Law Commons^™

Prosecutors’ And Police Chiefs’ Perception Of Crime In South Dakota, Maggie Erickson

Honors Thesis

PURPOSE:

This exploratory study regarding prosecutors' and police chiefs' perceptions of crime in South Dakota covers many aspects of crime, including available resources to address crime, perceptions of the criminal justice system, fear of crime, concern for specific crime categories, and crime-reducing measures. Studies specifically focusing on Criminal Justice actors’ perception of crime prove low in number at the national and state levels.

FINDINGS:

Findings indicate that prosecutors lack enough time, financial resources, and staff to effectively address crime, while police chiefs primarily view inadequate staffing as their biggest resource concern. While personal fear of crime or victimization for both …

"They Just Needed To Be Given The Opportunity": Judicial Perspectives Of Drug/Dui Courts In South Dakota, Ryleigh A. Christopherson

Honors Thesis

Drug/DUI courts have existed in the state of South Dakota since 2007 when the state became the last to implement a drug/DUI court program. Currently, South Dakota has 17 problem-solving courts which include drug, DUI, mental health, and veterans courts. The drug/DUI court model works to circumvent participants out of the criminal justice system by targeting the root cause of their criminal behavior. The role of the judge in this model is essential. Previous research has found that how participants view the quality of their interactions with the presiding judge is one of the most influential factors for their success …

Antitrust Philosophy And Its Impact On Rural Industry, Logan Gary Johnson

Honors Thesis

The United States is a nation steeped in values, and tradition. One of these values has always been the preservation of competition in the pursuit of liberty. The philosophical backing of America’s founding can be traced back to a handful of European thinkers, most notably John Locke. The connection between Locke, America’s founding, and continued struggles with antitrust enforcement are worthy of exploration. Though likely unintentional, rural communities have been left to deal with the impacts of weak antitrust enforcement in a number of key sectors. Chief of which is Agriculture. Consolidation is the new norm, with each stage of …

Juvenile Solitary Confinement And The Eighth Amendment, Taylor R. Graves

Honors Thesis

This literature review examines the practice of juvenile solitary confinement, applies the United States Supreme Court’s Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, argues that the practice should be declared unconstitutional as a violation of the Eighth Amendment, and calls for a categorical ban. The Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause of the Eighth Amendment states, “nor [shall] cruel and unusual punishments [be] inflicted.” U.S. Const. amend. VIII. Juvenile solitary confinement is cruel and unusual, in violation of the Eighth Amendment, because juveniles are different. The United States Supreme Court has long recognized that juveniles should not be held to the same standards of …