Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I was extremely proud of myself going up and presenting without being nervous "I was nervous, because I was wasn't nervous" I'm usually nervous going up and presenting in front of people but this time I felt confident and strong.  

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)? Why?

P-/AP+ because I felt as if my mock trial (activity) didn't go as planned, I was expecting people to be more involved in the whole mock trial.  I really thought it was going to be an intense activity. Other than that I thought I explained things very clearly and gave them tons of information about my answers to "what is most important to winning a criminal case?"

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)? Why?

P because I thought I did pretty well overall with my senior project. I completed everything that needed to be done such as SF, independent component 1&2, service learning, blogs, research check, etc. 

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

Senior project was something I really enjoyed, so everything worked for me. I had no problems with anything besides service learning. The one thing I really enjoyed doing was my service learning even though I had problems in the beginning. I worked with one of the best attorneys I've have ever met. I learned so much from attorney Antonio because without him I wouldn't know as much as I do now from his help. 

(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project?

I had no problem  with senior project, it was actually something I enjoyed doing. BUT!!! there was one small problem "coming up with a schedule with Antonio because as everyone knows lawyers have the BUSIEST schedule so it was hard. It was coming to a point where I was going to have to try to see if another attorney can squeeze me in, but I sat with Antonio an told him that I really needed the hours if not I was going to go work with a different attorney. 

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples. 

Senior project defiantly will become helpful with tons of things in the future such as overcoming my fears of presenting after finishing my 2 hour presentation I knew I could now present in front of anyone without being nervous, being able to handle any challenge that comes my way, and especially the connection I have with different attorneys and judges because in the future while attending law school I will never know if I ever might need help with anything and I know I will defiantly have the sources to fall back on. 

2-Hour Presentation

Link

Service Learning

Antonio J. Bestard (909) 208-0093

Working with Antonio was probably my favorite part of my senior year project. Meeting tons of attorneys and judges was the best experience I’ve had ever had. Antonio helped me with so much; he helped me understand the real meaning of criminal law. I hardly knew anything walking in Antonio’s office and now I know more than ever. Answering phone calls, filling papers, going to court, helping with cases definitely all paid off. There’s not one thing I would change while working with attorney Antonio J. Bestard.

What is most important to winning a criminal case? The most important thing to winning a criminal case is to create reasonable doubt in the minds of jury. Working with my number one person (Antonio) who helped me established my first answer gave me a big head start on my essential question. Throughout my service learning and trying to figure out my best answer to my essential question while working with Antonio going to court was the best help because I watched Antonio use reasonable doubt in the minds of jury. Giving my feedback to Antonio after reading cases also helped me because I had to figure out ways to prove that the defendant wasn’t guilty. So many things fall in place with “what’s most important to winning a criminal case” such as my other two answers; motions to dismiss and innocent until proven guilty. By creating reasonable doubt in the minds of jury an attorney should question any and all witnesses, negotiate deals and terms with prosecutors that may result in reducing charges and lesser sentence, suggest alternatives that a judge may consider, provide you with honest assessments of where your case is headed and your alternatives to avoid trial. I can honestly say every second  I spent with Antonio, I  was learning something new which helped me find my best answer and as well as my second and third.

Independent Component 2

Literal

(a) Statement saying: “I, NATALIE LUNA, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) I continued to work with attorney Antonio J Bestard at the his office, at the office I helped Antonio and Lisa file cases, answer phone calls, do errands, read and give feedback to Antonio about my opinions and had me ask him what words and terms I didn’t know. I also attended trials with Antonio, he helped me understand the different concepts attorneys use in trial.

 

 

Interpretive

       Attending trial with Antonio has probably been the best part of my senior project, its such a great experience to walk in trial with Antonio and watch him “create reasonable doubt in the minds of jury.” I get to meet so many different attorneys and judges which I find extremely amazing. I sit in trial and carefully watch Antonio defend his client. At the law office I do plenty of different things; I file cases and sometimes read different ones and give feedback to Antonio, answer phone calls sometimes run around with Lisa or Antonio to do errands.

Applied
        Court, definitely helped me with answering my essential question even more because, it shows me what an attorney has to do and all the hard work that goes into it to fight for your clients freedom. I watched Antonio in and out of the courtroom and everything he does to win a case is definitely helpful for a winning case. He gives it his all. He is always prepared and makes sure he has every evidence to defend his client. Antonio certainly “creates reasonable doubt in the minds of jury.”



(the desk I work at)

(Antonios Desk)

(University of La Verne)

(filling papers)

 

 

Helping 2013

Who did you interview: Joseph Gautreau
What day and time: 4/26/12 @ 12:38 p.m

(1) What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

their answer :
 "Something with sports such as water polo, I play at Walnut high school during regular season. My father is an official for water polo and I know plenty of coaches that I can work with"

What feedback did you offer when you heard the topic ideas?
"I was a bit concern with him not having people to work with since it’s a sport and it’s a little more difficult to start your hours but he knows plenty of coaches and also attends a high school."

(2) What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting? Note: They also have to complete the 50 hours during the school year.

their answer :

"I plan to continue to attend walnut high school and also and meet up with some officials. I’m in the process in attending the multi-school status, it was very complicated and I had to jump through plenty hoops but I’m now familiar with the proces."

What feedback did you offer them in response?
"The more people you work with, the better. Working with plenty of people who work and are experts that are in the field will definitely help you know your senior project like the back of your hand."

(3) What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

their answer:
"I would definitely would like to see sport presentations and see how the process works."

What suggestions did give them regarding how they should approach watching the 2 hour presentations?  
"It will definitely help you in the long run on what to do and what not to do. Of course there’s going to be bad and good presentations so you should pay attention to see what’s good and what’s not."

(4) What questions do they have about senior project? What additional recommendations would you give the 2013 student about senior project? Be specific and note what you told them.

questions they had : "What is the general outline of the senior project?"

What additional recommendations did you give them?
"Senior project can get extremely overwhelming but if you follow the timelines and not fall behind it can run extremely smoothly."




Who did you interview: Dean Nolan
What day and time: 4/26/12 @ 12:38 p.m

(1) What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

their answer :
"acting in general, its always been a hobby of mine"

What feedback did you offer when you heard the topic ideas?
"acting in general is probably way to general and would have to choose acting on stage because acting on stage was also a hobby of his."

(2) What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting? Note: They also have to complete the 50 hours during the school year.

their answer :

"I plan to work with a friend who works at disneyland, to direct me on what he really does."

What feedback did you offer them in response?
"I was a bit confused and told him is he really going to drive to disneyland every weekend to complete his hours, he should definitely come up with a back up plan."

(3) What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

their answer:
"long presentations (was not giving me full answers, and when I told him if he can me a bit specific he would say the exact same thing) "

What suggestions did give them regarding how they should approach watching the 2 hour presentations?
"yes they are going to be "long presentations, but in the long run when your a senior it will help you with YOUR own presentation because when it comes to your presentation you can see what to do and what not to do while watching the class of 2012."

(4) What questions do they have about senior project? What additional recommendations would you give the 2013 student about senior project? Be specific and note what you told them.

questions they had :
"everythings black and white, I'm also concern about time"

What additional recommendations did you give them?
"Senior project can get extremely overwhelming but if you follow the timelines and not fall behind it can run extremely smoothly, of course your given timelines for everything but the 2012 teachers are on you if your falling behind."

Answer #3

What is most important to winning a criminal case?

* BY PROVING YOUR CLIENT IS INNOCENT

• Criminal law defense is based on the presumption that you are innocent until a judge or jury may show otherwise .

• your client is innocennt until proven guilty.

• Attorney investigates a focus of uncovering evidence to counter each element contained in the prosecutorial charges against you.

Optimal Intelligence, Inc. and attorney David Lehr

Room Creativity

        For my two hour room creativity I plan on making it look like a prison I want the entire room covered with black table cloth with bars on top. I also want cases up on the walls that of course involve first-degree murder, handcuffs as well hanging up throughout the entire classroom. In my mind the room should make you feel as if you were in “prison”.  I want the room to have a feeling of “OMG”. For as far as the seating arraignments I was thinking of having everyone sit individual in rows.  For answer 1 and 2 activities I don’t necessarily have activities planned out yet for each one, but for an activity that I would love to do with the classroom is a Mock trial.

Research check #14

2. Breathe some life into the defensive concept of reasonable doubt:
"rope a dope" another way of describing the reasonable doubt defense.

-prosecution can be required to disprove a defense/ the burden of persuasion on the defensive issue can be placed on the accused.

-burden of production refers to the requirement that a party product a certain amount of evidence in order to have the issue submitted to the trier of fact.

-burden of persuasion is expressed in a given degree of doubt: proof beyond a reasonable doubt, clear and convincing evidence, & preponderance of the evidence.

- when the fact finder is not convinced, the issue must be decided in favor of the opposing party.

-proof beyond a reasonable doubt: was thought to be the fundamental as the standard of proof in criminal cases.

- use to be that the criminal conviction had to be based on proof beyond a reasonable doubt & that the same standard applied in delinquency proceedings

- most jury trials end in conviction, & the number of overwhelming number of guilty pleas could mean that a huge percentage of defendants are confident that the prosecutors can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

- case laws do not allow arguments that seek to quantify proof beyond a reasonable doubt by putting a specific number or percentage on it.

- the analogies the prosecutors and defenders use are poster boards, PowerPoint visuals, diagram of a football field with the end zone being proof beyond a reasonable doubt, etc. (of the arguments try to quantify reasonable doubt in numbers, statistics or percentages, the argument will be objectionable in most courts.)

- to emerge victorious at the jury trial, the defense advocate must have a palatable theory of the case.

Research check 18

Murder Trial begins in South Pomona killing:

Louis Wilson could face 50 years to life in prison if convicted of first degree murder for the shooting death of MIchael McKee.

McKee's girlfriend rejected Wilson's repeated sexual advances the day of the killing, wilson believed Mcklee had molested their mutual friends daughter.

In the hours after McKlee was killed, Wilson reportedly washed himself and his clothes with bleach, he then confessed to the killing and asked a woman to help him "craft in alibi".

Defense attorney Steve Urias, said Wilson has been misidentified as Mcklee's killer and called the prosecution's evidence circumstantial.

31 people on the prosecution's witness list, and not one person saw the shooting firsthand.

According to Finneran's testimony, wilson walked into the bathroom while she was showering, pulled back the shower curtain and exposed her naked body, while demanding her to have sex with him. (Julie Finneran's was a friend)

Finneran rejected his sexual advances, later the woman told McKee about Wilson's sexual advances towards her.

Mcklee was shot three times in the head, and once in the neck, shoulder and back.

Mcklee "killer" was sitting in the passenger seat of Mcklee's car during the shooting.

Nohemi Sturgulewski (woman who lived in the same trailers)testified that she saw Wilson in the bathroom cleaning himself and his clothes withv bleach.

The two had met for the first time that day, Wilson told Sturgulewski he needed her to be his alibi.

Answer 2

EQ: What is most important to winning a criminal case?

Answer 2: Flurry of Motions-AVOIDING THE ANSWER: motions to dismiss and  motions to strike

Evidence: Motion to dismiss murder case against Christian Fernandez denied.

 "Jason Lee Keiper is to stand trial on open murder charges for allegedly killing his step-grandfather with a hammer. Keiper’s attorney, David Gilbert, filed motions to dismiss the murder trial on the grounds the Barry County Prosecutor’s Office is filing required information late or not at all."

sentencing set, motion denied in murder case.

Source: According to Jeffrey W. Jensen, John T. Hall, David Gilbert

The product

For my product, I'm leaning on two of different ideas:

1) The Privilege to be able to sit in a trial with Antonio. I cannot just walk in trial with Antonio, he has to ask for permission from the judge and sheriff if I could sit inside and watch the trial. The first time I had went to trail with Antonio he had asked the sheriff and the judge, which they hesitated and sort of said no but once Antonio explained what I was doing for my senior project they agreed to let me sit inside. Now I am more than welcomed to sit inside with Antonio and watch the trial.

2) The connection I have with different attorneys and judges. I have met several of different prosecutors, judges, and attorneys. They always ask who I am when I'm  with Antonio and of course I introduce myself and explain what I'm doing for my senior project. They always seem very interested and tell me if I ever have any questions or help with anything they are more than welcome to help me. I like to be able to know that I can ask for help from other people other than Antonio.

Fourth Interview Questions

1) what is most important to winning a criminal case?

2) what do you do to prepare for a trial?

3) whats a normal day for you in the office?

4) what is a normal day for you in trial?

5) what are you some of your favorite trials?

6) what are some questions that you ask a client to help them reduce their charges?

7) How do most clients take their honest assessments on where their case is headed?

8) Can you explain what you mean by creating "reasonable doubt" in the minds of jury?

9) How do you feel when you don't win a trial?

10) How do you "avoid trial"?

11) How do defendants try to take charge in their case when you're the attorney?

12) what are possible outcome when defending a case?

13) how long do cases mostly last at most?

14) Does bias affect the position of a lawyer why or why not?

15)  what do you advise the defendant to do after After they have a clear understanding of their case ? Should they plead? Should they go to trial? or should they go to preliminary hearing? Why?

16) what advice do you give your client about their cases?

17) what can the defendant do to help you get ready for sentencing?

18) how much is the cost to hire an attorney, does it vary on the case?

19) what characteristics should a criminal attorney have?

20) How do new laws affect you and why?

Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

(1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.
For my independent study component I plan on going to trials with Antonio and also continue working with him at his office.

(2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.
My plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement by attending the different trials, there isn’t an exact time that I will be doing on each trial because it all depends on the case, days that I do not attend trial I will continue working at the law office helping Antonio and Lisa.

(3) How does your independent study component relate to your EQ?

This definitely relates to my EQ by watching Antonio find reasonable doubt in the minds of jury to win his cases and experiencing what happens in a court room. By continuing to work at the law office it will help me have a better understanding of what it really means to win a criminal case by watching Antonio help find the defendant not guilty.

Independent Component 1

Literal

(a) Statement saying: “I, Natalie Luna affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.” 

(b) I completed my 30 hours at two different places the Law office and The House of Ruth. I organized most of the time and helping around at both the law office and House of Ruth.

Interpretive

I organized a pantry at the House of Ruth by organizing them in catagories. They had to be labeled with the experation date. There was constantly boxes of food that was being delivered so it wasn't an easy task. At the Law office I organized files, helped clean out stuff that wasn't needed anymore, gave Antonio by my opinions on certain files, and help Lisa with certain things that needed to be done around the office.  

Applied

I would have to say being at the law office and figuring out how Antonio J. Bestard works, while working on tons of different cases he helped me to get a better understanding of a possible answer to my EQ, I would always ask him different questions not to only help me with my EQ but to help me get a better understanding of what criminal law is. I would have to say working their has to be the best experience, to be able to walk in a trial with him and watch him do what he does best.

Presentation 2 Rough Draft

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zxKphrelmz1hqmyOzYgueoqKEDvk0oswzTlv0_vNImw/edit

Answer 1

(1) What is answer 1 to your EQ? Be specific in your answer and write it like a thesis statement.
A successful attorney settles cases outside of court to the advantage of their client.

(2) What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?
I personally witnessed Antonio Bestard relaying legal advise to his client in regards to their case. He addressed the issues related to counts held against his client, as well as the consequences that are associated to these counts which can come in worst case scenarios, imprisonment. Bestard analyzed in depth and discussed the series of incidents as they occurred at the scene of the crime with his client. He took the time to devote his client the time to sit and listen to his requests and demands in regards to the case.
(3)What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?
Antonio Bastard was one of my souces to help me answer my EQ.

Service Learning

1) Where are you working for your service learning?
For service learning I am currently working at the house of Ruth and the law office.  


2) Who is your contact?
My two contacts are Melissa Pitts and Antonio Bestard.


3) Summarize the services you have performed to complete the 10 hour requirement
The services I have performed for the House of Ruth are organizing anything around the building. For the Law office I went to court with Antonio the first day I met him. In the office I file cases, give my opinions on them and organize.


4) How many hours have you worked?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vK8VslIw8pkE2GP4nuuIr0OXdg-2kgm6pr9uKPpxw9U/edit

Third Interview Questions

1) what is most important to winning a criminal case?

2) What are talents or natural abilities that you should have to become an attorney?

3)
What have you learned to do that was not a natural talent, but has helped you become successful?

4) What would a person starting out today have to do to enter your profession?

5) When your job starts to get overwhelming how do you take it?

6) What does the word SUCCESSFUL mean to you?

7) What are different strengths that helped you become the person you are today?

8) What motivates you to work as hard as you do?

9) How do you react and feel about pressure?

10) Overall, what are your biggest weaknesses?