Dec 4: As a class or small group teams, work through the questions in Part I. Consult your textbook, Chapter 8. Hand out of Mock Trial Materials
Dec 6: Class Notes on Criminal Law
Dec 8: Hand in Part II of the story. Individual activity. Mock Trial Preparations in class.
Dec 12: Homework Due: How can a person get legal aid? Background: http://www.icclr.law.ubc.ca/Publications/Reports/beijing.pdf. Also: Visit the Legal Services Society of British Columbia online for information. Mock trial preparations in class.
Dec. 14: Part 4 of Billy’s story due. Mock trial preparations.
Dec 18: and Dec 20 Mock Trials to be presented.
Dec 22: The Abbotsford Killer
For Dec 4:
Steps in dealing with the accusations against Billy.
1. Role-play a police officer, PO, asking Billy questions about his shoes, his truck, his habits of going to work.
Remember, the police can only ask questions that relate to the scene and to the break-in. At this time, the police do not have information about Billy’s financial situation. They know, however, that the truck was recently purchased. So, they could ask Billy how he had financed the truck?
Remember, the police are trying to establish a motive.
2. Would Billy have a motive in stealing from his co-worker? Explain. Consider whether Billy would have been desperate enough to commit the offence. What makes you think so?
3. The police believe the foot prints near the locker area and Billy’s shoes can be linked. What would the police have to do to link Billy to the crime?
4. Witnesses can be in the form of eye witnesses or video surveillance. On a construction site, there will also often be security posted near the gates. Are there any other considerations that could be made?
5. What can be said about the nature of these foot prints? Where they fresh? Are they clear? What was the weather like that could have caused clear foot prints to be made? Are there other workers on site who might have similar shoes?
6. The best possible evidence the police could obtain would be the actual tools that were stolen from the locker. They would have to be found either in Billy’s truck or in his house. The police would have to have a warrant. In case there is a delay in finding the tools or the tools can not be found, has Billy paid back some of the outstanding loan? How did he obtain the money? Did he make a deposit? Again, it would be necessary to have a warrant issued to search Billy’s financial records.
