The elderly man Essay Example for Free

The elderly man Essay My response to situation number four is not to charge the elderly man. First and foremost, a prosecutor’s duty entails determining what cases should be prosecuted. In effect, this means, acting as a â€Å"strainer. † This means that decisions are based on several factors such as â€Å"limited resources, difficulty in enforcement, and not to mention political and public pressures† In deciding against prosecution, the following factors were taken into consideration: age, public interest, and rehabilitation from imprisonment. From the nature of the case and the age of the accused, there would be little reason to imprison him. In addition, looking at the factual circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime, there is little reason to do so. The fact that he immediately turned himself in shows his understanding of right and wrong, in the same breath making a choice to commit such wrong to free his wife from her disease. Moreover, I took media attention in consideration. Being published on the front page of a newspaper indicates a high public in the case, which is the very basis for enacting laws. The article will elicit two kinds of reaction from the public. The first reaction is negative in that people would disagree to the act of ending his wife’s life, but the other reaction could be an outpouring of sympathy for an elderly man who only wanted his wife’s suffering to end. To quote the assigned text, â€Å"in some situations, prosecutors do not charge because of an outpouring of public sympathy or support for the accused, perhaps because of the type of crime or identity of the victim. † Furthermore, based on a study that looks at the prosecutor as â€Å"operating in an exchange system†, whether between the prosecutor and police officers or the courts, in which case considerations may include jail overcrowding and docket backlog, a prosecutor would think twice whether or not charges should be pressed. On the basis of the above reasons, taxpayers’ money would be better spent prosecuting individuals whose malicious or negligent actions have caused pain and suffering to the victims and their families.