Judge Dee, the best detective in the Tang Empire, sat cross-legged on the corner of the bamboo bench over looking the small garden. He was silently studying recently compiled case files given to him by the local Magistrate. Stroking his long black beard, he found himself drifting more and more distanced from the detailed file as he slowly worked his way through his evening meal of roasted duck and sweet wine. The combination of the softly lit sky, the roasted duck, and the sweet evening wine began to put him to sleep. Knowing his work was not complete, he forcefully grabbed at his beard to heighten his senses. Yet, the uncharacteristically strong pull towards sleep proved to be too great a feat. Judge Dee fell into a sleep only characteristic …show more content…
Aristotle told the judge there was no such figurehead, and that he could handle the matters of the investigation privately. Shocked by the response he asked how society was structured. Aristotle told him that they operated under a democracy. All governmental power to assembly, and all government offices were filled by lot. Aristotle continued by saying that due to the democracy, there was large social inequality in Athens. Judge Dee’s head was spinning. In China, he was aware of the well-ordered, central organization to society. He also knew that government bureaucracy was filled by competitive exams in Confucian classics, and bureaucrats provided the needed stability in times of political crisis. As a result, China flooded with foreign intellectuals to learn. Learning was the Chinese key to success. Without superior knowledge and wealth to provide the opportunity to study, one could not advance within the Tang dynast. Therefore, Judge Dee could not believe what he was hearing from Aristotle. Yet again, the judge accepted the wild information being thrown at him. He kindly apologized to Aristotle, and asked permission to begin his
The book, Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee (Dee Goong An), takes place in China, during the Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty took place from 618-907 CE and included both Confucian and Legalist influences. Located in the Province of Shantung, is the town district called Chang-Ping, where Dee Goong An served as the town 's magistrate. A magistrate is a judge, detective, and peacekeeper who captures criminals and is responsible for their punishments. The people of China looked at magistrates as the "mother and father" of their town. Magistrates received a large amount of respect from the people due to the amount of authority and power they had. With so many people relying on him to make their home
Her little boy wasn't expected to make it through the night, the voice on the line said (“Determined to be heard”). Joshua Deshaney had been hospitalized in a life threatening coma after being brutally beat up by his father, Randy Deshaney. Randy had a history of abuse to his son prior to this event and had been working with the Department of Social Services to keep custody over his son. The court case was filed by Joshua's mother, Melody Deshaney, who was suing the DSS employees on behalf of failing to protect her son from his father. To understand the Deshaney v. Winnebago County Court case and the Supreme courts ruling, it's important to analyze the background, the court's decision, and how this case has impacted our society.
As Judge Dee begins solving the crimes, the story unfolds slowly and shows the reader the history of China. In the Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, Judge Dee lived in the Tang dynasty. During this period, one can see how the Chinese authoritative views were strict, the laws and punishment which were enforced, and what the outlook on the Chinese society was. Authority had a strong hold on their community and the people in the town also confined in them to help them and solve crimes. The community also knew what the consequences of causing a crime was and that indeed it was wrong to omit a crime. Judge Dee and with the help of his associates, begins solving the crime through much observation and Judge Dee was very clever. He used methods and tools such as, going undercover, using underground sources, interrogation, and forensic science to solve his problems. It isn’t much different today on how we solve crime in the western world.
Returning to the judicial world of the Bronx Family Court as a judge, after years of working in administration, Judge Richard Ross is astonished to find a distinctly more disjointed situation than the one he left. As he attempts to live out his life as “both the fact finder and arbiter of the law” it is clear the current judicial system does not serve him well (xv). Judge Ross conveys to the reader the fundamental issues of the Family Court system through his day to day happenings which range from endless caseloads to death threats. The use of personal experience is effective in adding credibility to more clearly convey his point that not only the Judges, but the case workers, 18-B attorneys, and various legal aides are overworked to a point
Mary Wade, born on the 5th of October 1777 was the youngest convict to be sent to Australia. Before her life as a convict, she would sweep and beg on the streets of London to make her living.
An interesting chief of justice is John Roberts. Reason for this being is that he has participated in many important case in which have related to the violation of the first amendment. Chief Justice Roberts has had a successful start to his career and will be known for his very interesting cases and arguments.
The lawyer and scholar believed that there should be one universal government ruling the people, this government would be a led by a mix of all three classes. He states how a monarchy would be the ideal rule, but is extremely unrealistic as all humans reason equally. By instating a mixed form of government, people would feel more of a connection with the laws and more of a personal responsibility to follow them if they had a part in creating them. Additionally, all people would be seen as equal before the law as all have equal capabilities and through effort, a common good can be achieved; the only thing differentiating humans is their variety of gifts, besides this, there is no variation. A person’s economic status by no means defines their ability to lead, by all groups participating in government, there are no idle citizens that are not a part of the
On taking office in 1789, President Washington nominated New York lawyer Alexander Hamilton to the office of Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton wanted a strong national government with financial credibility and he proposed the ambitious Hamiltonian economic program. James Madison was Hamilton's ally in the fight to ratify the new Constitution, but he and Thomas Jefferson, opposed Hamilton's economic programs by 1791. By the early 1790s newspapers started calling Hamilton supporters "Federalists" and their opponents "Democrats," "Republicans," "Jeffersonians" or—much later—"Democratic-Republicans". The 1790s served as the main stage of the Federalist Party ideas as they represented the first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams.
Socrates reaches a conclusion that defies a common-sense understanding of justice. Nothing about his death sentence “seems” just, but after further consideration, we find that his escape would be as fruitless as his death, and that in some sense, Socrates owes his obedience to whatever orders Athens gives him since he has benefited from his citizenship.
The following essay is about the assassination of Federal Judge John Wood. Judge John Howland Wood, Jr. was born on March 31, 1916. In 1970, Judge Wood became a United States Federal District Judge for the Western District of Texas. Judge Wood was tough on crimes including the making, selling, and distribution of illegal drugs, and he had a reputation for giving long prison sentences to drug dealers. This reputation gained him the nickname, “Maximum John.” In 1979, mobster Jamiel (“Jimmy”) Chagra was awaiting his trial for drug trafficking, and it was inevitable that he would be found guilty, and he was prepared to take any measure to prevent this fate. Consequently, Judge Wood was killed in front of his
I initially considered Lewis and Clark Law School, as it seemed a natural choice after attending Lewis & Clark College as an undergraduate, and never leaving Portland. Although I am considering relocating for law school, I would be delighted to stay here in Portland and continue to enjoy all this city, and surrounding area, has to offer. The Pacific Northwest is an idyllic place to live, as exemplified by the gorgeous forest surrounding Lewis and Clark, in which I have often taken a peaceful walk to relax. I also appreciate Portland’s culture of delicious food, and especially coffee, as well as its friendly people.
If I could spend one afternoon with someone dead or alive, I would choose Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court Justice. Antonin Scalia was considered one of the most influential conservative Supreme Court Justices in history. Recently in February of 2016, Scalia passed away, leaving his legacy forever in the court. Scalia was involved in numerous landmark cases that shaped American history, for example District of Columbia v. Heller and Bush v. Gore. As a young conservative who is anticipating a major in political science and future law school, Antonin Scalia’s career and political views reach to my similar goals.
Trial by Jury was first introduced during the reign of King Henry II as a mechanism to uncover the King’s rights, but it wasn’t until King Henry III that the jury was molded into a body of witnesses to call on their knowledge. Presently, our jury system is a body of witnesses that determine the guilt or innocence grounded upon a presentation of facts and evidence. The current structure of trial by jury is not sufficiently democratic. Jury panels are not selected democratically, but instead are chosen through a process call “voir dire” where attorneys and the judge ask a series of questions to establish the “impartiality” of the potential juror. This aspect of jury selection rejects the democratic notion that everyone is equally qualified to rule. The unanimity of the verdict is another key component of trial by juries that is not appropriately democratic because it forces people to fall under the coercion of others. This feature discards the fundamentals of democratic rule, which is a majority rule. These aspects of trial by jury do not ensure the effectiveness of a trial and actually hinder the possibility for a fair verdict. With the increasing number of trials all over the United States, reform of these components are necessary to guarantee the just and democratic ruling of trials.
In The Republic, a truly just state contains four cardinal virtues, which can also be found in a just individual. Justice is the fourth cardinal virtue, but can only be reached once three other virtues are achieved. The first cardinal virtue necessary for justice is wisdom. In an individual, wisdom stems from the prevalence of reason in one’s rational mind, which in turn leads to knowledge and a good sense of judgment. When extended to the just state, the members of Socrates’ utopian society who embody wisdom are the ruling class of philosopher kings (Plato, Republic, 428e). In fact, wisdom is so important to Socrates that he believes in a extremely rigid and structured education for these members of society, so as to develop the rational part of their brain (Plato, Republic, 428e). Courage is another virtue necessary for justice, and occurs when an individual’s wisdom is “backed up” by his or her spirit, unflinching in the face of “fears and desires”(Plato, Republic, 429d). Without courage, wisdom and reason will not be the dominant forces is one’s mind. This reasoning certainly applies to the importance of auxiliaries in a perfect society, where the values and beliefs integral to its well being are constantly imparted on public servants through education and training (Plato, Republic,
Philosophers are all known for questioning and exploring Ideals; taking a look at all options and what is most important. While Aristotle and Plato both take a plunge into the unknowns of a political state, Aristotle demonstrates a state for individuals, to rule as equals, contrary to Plato’s strict utopian structure and group over individual hierarchy view of the ideal state.