A controversial criminal justice topic is the phenomenon where executed people are subsequently found innocent of the crimes for which they were accused. Students taking undergraduate level criminal justice courses in anticipation of law school will open their eyes to this issue early on. Students can complete research on the presence of wrongful execution in the United States, the need for policy reform, or the need for reopening a case after execution. Additionally, students can study whether families of wrongfully executed deserve compensation as a result of this act.
The death penalty itself is a controversial topic across the United States. State governments have the ability to enact or remove their death penalties. During debates over enacting or removing death penalties as matters of law, legislators often make moral arguments in support of either position. Students wishing to weigh in on this topic can take a side and make their best case for supporting or rejecting the death penalty. Some of the strongest appeals on this topic are made on moral grounds. For example, students who support the death penalty may argue for getting rid of it on the moral ground that states should not execute their citizens. Alternatively, students can argue that the death penalty should apply in the most extreme circumstances, and that those properly executed are receiving the justice they deserve under the law.
Police search procedure is a contested practice in the United States and around the world. In the United States, the practice is constrained by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution which bars unreasonable search. Generally, police need a warrant to search citizens and residents, unless an exigency exists. When police pull over a driver and execute a "Terry stop" or a "stop and frisk" because they believe a suspect is committing, has committed or will commit a crime, police are allowed to search the vehicle's compartment when there is specific probable cause to do so. During this search, however, police may find criminal evidence for which they were not looking. For example, if they are searching for a gun in the vehicle's glove compartment, they may find illegal drugs. Students can complete a research paper on search and seizure policies and make an argument as to whether these procedures need to be changed.
An alternative research topic is the availability of foreign citizens to obtain criminal protections while in the United States. Should non-U.S. citizens receive the same constitutional protections granted to United States citizens with regard to criminal activity? This paper requires students to pick a foreign country and analyze that country's constitutional practices compared to U.S. policy.