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The main facts of Smith’s case are as follows: Smith was accused of the murder of his ex-wife and best friend. Overall, the evidence was mixed, with most of it, such as the presence of his blood at the murder scene, being damning for Smith. However, the fact that the found glove did not fit Smith’s hand suggests tampering with the evidence by the police investigators. Furthermore, the case gained notoriety in society and created a schism, with the black community supporting Smith’s acquittal and the white population opposing it. It is apparent that Smith’s case presents several moral dilemmas, the main one being whether he should have been acquitted or not.
Possible Decisions for the Ethical Actor
In convention with most murder cases, the two main courses of action are acquitting Smith or finding him guilty. The evidence is inconclusive, making this decision particularly difficult. Despite the overall evidence pointing towards Smith being guilty, the fact that a part of it seemed to have been tampered with discredited the entirety of the case. The publicity of the case added another layer of complexity to the decision, as either verdict would alienate a part of the population.
Values for the Actor
Above all, the most relevant value for this case seems to be the concept of racism. The societal and systemic injustice present in the criminal justice system was the reason why this trial resonated with the black population. The condemnation of Smith in the face of the supposed tampering with the evidence would undoubtedly cause social uproar, confirming the existing biases.
Ethical Systems
In application to the case, two of the prominent ethical systems seem relevant. Firstly, it is worth establishing ethical formalism as a relevant framework. Ethical formalism relies on categorical imperatives to dictate the course of one’s action (Pollock, 2020). Categorical imperatives are those that follow the moral imperative in Kantian tradition (Pollock, 2020). Furthermore, the ethical system of utilitarianism can be discussed in relation to Smith’s case. According to utilitarianism, the ethical value of an action is decided by its outcomes; even a bad deed can be considered good if it has positive outcomes. (Pollock, 2020). Therefore, one must always act to achieve the highest feasible good-to-evil ratio for everyone involved (Pollock, 2020). To conclude, the ethical systems that can be applied to Smith’s case are ethical formalism and utilitarianism.
Ethical formalism and utilitarianism focus on different aspects of moral decision-making. Teleological ethics, such as utilitarianism, focuses on the outcomes of an action (Pollock, 2020). In contrast, deontological ethics, such as ethical formalism, focus on the inherent moral value of an action itself, regardless of its consequences (Pollock, 2020). These contrasting systems can therefore be used simultaneously to provide a broader perspective on the issue.
Dilemma Resolution and Conclusion
Having reviewed the facts, the values, the possible decisions, and the applicable ethical systems, one can discern how to resolve this dilemma. From an ethical formalism perspective, the judge would consider the rules and principles of the law, as well as the principles of justice, in order to make a decision that is fair and just (Pollock, 2020). Ethical formalism would dictate that the jury do their duty of prosecuting the guilty individual without any regard for the societal implications. It is likely that Smith would be found guilty, as most of the evidence points toward him.
On the other side, an utilitarianist decision in Smith’s case would be focused on choosing the outcome with which the majority of the rattled public would be pleased. An argument can be made for acquitting Smith in order to appease the black population and show that their gripes with the criminal justice system are heard. Nonetheless, the white population would be upset with the decision to acquit someone with such an amount of evidence against him. In other words, both verdicts are possible from an utilitarianist standpoint. As both ethical systems point towards a guilty verdict as a valid decision, it can be stated that this is the way the dilemma should be resolved.
Reference
Pollock, J. M. (2020). Ethical dilemmas and decisions in criminal justice (10th ed). Cengage Learning.
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