Mental Health Court

Question 1

You are part of a citizen’s watchdog committee on the circuit court in your region of the state. Recently, the state has started a mental health court, in which defendants may voluntarily enter into a treatment program instead of being prosecuted and sentenced to a prison term.

Mr. John Snodgrass was recently arrested at a local park playground while attempting to look up the skirts of little girls about 5 or 6 years old playing on the park’s monkey bars. His lawyer explained that Snodgrass has pedophilic disorder or is suffering from voyeurism, but it only results in him looking at little girls—he has never touched one. The judge allowed Snodgrass to voluntarily enter a diversion program for the new mental health court.

Please respond to the following questions. You must provide meaningful feedback to the main postings of at least two of your classmates.

• What is the intent of the mental health court in general?
• Did the judge make an appropriate decision in this case, and why?
• What other alternatives would have been more appropriate for this defendant?

3-5 paragraphs

Question 2

Watch An Unreal Dream with a view towards evaluating the justice system and the potential for error. Describe the events described in the film and your thoughts/opinions on it. Discuss your opinion of law enforcement, the prosecutor(s), defense attorneys, and the judge based upon the events in the film.

What are the main reasons for the wrongful conviction of Mr. Morton? What reforms do you suggest? Does Michael Morton deserve compensation for his ordeal? How should compensation be computed, and who should be responsible for paying it? Support your discussion with at least two research sources. A suggested length for this is 12-18 paragraphs.