Case Study 2: Justin Ross Harris

According to media reports, Justin Ross Harris, the Georgia dad whose 22-month-old son, died after being left in a hot car, was indicted by a grand jury on multiple murder charges. In this case study, you will explore police investigative techniques and their application to the case of Justin Ross Harris. 

Review the following articles and documents regarding the Justin Ross Harris case. Review the facts of the case, along with the indictment and article on eyewitness testimony.

• Indictment document, located at http://archive.11alive.com/assetpool/documents/140904025517_Harris-Indictment-redacted.pdf
• “Ross Harris indicted for murder in son’s hot car death”, located at http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/marietta/2014/09/04/ross-harris-indictment/15063107/
• “The limits of eyewitness testimony”, located at http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/eyewitness.aspx

 Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

1. Take a position on whether or not the judge should allow eyewitness testimony to factor into the jury’s decision on this case. Next, discuss two (2) factors which would influence a witness’s ability to make an accurate identification. Provide a rationale for your response.
2. Summarize the nine (9) sequential steps that comprise the Reid technique for interrogation. Next, identify the step(s) in the process that you believe to be the most important, and support your opinion.
3. Choose two (2) of the eight (8) total counts, from the indictment document, and identify the evidence that the police have uncovered to substantiate these counts. Next, identify one (1) count that you believe the police cannot substantiate with the evidence they have already disclosed. Provide a rationale to support your response.
4. As a result of the surrounding circumstances and media attention given to this case, speculate on the likelihood of officers presuming that Justin Ross Harris is guilty and engaging in investigative bias. Next, determine the impact on the pursuit of justice in this case if the officers have indeed presumed guilt and engaged in investigative bias.
5. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other related websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

 The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of the different elements and aspects of forensic psychology.
• Brief and debate historic cases associated with mental health and forensic psychology.
• Analyze presentence investigations and court documents for clinical evaluations of offenders.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues related to forensic psychology.
• Write clearly and concisely about topics related to forensic psychology using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.