Sociology 2306 Worksheet "Truth on Trial"

1. What is the basic issue in this hypothetical case?

2. Why does the CEO of this company decide not to do a recall on the space heaters?

3. What are the ethical obligations of defense attorneys in such cases, according to the lawyers, judges, and law professors in this video?

4. Why do Supreme Court Justice Scalia, the law professor, and one of the other judges agree that they would be wiling to see the evidence of negligence destroyed or sealed as part of a negotiated settlement?

Group Project "Truth on Trial" Sociology 2306

.

1. What are the advantages of large corporations in cases like this one? Is there anything that we do, or should do, as a society in order to counterbalance those advantages?

2. You will have noticed that this case is being pursued in civil court. Cases involving large corporations are much more likely to be handled in civil court, or by a regulatory agency, as a matter of administrative law, than by the criminal justice system. What are the pros and cons of keeping most instances of organizational crime out of the criminal justice system?

3. If this were a criminal case, what would you see as the appropriate charges against the executive and against his company (don't worry about the legal technicalities, for the time being; think in terms of substantive justice). What would you see as the appropriate sentencing if guilty verdicts were reached?

4. Provide a brief summary of the facts and charges relating to the recent tobacco settlements between the Tobacco Companies and the various states. What do you think were the essential factors in creating a willingness by the tobacco companies to reach these settlements, after a many-year history of never losing a case in court?

5.Do you think the publicity relating to the lawsuits against the tobacco companies and the subsequent multi-billion dollar settlements represent any kind of basic change in societal attitudes toward large corporations? If so, what has created those changes?