Supreme Court Justice

In this assignment, you will be a Supreme Court Justice deciding on a Fourth Amendment case.   Carefully read about the case in question, the summaries of related Supreme Court decisions, and directions for the assignment. 

The Case “Doe v. City of Intrusia”:

Trouble was brewing in the small, quiet city of Intrusia.  Someone was selling methamphetamine to the local teenagers and a popular football player died after an overdose.  The community was panicked and demanded that the police find the source of the meth and shut it down immediately.  The police suspected that 20 year old Joe Doe was selling the meth but they didn’t have much evidence. 

The state prosecutor advised the police department to talk with the local cell phone carrier about “cloning” Mr. Doe’s phone.  The cell phone carrier created a “clone” phone which allowed the police to read text messages sent and received by Mr. Doe.  In no time the police had evidence implicating Mr. Doe as a dealer and the location of the meth lab.  Mr. Doe was convicted and the meth lab was closed.

Mr. Doe is appealing his conviction, claiming that the interception of text messages violated the unreasonable search and seizure protections of the Fourth Amendment.  Furthermore, all evidence from the text messages should have been excluded from his trial.

The City of Intrusia argues that there was no physical intrusion into Mr. Doe’s space and that police were acting quickly in order to uphold their duty to protect the community’s safety.

American Government Assignment 1

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper on American federalism in which you:

1.      Provide three (3) examples of how federalism has evolved from its origins to the American political system in place today.

2.      Examine three to five (3-5) factors that have allowed the concept of federalism to shape American political behavior.

3.      Discuss at least two (2) factors that illustrate how the relationship between the states and the U.S. federal government influences the creation of American policies overall.

4.      Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment.

Note: Wikipedia and other Websites to 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 to:

·         Determine how the Constitution divides power between the state and federal governments.

·         Use technology and information resources to research issues in the field of U.S. government and politics.

·         Write clearly and concisely about U.S. government and politics using proper writing mechanics.