Brenda Cossman introduces the case of Mark Marek being charged with "corrupting morals" based on section 163(1)(a) of the Criminal Code for uploading the video of Jun Lin's murder by Luke Magnotta. Cossman suggests that Marek is essentially being charged with obscenity, while the focus is on "corrupting morals." This has created confusion because "corrupting morals" is a concept from the 19th century, whereas the courts had changed the focus of obscenity from morality to harm since the late 20th century. Since the Marek is being charged for "corrupting morals," the courts are implying that it is morally inappropriate to view such sexual and/or violent content. Nonetheless, Cossman argues this concept of morality is outdated because the focus is now supposed to be on harm.
In addition, Cossmans reveals a flaw in the Criminal Code and its use, or lack of, by courts. To elaborate, Cossman explains how section 163 of the Criminal Code still includes "exhibiting a disgusting object, advertising medicine, drug or article for causing abortion or miscarriage, curing venereal diseases or restoring sexual virility." That being said, Cossman continues that there have been no charges under the aforementioned description in recent decades. The flaw here is that this description of section 163 is based on the concept of morality, not harm; but it is still codified in the Criminal Code. Thus, Cossman is arguing that the courts are using an outdated perspective when charging Marek with "corrupting morals." Cossman provides another example of a similar case of Remy Couture who uploaded content similar to Marek's on his website. Despite this, Couture was acquitted because he argued that the "images didn't cause harm, [because] they were artistic ...
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...ing so will be a form of moral protection of media viewers, and especially minors. This is an important motivation for censorship because children should not be able to access such content with a few mouse clicks as it is both morally damaging. That being said, this censoring of murder videos applies to everyone because if people are permitted to upload these videos, then more people will watch these videos as a result. Consequently, society will experience desensitization from repeat viewing of murder videos on the internet. As stated in lecture, this desensitization has only negative outcomes. For instance, desensitization will make people less likely to help others in real-life situations, especially when violence is present. People will also feel as if violence is the norm and utilize it as a means of getting what they want, or even if it is meaningless violence.
In 1973, Marvin Miller, operator of one of the West Coast's largest mail-order businesses dealing in sexually explicit material, had conducted a mass mailing campaign to advertise the sale of illustrated books, which was known as “adult material”. He was found guilty based on the fact that he violated California’s pena...
The Casey Anthony case was one that captured the heart of thousands and made it to the headline of national TV talk shows, newspapers, radio stations and social media networks for months. The root of the case was due to a clash between the parental responsibilities, the expectations that went with being a parent, and the life that Casey Anthony wanted to have. The case was in respect to the discovering the cause of Casey’s two-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony’s, death; however the emphasis was placed on Casey and her futile lies, which resulted in a public outcry. The purpose of this essay is to delve into the public atmosphere and inquire about why the media and social media collectively attacked the case by uncovering the content of the case, the charges that were laid, and later dismissed, the “performers” of the trial and the publics reaction. It will further discuss how it defies universal ideologies and how the media represents this. The discussion of the complexities of the case and its connotations will incorporate Stuart Hall’s Representation and the Media, Robert Hariman’s Performing the Laws, What is Ideology by Terry Eagleton, The Body of the Condemned by Michael Foucault, and a number of news articles, which will reveal disparate ideas of representation in the media, and the role of the performers of the law and their effect on the understanding of the case.
Pornography Under The Federal Sentencing Guidelines In The United States. Law & Contemporary Problems, 76(1), 27-52.
27 Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E Rosenbaum. Pornography - Private Right or Public Menace Pg. 52
The subtopic being examined in this segment of pornography as a whole, is that of violent pornography. In order to understand what is going to be discussed and the examples that will be cited, one must understand the context of violent pornography in relation to Pornography as a whole. But as this section will conclude, it is actually the widespread viewing of pornography as represented through the media, which leads to violent actions.
In The Murder of Helen Jewett, Patricia Cohen uses one of the most trivial murders during the 1800’s to illustrate the sexiest society accommodations to the privileged, hypocritical tunneled views toward sexual behavior, and the exploitation of legal codes, use of tabloid journalism, and politics. Taking the fact that woman was made from taking a rib from man was more than biblical knowledge, but incorporated into the male belief that a woman’s place is determined by the man. Helen had the proper rearing a maid servant, but how did she fall so far from grace. Judge Weston properly takes credit for rearing her with the proper strictness and education. Was Helen seduced at an early age and introduced to sexual perversions that were more persuasive that the bible belt life that the Weston’s tried to live? Was Helen simply a woman who knew how to use what she had to get what she wanted? Through personal correspondence, legal documentation, census reports, paintings, and newspapers we are able to make our own determinations. Cohen provides more than enough background and history to allow any one to make their own opinion how the murder of a woman could be turned into a side show at a circus.
This brings about another issue: children’s protection from this kind of content. More needs to be done to protect children’s eyes from inappropriate things on the TV, billboards, music, and other forms of media. Unfortunately, because society has gone as far as it has today, it will be very difficult to take a step back and re examine the effects violent media will have on children. People seem to care less and less about what children see. The need for protection from this type of content relies solely on the parents. Parents must take it upon themselves to guard their children against things on the media that they should not be seeing. Parents should be given different options with technology to help monitor the content their kids are allowed to see and what they are
This essay will explore reasons why females such as Vanessa George turn to the crime of sex offending. Demonstrating my knowledge and understanding of classical criminological theory, exploring biological theories such as penis envy and more contemporary views such as liberation theory within feminism. The essay will then go on to look at the inequalities female sex offenders face within the criminal justice system in comparison with males, using chivalry theory and evil woman theory to explain this.
Showing various different images on media forms like television is prevalent. However, it is seldom that a picture showing violence is openly displayed on screens. Such an idea is justified by saying that graphic images are sensitive and horrifying to see, but it is often not mentioned that not presenting such images itself is unfair. It is unjust for the public to remain in the dark, from the truth of life. Images only show what the truth is and hiding that would be wrong for every individual. "Death happens to be one of life's main events. And it is irresponsible and more than that, inaccurate for news papers to fail to show it..." (Source A). This suggests how no matter how many pictures or images are censored, the horrifying and 'sensitive' conditions will continue to exist, so what is the point of hiding it? In fact, by openly displaying such photographs, the viewers only learn more. They will get to fully understand the processes of life and what
Oscar Wilde's trial and conviction were major publicized events during the 19th century. His trial changed the way the public viewed sexual behavior as well as homosexuality and the crime of sodomy. Havelock Ellis, the author of Sexual Inversion, suggests, "The celebrity of Oscar Wilde and the universal publicity given to the facts of the case by the newspapers may have brought conviction of their perversion to many inverts who were before only vaguely conscious of their abnormality, and, paradoxical though it may seem, have imparted greater courage to others; but it can scarcely have sufficed to increase the number of inverts" (97). The trial created lasting impressions on homosexuals in that it made being so a crime. Cohen looks at the history of the trial and defines, with great detail, the evolving crime of sodomy. Sodomy is defined as "acts of gross indecency with another male person" (103); however, it has also been known to include a plethora of sexual acts from birth c...
The media, both in the mainstream and alternative sources, determine how the community view crime and how it represents the victims of crime, criminals and law enforcement officials. Media organisations have arguably become the main source of news, entertainment, recreation, and product information in society. For many people, media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, social media and television broadcasts informs viewers about events that affect their everyday lives. This essay it will explore the many variations of how crime is mispresented to society through mass media organisations.
There are many ways to decide what makes a man guilty. In an ethical sense, there is more to guilt than just committing the crime. In Charles Brockden Browns’ Wieland, the reader is presented with a moral dilemma: is Theodore Wieland guilty of murdering his wife and children, even though he claims that the command came from God, or is Carwin guilty because of his history of using persuasive voices, even though his role in the Wieland family’s murder is questionable? To answer these questions, one must consider what determines guilt, such as responsibility, motives, consequences, and the act itself. No matter which view is taken on what determines a man’s guilt, it can be concluded that Wieland bears the fault in the murder of Catharine Wieland and her children.
...ivacy as ethical. When Kevin Mitnick tried hacking into computers he ignored all the rules and regulations that one normally adheres to within society therefore his actions were deceitful and inappropriate.
This quote provides the essential issue with defining what pornography is. The Supreme Court case Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964) contained a concurrence in which Justice Potter Stewart stated th...
...onditions that ensure an adequate counterbalance increasing consumption in some cases, end up having a negative effect on children. Children learn best through demonstration followed by imitation, with rewards for doing things the right way. While not all are affected the same way, it can be said that, in general, violence in the media affects attitudes, values and behaviors of users. You run the risk that children end up understanding that it is reasonably practicable to resort to violence. The fear is that the models of aggressive behavior can be considered suitable. Thus, in an investigation, a good proportion of children (third) defined as normal acts of violence they had seen him mightily little. It is not; here is a risk of direct imitation, but rather a change in terms of reference: where extreme violence appears to be normal any more light may seem harmless.