Thursday, March 18.

Question Options:

1. Daytime courtroom television shows, such as ‘Judge Judy’, are sometimes criticized as not

presenting an accurate portrait of what actually occurs in a courtroom setting. To what

degree is this criticism accurate? And, does the entertainment value of these daytime

courtroom shows ‘trump’ any deficiencies in educational content?

2. We have seen how television, movies, and literary works often present a fictionalized view

of what actually takes place in criminal court proceedings. Do these popular media

vehicles also present a fictionalized view of what takes place in actual civil trials? Since

civil cases far outnumber criminal cases in the American court system, does any

educational deficiency in how civil cases are presented on television, in movies, or through

literature pose a greater problem for achieving justice in the American court system?

3. Do portrayals of death penalty situations on television, in movies, or through literary

works have any significant impact on how ordinary citizens or legislative policy makers

view the death penalty? And, is the portrayal of death penalty situations in these popular

culture vehicles an accurate picture capital punishment or simply a form of fictionalized

advocacy for a particular perspective on capital punishment?

4. Is it possible to secure a ‘fair jury’ and a ‘just verdict’ in either a criminal or a civil case due

to the overwhelming exposure most individuals have to fictionalized presentations of how

the American justice system works on television shows, in the movies, and though popular

justice system novels? If so, how would you suggest that jurors be ‘educated’ with respect

to what to ‘realities’ in an actual courtroom setting?

5. Americans are deeply divided on the death penalty, yet most films and books that involve

the death penalty oppose the application of the death penalty. Giving specific examples

from media sources (movies, television, or literature), what reasons do these media

venues provide to support a negative view of the death penalty? Are these reasons

convincing? From the opposite perspective, what specific media venues offer examples of

support for the death penalty? Are the reasons provided by these media sources

convincing?

Extra Credit Option: You may develop and answer your own question on the Week # 7 – Week #

10 material. Your response could secure up to 4 extra points, depending on its quality. The

word limit on this extra credit option is 500 words. You may submit your extra credit response

with your Answer to the Second Exam or you may send it directly to me at lockwoodr@pdx.edu

mailto:lockwoodr@pdx.edu