Focus group discussion Essay Example for Free

Focus group discussion Essay The research utilized two focus groups to represent the student population being evaluated. Each focus group is comprised of four students with one moderator in charge of the discussion and although it was mentioned that the target number of students for the focus group would be seven, only four students from each group attended the session. The students that were sampled had all previously used or had the necessary experience in handling web 2. 0 applications particularly wikis, blogs, social networking technologies (MySpace, Friendster, etc. ) and other Web 2. 0 applications that were used by the students. For the first part of the discussion, the group focused on introductory remarks particular on how they utilize web 2. 0 applications. Both groups were asked the question (as a discussion opener) on how do they enjoy spending their spare time in the internet. According to group 1, half of the group indicated that they had very limited time when online because of the budgetary constraints and thus they are more apt to utilize all of their time in using web 2. 0 applications for learning purposes. On the other hand, the other half of the group expressed their fondness of being able to enjoy chat while online with their friends and browsing through forums for information (whether education or non-education related information). One common trait for all the participants of the first group is their interest in reading and searching for subjects that interest them with the use of web 2. 0 applications. It is interesting to note that, previously they had mentioned that they were utilizing information only or web 1. 0 applications for information but with the influx of web 2.0 applications, they had found it easier to use and more apt to their style of finding information (Hinchcliffe, 2006). Being that web 2. 0 applications are more interactive and provides a venue for two-way communication, they are able to ask questions, search for groups or communities with their desired information. For the second group, it was indicated that the members of the group with the same background utilize their spare time by chatting online with their friends, particularly with the classmates as some of the members of the group are schoolmates and are friends. They are able to share information particular to current blogs and subjects that interest them as a whole. With this they are able to find information faster as they are able to share insights with each other. In addition, they are able to utilize their spare time while online by browsing through subjects often referred to by their classmates within the focus group. Being that they are also previously acquainted with each other, they are able to use web 2. 0 applications at the same time, often during school breaks where they are able to meet with each other and share community sites such as blogs and wikis that highlight their favourite and desired information. This adds to the value of web 2. 0 applications being a very communal information technology tool it is able to put together people with the use of the internet and information put together. As a follow up to the first question, every member of the two focus groups were asked of their level of familiarity with respect to web 2. 0 technologies. Level of familiarity is defined as the ability of these students being evaluated to first identify with web 2. 0 technologies, their level of being able to proficiency in utilizing such tools and their capacity to use such tools in aspects of their daily lives such as interaction with society, learning and education (Hinchcliffe, 2006). The first group explained that there are familiar with the most common web 2. 0 technologies online. Noted web 2. 0 applications such as blogs, community forums and Wikis were identified the most by the users. The respondents in group one generally expressed their feelings that Web 2. 0 applications have been already been there in our daily lives even before it was formalized as Web 2. 0 technologies. As one respondent explains, Web 2. 0 technologies have been present for a considerable amount of time already and have been used as a means of providing and transferring information between each other. However, with the formal induction of these technologies as Web 2. 0 technologies, further improvement and interest was accorded to it, thus the influx of users and it was more and more integrated into society. Forums for example have existed for a considerable amount of time yet only recently has it been given so much interest and improvement that it has started to occupy a considerable amount of society’s â€Å"online† daily lives (Anderson, 2007). For the second group, they had indicated what Web 2. 0 applications are but have little or no idea of it whatsoever. The students on the other hand had already used web 2. 0 applications such as social bookmarking, calendaring, image sharing, collaborative authoring, video sharing and social networking tools but had not identified under one umbrella such as Web 2. 0 technologies (O’Reilly, 2005). Students under this group were able to identify that they had used Wikis and Rallypoints as a tool to share information with their classmates in their classes but were not aware that these tools were considered as Web 2. 0 technologies. On the other hand, one of the students under this group had expressed that she had a rough understanding of what Web 2. 0 technologies is however had not taken into consideration the other Web 2. 0 technologies existing.

A risk management strategy

A risk management strategy Introduction This report details a risk management strategy for a given organization based on Australian Standards AS4360. Risk Management Strategy details: 1 2. Rationale for managing risks and risk management objectives All companies face risk. The main rationale for managing risk is to reduce the likelihood of project failure, be it financial, schedule or performance based. A formal risk management strategy provides a structured way to highlight threats to a project success. The strategy provides advice to the project team and management to benefit the organization as a whole by assisting in the decision and planning process, identifying opportunities or threats and gaining value from changing situations. The strategy takes a proactive approach to management and allocates resources more efficiently. Reduction of loss can be reduced and stakeholder trust is improved (Australian Standards, 2004). A balance between being able to take action on opportunities versus protecting the company against loss must be decided upon. Risk management should be part of company culture so that everyone in the company has a role to play and is aware of risk management. In the early days insurance was how organizations managed risk but now it is an essential part of all management teams. According to Sadgrove (2005), there are two types of business risk, non entrepreneurial risk and entrepreneurial risk. Non entrepreneurial is for example company fraud, theft or fire. Entrepreneurial risk is for example the opening of a new shop or produces a new product. It is in the best interests for the company directors to manage risk as it applies to all manage decisions. Risk is a pre-condition for innovation, a key ingredient of a successful company (Sadgrove, 2005). Risk management objectives are to reduce company cost, disruption and unhappiness (Sadgrove, 2005). It rates which activities are worth investigating for risk and which activities do not present current risk. By identifying risks earlier, managers can better plan for their possible occurrence in the future. Further objectives and benefits to the company include improved planning, greater resource efficiency, more timely scheduling, prevention reduced costs, improved company reputation, less surprises, enhanced communication between managers and staff, reassurance of stakeholders, higher quality products and more flexible and robust contingency plans (Carol and Elizabeth, 2005). As indicated in AS4360 when formulating objective for a risk management process, they must take into account the internal and external environmental factors (Australian Standards, 2004). Risk management is growing in importance these days for a number of factors. These include tougher legislation, more expensive insurance, customers less likely to accept product failure, higher standards for public image and changing management attitudes to a more global outlook. 3. Risk strategy issues According to Sadgrove (2005), issues covered by a risk strategy may be based on operation, strategic, compliance and financial issues. Operational issues include risks associated with employees, suppliers or natural events such as rain. Strategic issues include other markets, the economy and legal issues. Compliance issues may be accounting standards, tax requirements or government legislation. Financial issues include cost issues, interest rates and profitability concerns. The areas covered by the risk strategy will be influenced by the requirements of the company and its objectives. The products and / or services it supplies and the processes and practices used by the company will also affect the type of risk strategy employed. 4. Acceptable risk tolerance. According to Fischoff, Lichtenstein, Slovic, Derby and Keeney (1981), acceptable risk describes the likelihood of an event that has two factors. Firstly, the chance of occurrence is small. Secondly, the consequence is small. s are so slight, or whose benefits (perceived or real) are so great, that individuals or groups in society are willing to take or be subjected to the risk that the event might occur. The stakeholders and managers often determine acceptable risk factors. It is based on their perception on what they believe constitutes firstly a risk and secondly whether or not it is an acceptable one. An acceptable risk determination can vary and depends on factors such as differences in values, different requirements, project assumptions, concerns, concepts as they relate to the project being considered. According to AS4360, (Australian Standards, 2004), a team approach is very effective in determining and identifying risks more effectively. Risks are compared against a set of criteria from which priorities are set. The decision is then made to either treat the risks if they are deemed unacceptable or to continue to monitor and review the risks if they are currently viewed as acceptable. The risk criteria which is used to determine whether a risk a acceptable or not is based on financial, operational, humanitarian, legal, technical, social, environmental, or other criteria. The risk is evaluated and decisions are made about which risks need attention. The company or organization must make a decision on how much risk it is willing to accept as part of normal business practice. This level can then be set as the benchmark and gives the company a tolerance level to work with. This tolerance may depend on the maturity of the risk management plan, experience of management, data available f or consideration and other important factors. Some firms want to accept new ventures with higher risks while other companies want to maintain a steady course. Often young companies with less to lose will take larger risks where as older individuals may not wish to risk as much (Sadgrove, 2005). The acceptable risk tolerance depends on the reward. As the risk increases so to must the reward in order to make it worthwhile. 5. Risk infrastructure, management, identification, assessment and treatment. A company, which has a risk management strategy in place, needs an appropriate policy plan and an adequate support system in place to ensure the strategy is implemented correctly (Australian Standards, 2004). According to AS4360, in assessing the risks once they have been identified, there are three general types of analysis. These are qualitative analysis, Semi-quantitative analysis and Quantitative analysis. Qualitative analysis may be used as an initial tool to identify preliminary risks which are to be analyzed in more detail later. It should be combined with factual information when it is able to be sourced. Semi-quantitative analysis must be used with care since the data chosen to support the qualitative words may be misleading that can lead to inappropriate outcomes. Quantitative analysis depends on the accuracy of the numerical values and they may be expressed in terms of the criteria initially set by the risk identification. According to an article by the Project Management Institute (Project Management Institute, 2008), if you dont identify risk areas and have a response plan then possible tough times may be ahead. By beginning with a brainstorming session, and including a wide cross-section of stakeholders from many levels throughout the company, possible problems on the way to success may be identified. Ms. Reed, a vice president of an American project management firm notes that when running such meetings criticism should be left at the door, otherwise it may turn into an unorganized discussion. 6. Risk management responsibilities. Risk identification, assessment and treatment. System review, documentation and maintenance. Responsibilities for the risk management process should be detailed in the risk management plan and this plan should also detail how the plan shall be conducted throughout the organization. Treatment plans may either be separate from the risk management plan or included with it. An example of an organization which follows the AS4360 guidelines is the State Records Department of the New South Wales Government in Australia (NSW Government State Records. 2009). With their plan, senior management are allocated the responsibility of ensuring that the risk analysis, identification and assessment procedure are implemented regularly. They are also responsible for managing the budget allocated for the risk management strategy and ensuring that it is implemented to protect the records and systems of the State Records Department. The review of their systems is continuous as is stated in the AS4360 guidelines. According to the AS4360 guidelines (Australian Standards, 2004), few risks remain static. Continual review is essential to ensure that the risk management strategy remains relevant. The Risk Assessment will be continuously monitored and updated throughout the life of a given project, with monthly assessments included in the status report and open to amendment by the Project Manager. The company senior directors and executives are responsible for managing risk in their organization. All employees are responsible for the risk management within their given areas of managerial responsibility. The risk management plan can be broken down into specific sections based on different functions and areas within the project. Each area should have a separate plan, consist with the main company risk management plan, that details risks most relevant for their particular team and sub project requirements and concerns. The project manager for each team is responsible for the management of each risk management plan and ensuring his or her team is under the watch of the localized plan. This manager must also however ensure that the risks of the organizational risk management plan are also kept in mind. The senior staff of an organization must also be committed to the risk management strategy of all these senior managers (Australian Standards, 2004). Documentation to record details of risks must be generated to record priorities and highlight changes in risk priorities. Reports should record treatments and if incidents occur the lessons learned should be recorded. The entire risk management plan system progress should also be documented as a whole. 7. Risk management documentation requirements. A common tool used in the documentation of risk management system is the risk matrix. The risk matrix is a table used in risk analysis in which rows show the risks and columns show their likelihood or probability of occurrence and their impact. For each important business function or area, a risk matrix can be created. Often numerical values from one, meaning no impact, to five, meaning maximum impact, can be assigned for each function. This simple approach to documenting risk can provide a useful set of raw data from which appropriate plans can be devised. Many larger organizations also use this simple approach (National Computing Centre, 2009). 8. Risk management system budgets and its determination. Such a risk management strategy has a cost associated with it and this cost must be balanced against the cost of the potential loss if it were to occur (Microsoft Press, 2009). Through the application of risk management methodologies, a company can manage risk levels so that it does not reach a determined unacceptable level. The budget size for a risk management system will of course depend on the size of the company, its complexity and the responsibilities of the manager in charge of the risk management program (Sadrove, 2005, p55). A good policy is to make the risk management services free to departments and only charge the departments when they make a loss. By charging them when mistakes are made the managers are more likely to seek help and pay more close attention to the risk management strategy. This is better than just waiting for an issue to occur. Too much investment in risk management will burden the company and make it uncompetitive. Underinvestment in risk management will make it more vulnerable and likely to receive expensive incident costs. The optimal position is somewhere in the middle (Sadgrove, 2005, p14). Mochal (2006), shows that a risk management system budget can be established by basing it on the Expected Monetary Value (EVM) index. For each risk there are two parameters assigned. Firstly, the probability that the risk will occur and secondly the impact to the project if the risk occurs. If this is completed for all the risks the potential impact to the project can be calculated. Hence the risk management system budget should reflect the impact of the risk and the likelihood that it will happen. According to AS4360, if the budget for the risk management system is restricted, there should be a clear priority order for the risk treatments. 9. Risk management policy approval and its source. Senior management should review and endorse the risk management policy for an organization. The source of the policy should come from all higher end managers concerned as well as all concerned stakeholders. Dialogue with key internal and external stakeholders should be undertaken as to avoid a one way flow of information. Stakeholders often have different views on what should be ranked as high-risk priorities due to factors such as differences in values, requirements concepts and concerns about the project concerned (Australian Standards, 2004). References Alexander, C., Sheedy, E. 2005. The Professional Risk Managers Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Current Theory and Best Practices. PRMIA Publications. Fischoff, B.; Lichtenstein, S.; Slovic, P.; Derby, S. L.; and Keeney, R. L. 1981. Acceptable Risk. Cambridge. UK, Cambridge University Press. Microsoft Press. 2009. Why Manage Risks Formally? Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc500373.aspx Mochal, T. (2006). Create a risk contingency budget using Expected Monetary Value (EMV). Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6069576.html National Computing Centre. 2009. A matrix approach to risk assessment. Retrieved on 5th October 2009 from http://www.nccmembership.co.uk/pooled/articles/BF_WEBART/view.asp?Q=BF_WEBART_113283 NSW Government State Records. 2009. Risk Assessment. Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/government-recordkeeping-manual/guidance/guidelines/guideline-5/guideline-5-part-3 Project Management Institute. 2009. Risk Identification Uncover project troubles before they blow up. Retrieved on 5th October 2009 from http://www.pmi.org/Pages/Risk_Identification.aspx Sadgrove, K. (2005). The complete guide to business risk management. England, Gower Publishing Limited. Standards Australia. 2004. Australian/New Zealand Standard AS 4360 2004. Australia, Standards Australia International Limited.

Changes vs. Improvements :: Social Issues Government Essays

Changes vs. Improvements Intolerance, war, inequality and poverty - these are just a few of the issues found in the texts that we have read this semester. Even though some of them were written hundreds of years ago, the same problems still exist in our world today. Many things have changed over time, but they have not necessarily improved. Today, we are still involved in wars and violence with our continued presence in Iraq, Afghanistan and other foreign countries. We still persecute the poor by raising taxes and cutting funds to the programs like Medicaid and Welfare, while making it easier on the upper classes. We are very intolerant of the practices and beliefs of others whether it is homosexuality, different religious beliefs or opinions on abortion. Most of these issues have been problems in the past, and unless we do something to change them, they will continue to be problems in the future. There is no better place to find examples of today’s social problems than the newspaper. In the April 15 issue of the Creightonian, the April 14 and April 18 issues of the Omaha World Herald there were an abundance of articles about problems today. Despite the fact that writers and other artists were dealing with them hundreds of years ago, these problems are still on the forefront in today’s society. In the Omaha World Herald, there were many articles related to war. They were primarily about the involvement of the United States in Iraq. In one, it referred to a kidnapped American man and how he was videotaped at gunpoint, holding his passport to his chest and apparently pleading the U.S. to withdraw its troops from Iraq. In response, President George Bush’s spokesman said, â€Å"Our position is well-known when it comes to negotiating.† This seems to be a prime example of the idea of â€Å"One man, or many?† meaning it is better to sacrifice the life of this one man rather than risk the lives of many. This makes the Bush administration seem cold and heartless and shows our stubbornness when it comes to leaving Iraq. Instances like this reaffirm that it will undoubtedly take a major event for us to exit their country. Another article from the Omaha World Herald was about keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Genetics Engineering :: essays research papers

Genetics Engineering   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollywood has been showing it to us for years. Frankenstein, The Six Million Dollar Man, Jurassic Park, etc.; the list goes on. All these movies show man's instinct to create. This fiction of playing God in recent years is becoming a reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1952, deoxyribonucleic acid was discovered(Dewitt, 1994). The spiral staircase molecule, DNA. DNA is the building block of life. This block holds the code for every aspect of any life on the planet Earth. DNA decides whether one life will be a plant or rhinoceros. DNA also carries the information that tells how smart, creative, bossy, shy, athletic, or any other description you can think of. The secret code of DNA would prove to be invaluable. This is the reason the Human Genome Project has been started. Scientist around the world are using super computers to crack the code. This 15 year project is predicted to end by the year 2005(Dewitt, 1994). That is only 10 years from now. What does that mean to the average Joe?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, today we already live with genetically engineered items. The FDA has approved bioengineered tomatoes that ripen without rotting(Dewitt, 1994). Entire herds of cattle are now being injected with a growth hormone(BST) so that they will produce more milk than ordinary cattle(Dewitt, 1994). Also drought resistance grass that needs no moving.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientists will soon be able to collect DNA from endangered species. This DNA could be used to clone more condors, bald eagle, mountain gorillas, and many other animals. Totally extinct animals may be recreated as well, i.e. Jurassic Park. Imagine having your own dodo bird or pet triceratops.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many types of diseases will be cured. Just take out the gene that giving you the problem. Pure panacea. As soon as a baby is born his or hers parents will know everything about him or her. If they will be artistic. Will she get breast cancer? Will he be tall or short? Is he a genius. Ten years from 2005, these questions won't even have to be asked. Made to order babies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Made to order babies?!? Is this where we are headed? It's only a matter of time before a president's hair clippings are swept up at a barbershop and then used to detect what diseases he has or is susceptible to. The rich may one day be able to obtain â€Å"immortality† by cloning themselves. I couldn't picture three Donald Trumps all thinking the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is even a darker side to this. Governments may decide to create super soldiers. Killing machines with top physical and mental prowess. This was the dream of Adolf Hitler himself.

Women in the Middle Ages Essay -- essays research papers fc

The medieval woman was allowed a larger measure of freedom and status than the usual image we have of the Middle Ages. Women were allowed to own property and inherit from their family. Some women were employed and some were in charge of businesses. Among the upper class, women were as educated as their male counterparts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Europe, women were allowed to inherit property from both their fathers and their husbands. In most cases, whatever the woman brought into a marriage in the form of a dowery was hers, even if her husband divorced her. If a woman was childless or her children were to young to inherit, she would control her husband’s property after his death. This was common because of the trend of women in their teens marrying men 10-20 years older.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some women gained control of their husband’s property because they left for the crusades and the wife ran the business in the husband’s absence. Some men were gone for years and some never returned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women had control of certain areas of commerce of their own volition. Silk spinning was almost exclusively â€Å"women’s work† Women manufactured purses and ladies hats, too. And in some parts of Europe, such as Paris, they were allowed to run brothels and taverns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Hollister Sourcebook, there is a picture from a French manuscript depicting a woman as an artist painting a woman. The caption states women of the Middle Ages participated in the business world in a way that only men would be allowed to in later times, which included â€Å"trade, banking, the direction of business enterprises, textile manufacturing, brewing, tax collecting, money lending, illuminating and copying books,... and a variety of other activities.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Women could even belong to guilds and some taught their knowledge, not only in artisan occupations, but also reading, writing and arithmetic. A woman could be as educated as her male counterpart. Women also were midwives and often served as a sort of doctor giving medical advice and dispensed medications.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The town of Sardinia provides an interesting look into the life of the medieval woman. In Sardinia, a woman could own property and retain a separate title to her own property she brought into a marriage. It was the custom of ... ...ld membership in guilds. They could conduct business and own property. Not only that but their status in the church changes in the Middle Ages to one of more acceptance and they become the subject for artistic expressions in pictures, poetry, songs and books. It was a unique period in history for women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   BIBLIOGRAPHY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Erler, Mary, and Maryanne Kowaleski. â€Å"Women and Power in the Middle Ages†. The University of Georgia Press. 1988.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollister, C. Warren. â€Å"Medieval Europe: A Short History†. The McGraw-Hill Companies. 1998.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollister, C. Warren, Joe W. Leedom, Marc A. Meyer, David S. Spear. â€Å"Medieval Europe: A Short Sourcebook†. The McGraw-Hill Companies. 1997.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  LeGoff, Jacques. â€Å"Medieval Civilization†. Basil Blackwell Ltd. 1988.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shafar, Shulamith. â€Å"The Fourth Estate†. Methuen & Co., Ltd. 1983.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Positive and Negative of Transformational Leadership Essay

As portrayed in the previous examples, leaders are essential to the progression and development of successful organizations. Much contribution could be given to those who follow transformational leadership qualities and principles. Transformational leads inspire and result in positive progressive change within and throughout the company. Of course, there are positive and negative aspects that follow. Recent researchers have spent efforts to understand the relationship of leader and follower. However, even when weighing-the- cost companies can not complain that their overall competitive and relational advantages prospered as result of tranformational overheads. When leaders successfully identify everyone personally and socailly, companies experience retention and growth which can sometimes be seen as priceless. There are negative concepts to consider, like a leader must be able to adequately protray a sense of charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and indidulatized conseidetaionl; while leading a team that produces numbers. That could be a lot of pressure, which in turn could lead to a destroyed department or company. Overall, transnational leadership-performance relationship has deemed a positive technique when integrated in most systems. This week, we continued our research and discussion on leaders and their roles within the organization. It is impartive that we understand and respect the differences between leaders and managers. I mentioned last week, that until this class I used those terms interchangably. However, the fact is that there are many differences and qualities that distinish the two. For instance, even when you look at the literal meaning of the terms. Manage – a person can maintain something or someone without playing a virtial role in specifically directing. On the same hand, Leader – someone can give perfect instruction and direct for a group or thing without being able to properly maintain or manage it the way needed. I can admit, before now I did not take the time to understand the important differences. Qualities also vary from leader to manager as well. It is typical for most leaders to value and focus on monetary and economical status and have a plan of long term goals and effects. Most managers are stuck on the short term  goals, while not considering the effects the company will experience. As I look more into these managerial roles and qualities it becomes easier to notice and identify.

Is Justice Really Blind?

English 101 Mr. Young 13 October 2012 Is Justice Really Blind? The United States of America bases its whole judicial system around â€Å"blind justice† but is justice always blind? Since day one, justice has been portrayed as impartial. Ronald Nikkel says the U. S judicial system is represented by an elegant lady holding a set of scales in one hand and a sword in her other, while wearing a blindfold.She carries the balances symbolizing fairness and the sword symbolizing power and authority, and she wears the blindfold, symbolizing objective justice for all people, without preference or discrimination, regardless of identity, wealth, power, social status, position, or circumstances (â€Å"Justice is not Blind†). However, is this always the case? In countless cases, the verdict does not seem as if Lady Justice is truly blind. No matter what is said, trial by jury has its flaws.The article â€Å"Justice is Not Blind† says, â€Å"It is not only the accused who can b e wrongfully treated by the justice system; victims also suffer the consequence of injustice when wealthy offenders with powerful connections simply get a slap on the wrist instead of being held responsible to face the consequences of their crimes† (Nikkel). Flaws in the jury system affect everyone. The judicial system needs to reformed, society has evolved over time, yet the judicial process has not kept up.Justice needs to be done without bias, where fairness is not just a forensic technicality and where consideration is the same for all persons regardless of race, religion, creed, or social standing (Nikkel). The most infamous example of our corrupt judicial system is the trial of Orenthal James Simpson also known as O. J. Simpson. The O. J. Simpson murder trial is one of the most controversial court cases in the last decade. In 1995 O. J. Simpson was put on trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her male friend Richard Goldman. From the outside looking in many people thought O.J. Simpson was clearly guilty. So much incriminating evidence was found. Douglas Linder says, hair evidence, blood evidence, fiber evidence, glove evidence, and shoe evidence was all brought in front of the Jury (â€Å"The O. J. Simpson Trial†). With so much evidence pointing to him, many Americans were certain O. J. was the guilty of murder. Mr. Simpson had something that many people did not, cold hard cash. O. J. had the ability to assemble an all-star defense team. The media referred to it as the â€Å"Dream Team†, it consisted of nine high profile lawyers.Douglas Linder figures Simpson's defense team cost between $3 million and $6 million dollars (â€Å"The O. J. Simpson Trial†). O. J’s defense team worked diligently to raise doubt about every piece of evidence that was brought forth, and it worked well. The article â€Å"O. J. Simpson Trial† reads, As America watched at 10 a. m. PST on October 3, 1995, Ito's clerk, Deidre Robertson, announced the jury's verdict: â€Å"We the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder† (Linder).Many people came away from the trial with the impression that money will buy you justice in The United States. Money has bought freedom throughout history in the United States. Recently Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth killed a man while drunk driving. In article published by Globe Gazette it says vehicular homicide is a felony charge that upon conviction will result in a sentence of between three and fifteen years of imprisonment with no parole for at least 1 year (Magee). Three years is the minimum for vehicular homicide. Stallworth received 30 days in jail and two years house arrest.Stallworth was playing in the next Browns football game. The main reason Stallworths sentence was so light was, Donte reached a confidential financial settlement with Reyes’ family. What does this s ay for people who commit crimes and are unable to pay off their victims? Debbie Shussel says that, contrary to the trite adage, justice isn’t blind in America. It’s not blind at all. If you have the right dollar amounts in your bank account, you get a separate kind of â€Å"justice† applied to you (â€Å"Yes, You Can Buy Justice in America†). This was the most blatant display of corrupt justice in recent years.According to an article in USA Today, Donte Stallworth was extremely cooperative with authorities and remorseful throughout the process and this correlated with his sentence (Davis). Many people are remorseful and cooperative after taking someone’s life with their irresponsible actions, and are still given stiff penalties. It is clear that money will indeed buy you justice in the United States of America. It has been said that America has the best criminal justice system that money can buy. Paul Wright states, after more than 16 years in pris on I have yet to meet anyone who was wealthy when they were convicted.I long ago concluded that what people did, in the way of crimes, had no bearing on whether they came to prison Wealth is the determining factor (â€Å"The Crime of Being Poor†). The United States of America judicial system is extremely biased, a reform is desperately needed. Some may disagree with this and insist it is the criminal conduct of the poor that leads to incarceration but the evidence indicates otherwise. Paul Write wrote, the past two decades has seen over 100 people exonerated and released from death row after being convicted and sentenced to death.During the same period, hundreds if not thousands more have been released from prison after being exonerated of the crimes they were convicted of. The reasons for the wrongful convictions range from police and prosecutorial misconduct, incompetent defense counsel, fabricated evidence, lying jailhouse snitches and mistaken eyewitnesses, among others. Yet I have not heard of any wealthy defendants who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death or prison as a result. Instead, wrongful conviction of the factually innocent seems to be the exclusive province of the poor (â€Å"The Crime of Being Poor†).This eyewitness account proves the point, people are being released from prison after the system realizes they were convicted on false charges. People of a lower social class are convicted of almost anything. Wealthy people are not convicted for anything, unless, they were caught red-handed. In a country like America, judicial corruption should not be a problem like this. Ronald Nikkel said Justice needs to be done without bias, where fairness is not just a forensic technicality and where consideration is the same for all persons regardless of race, religion, creed, or social standing (â€Å"Justice is Not Blind†).Most people believe this is how the United States Judicial system operates. This is not the case. The Unit ed States of America is a great country; the people have the ability to make decisions in the government. Citizens of the United States must come together and impose a well needed reform on the biased judicial system. Works cited Davis, Nate. â€Å"Has justice been served in the Donte' Stallworth case? † USA Today. N. p. , 6 July 2009. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. Jenkins, Courtenay. â€Å"‘Trial by Jury' Guilty of Character Flaws. † Daily Press. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. Linder, Douglas O. â€Å"The O. J.Simpson Trial. † University of Missouri – Kansas City. N. p. , 14 Jan. 2006. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. Magee, Dennis. â€Å"Woman gets 10-year sentence for vehicular homicide. † Globe Gazette. Hearing Association, 5 June 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. Nikkel, Ronald W. â€Å"Justice Is Not Blind. † Prison Fellowship. Prison Fellowship, 7 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. Ogletree, Charles J. , Jr. â€Å"The Trial's Significance and Lasting Impact. † Public Broadcasting Service. N. p. , 5 Apr. 2005. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. Wright, Paul. â€Å"The Crime of Being Poor. † Prison Legal News. N. p. , 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.