CJ230 Project Two Template
Memo to the Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee

Complete this template by replacing the bracketed text with the relevant information.

To:Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee

From:[Your Name]

Date:[Date]

Subject:Discretionary Actions of Judge

I am the public representative of Emily Doe and her family. I am writing to express concern regarding the discretionary decisions and actions made by the judge in the recent conviction of the defendant in Miss Doe’s case. I would like to express my concern regarding the following:

[Explain parts of the decision-making process in which discretion can be applied in accordance with law and policy. Answer the following questions in your explanation:

o    What laws or policies may influence criminal justice professionals (in this scenario, the judge) to reach decisions in the stages of the criminal justice process (arrest, indictment, conviction)?

o    How does discretion impactthe decisions made in accordance with law and policy?]

[Analyze discretionary decisions made by criminal justice professionals. Address the following in your analysis:

o    What decisions were made by the judge?

o    Who is affected by the decisions?

o    Do they have negative or positive impacts?]

[Identify specific steps in the discretionary decision-making process thatmay lead to negative and legal impacts. Address the following in your identification:

o    What are the specific steps in the discretionary decision-making process thatmay lead to negative impacts?

o    Could the judge have done anything differently in a specific step to have made a positive impact?]

[Describe the role discoverability plays in the decision-making documentation process:

o    What role did discoverability play in this process?

o    Which step in the decision-making process does discoverability fall under?]

Sincerely,

[Your Name]