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282PPRTESTIMONYORARGUMENTHowdoyourule.docx
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OJ Simpson Case & Prosecutor Marcia Clark
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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//ABISOURCE//DTD XHTML plus AWML 2.2//EN" "http://www.abisource.com/2004/xhtml-awml/xhtml-awml.mod"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:awml="http://www.abisource.com/2004/xhtml-awml/"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="application/xhtml+xml; charset=UTF-8" /> <title> Abiword HTML Document </title> </head> <body> <div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align:center"> <span style="font-size:14pt">PHL 100, Paper Topic:</span><span style="font-size:16pt">Distinguishing Argument from Testimony: Marcia Clark and the O.J. Simpson Trial</span> </p> <p> </p> <p> OJ Simpson case-a video review:<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/now-i-get-it-oj-simpson-trial-explained-by-kaye-130354155763.html">https://news.yahoo.com/now-i-get-it-oj-simpson-trial-explained-by-kaye-130354155763.html</a> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> On page 38 of Waller’s text book (in the box at the bottom) we read about the O.J. Simpson case and Prosecutor Marcia Clark’s closing arguments to the Jury. </p> <p> You are being asked to rule on whether Marcia Clark was in fact providing personal Testimony or whether she was providing an argument to the jury that they should convict O.J. Simpson. </p> <p> </p> <p> Recall that arguments have three parts 1-2-3! 1. A conclusion, backed up by 2. Premises that have a 3. clear relation of deductive proof or inductive support.<span style="text-decoration:underline">The first thing to do is to identify The Conclusion. Then ask what reasons (premises) are being offered to back-up the conclusion. If the “reasons” given depend upon the character of a persons testimony the person is not giving an argument but basically making ad hominem claims saying “You can trust me (or whoever) in what I am saying”</span>These are ad hominem presentations (“to the person”) Not arguments. Arguments need NO reference at all to the character of the presenter (remember the monkeys that accidentally typed out “ All Men are Mortal, Socrates is a man; Therefore Socrates is mortal.” (A sound argument! Even if typed out entirely by accident from a group of monkeys!!) </p> <p> </p> <p> <span style="text-decoration:underline">So how do you rule? Was Marcia Clark improperly putting her own testimony to the jury or was she properly providing an argument about why the jury should convict O.J. Simpson?</span> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> From p. 38 of our text; Waller, Bruce. “Critical Thinking. Consider the verdict. 6<span style="vertical-align:super">th</span> edition.” </p> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;font-size:16pt">Instructions:</span><span style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic"> Take the case given below, and place yourself in the position of the Judge hearing from Prosecutor Marcia Clark presenting final arguments (in the OJ Simpson trial (See video linked above for a review of this case).</span> </p> <p> </p> <span>First discuss the concept of an argument (noting that lawyers and thus, prosecutors, are supposed to be giving arguments not “testimony”</span><span>What is the difference between giving an argument and giving testimony?</span><span>Why is it a flaw on the lawyer’s part to provide testimony rather than argument (see p. 37 of Waller’s text especially on this).</span><span></span><span style="font-size:12pt">Finally you need to decide</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">Whether Marcia Clark was improperly putting her</span> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'"> own testimony before the jury? Or was she, quite properly, simply giving an argument?</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt"> <span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:12pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'"></span><span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:12pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman';text-decoration:underline">How do you rule</span><span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:12pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">? Why? (i.e., triple-A treatment here: “Articulate, Analyze, Argue!!!)</span> </p> <span></span><span style="font-size:12pt">The essay should be 300-750 words of clear prose (not an outline).</span><span style="font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;color:#ff0000">Written in Word for</span> <p class="list_paragraph" style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt" awml:style="List Paragraph"> <span style="font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;color:#ff0000">Windows only (No pdfs or google docs, etc</span><span style="font-size:12pt;color:#ff0000">..)</span><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:'Segoe UI';color:#212121;background:#ffffff">The due date will be 2 weeks from the posting date so plenty of time to complete the assignment. Due date will be May 3rd, Monday.</span> </p> <span class="list_paragraph" style="background:#ffffff"></span><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:'Segoe UI';color:#212121;background:#ffffff"> Lastly please sign the academic integrity statement copied below and attach to your final version of the essay</span> <p class="list_paragraph" style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt" awml:style="List Paragraph"> </p> <p class="list_paragraph" style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt" awml:style="List Paragraph"> <span style="font-size:12pt">Here is the case from Waller’s text, p.38:</span> </p> <p class="list_paragraph" style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt" awml:style="List Paragraph"> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt"> <span style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;font-size:14pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-BoldItalic'">How Do You Rule?</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">In her closing arguments to the jury in the O. J. Simpson murder trial, prosecutor Marcia Clark made the following remarks: “</span><span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">I started on that side of counsel table [referring to the lawyers for the defense]. I was a defense attorney. I know what the ethical obligations</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">are of a prosecutor. I took a cut in pay to join</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">this office, because I believe in this job.</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">I believe in doing it fairly and doing it right</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">and I like the luxury of being a prosecutor.</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">Because I have the luxury on any case of going</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">to the judge and saying, “Guess what, Your</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">Honor, dismiss it, it’s not here.”</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">Ladies and Gentlemen, I can come to you</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">and I can say, “Don’t convict, it’s not here.”</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">I have that right. I have that luxury. This job</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">gives me that luxury. It doesn’t give me a lot of</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">money but it gives me that luxury. I can get up</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">in the morning and look at myself in the mirror</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">and say I tell you the truth, I will never ask for a</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">conviction unless I should, unless the law says</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">I must, unless he is proven guilty beyond a</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">reasonable doubt on credible evidence.</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">At that point in her closing argument, the</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">defense intervened with an objection. The defense</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">claimed that Marcia Clark’s remarks were improper,</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'"> and that she should be forced to retract them,</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">because she was improperly giving</span><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Italic';text-decoration:underline">testimony</span><span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">about</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">her own convictions concerning Simpson’s guilt</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">rather than presenting argument based on the</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">evidence. Marcia Clark asserted that there was</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">nothing improper in her closing argument. She</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">denied that she was giving any testimony concerning</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">her own beliefs; instead, she claimed, she was</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">simply giving arguments based on well-known</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">principles governing legal ethics and the ethics of</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">prosecutors.</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">Was Marcia Clark improperly putting her</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">own testimony before the jury? Or was she, quite</span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom:0.000000pt;margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman'">properly, simply giving an argument?</span><span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman';text-decoration:underline">How do</span> </p> <p style="margin-left:36.000000pt"> <span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:17pt;font-family:'NewBaskerville-Roman';text-decoration:underline">you rule?</span> </p> <p style="margin-left:36.000000pt"> </p> <p style="margin-left:36.000000pt"> </p> <p> <span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:14pt">Intellectual Honesty Certification</span> </p> <p awml:style="Default"> </p> <p awml:style="Default"> </p> <p awml:style="Default"> <span style="font-weight:bold">The integrity statement is as follows: This statement is required to be completed and submitted with all written work</span> </p> <p awml:style="Default"> </p> <p class="default" style="margin-left:36.000000pt" awml:style="Default"> <span style="font-style:italic;font-size:11pt">I certify the following:</span> </p> <p class="default" style="margin-left:36.000000pt" awml:style="Default"> <span style="font-style:italic;font-size:11.5pt;font-family:'Times New Roman'">1. My work for this course will be</span><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:11pt">entirely my own, with any words and/or ideas from other sources (print, Web, other media, other individuals or groups) being properly cited and referenced.</span> </p> <p class="default" style="margin-left:36.000000pt" awml:style="Default"> <span style="font-style:italic;font-size:11pt">2. This work has not been nor will be submitted to satisfy the requirements of any other course.</span> </p> <p class="default" style="margin-left:36.000000pt" awml:style="Default"> </p> <p class="default" style="margin-left:36.000000pt" awml:style="Default"> <span style="font-style:italic;font-size:11pt">Signed………………………………………………………………………………………………</span> </p> <p awml:style="Default"> </p> <p> </p> <p style="margin-left:36.000000pt"> </p> </div> </body></html> ">
