Fantastic Lies

Watch The ESPN 30 for 30 Documentary, Fantastic Lies. It is available on “Google Play” and Amazon Prime Video” for approximately $5.00. The DVD is also
available for purchase on Amazon. It may be available on other streaming and movie services as well. On March 13, 2006, the Duke Lacrosse team hired
erotic dancers to perform at a team party. After the party, one of the dancers accused three of the players of raping her. They were charged with rape and
related offenses, and later indicted for these crimes. A media circus ensued and the “Duke Lacrosse Case” became a high profile national story. A
subsequent investigation conducted by the defendants’ attorneys revealed that they had not committed these crimes and that the accusations were false.
The North Carolina Attorney General declared the defendants innocent and dismissed the charges. The ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, Fantastic Lies
(Originally Aired on March 13, 2016) explores the circumstances that resulted in three Duke Lacrosse team members being falsely accused of sexual assault
and later cleared, as well as the events that transpired thereafter. Your assignment is to write a 6-8 page reflection paper (not including title page) on this
documentary from the perspectives of criminal procedure/constitutional law, and ethics. Your paper should focus on five (5) of the eleven (11) discussion
points below. You are permitted to discuss other issues not raised in these discussion points.
REFLECTION PAPER (continued):

1. What constitutional, procedural (Crim. Procedure) and ethical violations were committed and by whom?
2. What discretionary decisions were made by the prosecutor in this case? How would you have made these decisions if you were in his shoes?
3. What motivated the prosecutor to act in the manner that he did?
4. What impact did the media have on this case? Did the media act in a professional and ethical manner?
5. What impact (if any) did race, gender and class/privilege have on this case?
6. Why was there a rush to judgement in this case?
7. What does the “Duke Lacrosse Case” tell us about the “presumption of Innocence” in some high profile criminal cases?
8. What lessons should we learn from this case which resulted in three persons being falsely accused of crimes they didn’t commit?
9. What (if anything) should the police, prosecutor, media, and Duke administration done differently?
10. The Criminal Justice System is called upon to balance the rights of the accused with the rights of the victims. How was that balance illustrated and
    struck in this case? 11. What questions did the documentary leave unanswered? The discussion points above are merely intended to provide a framework for
    your discussion. They are not listed in order or importance. In addition, they are not intended to organize your paper. You are permitted to discuss them in the
    order that works best for the overall framework of your paper and the positions you are advocating. As noted earlier, you are also allowed to discuss issues
    that are not raised above.