Ethical Issues

Ethical Issues

Case of James Simpson

James Simpson was a celebrity figure charged with double homicide. The prosecution had adequate evidence to link him to the deaths of his wife and a friend. He intended to share his side of the story by authoring a book during incarceration period. It is possible this was a calculated move to influence the judgment outcome and to divert the attention of the public. Besides, his ability to sign autographs and sell them while in the county jail raises questions regarding lacking restriction of his freedom. It is arguable that unethical practices between the jail authority and James Simpson continued away from the spotlight and media’s attention.

            As a convict, Simpson exploited his status as a wealthy celebrity to push for his innocence.  He utilized the available legal loopholes to foster unethical practices. As such, it is detrimental to enact laws that restrict incarcerated individuals from making financial gains and conducting “business as usual”. His acquittal does not imply that he did not commit the crimes. In fact, there is a high chance that Simpson used three million dollar income to hire the best legal minds. Furthermore, there is a high probability that the profit he generated while in jail was used to bribe the jury and to participate in other unethical acts.

Hank Goldberg, Marcia Clark, and Christopher Darden prosecuted Simpson’s case. It is evident that they fell under his spell, especially when they decided to author a book in multi-million deals. Such a move diverted their attention from their main task as law keepers. James Simpson's unethical practices while in jail spilled over and had long lasting effect on the prosecution, the judges and the families of the victims. It resulted in a miscarriage of justice, particularly to the victims. The families' acceptance of proceeds from   If I Did it book served a major blow to the outcome of the cases. In the end, Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman did not receive justice because of ethical and moral decay in the judicial system.

Cruise Ships

Cruise ship industry developed recently in the United States. Therefore, laws and regulations governing activities in the sector are yet to be fully developed. To make it worse, the industry is growing at an unprecedented rate hence becoming harder to track changes and safeguard the rule of law. Unfortunately, unethical businessmen tap into the vulnerabilities for selfish financial gains. It is interesting that the government authorities cast a blind eye on the infringement of tax laws.  The crowding of traditional dock harbors like Los Angeles and New York should signal an alarm for initiation of their expansion program (Harris, 2003).

Laws of the land should be malleable to incorporate rapid changes in the country. It is disheartening to learn that regulations that are more than a century old are still applicable.  The inability of cruise ships to pay taxes because of their incorporation outside overseas is outdated. This is because international laws allow for partnership and cooperation between business operatives and local authorities. In this case, the cruise ship owners are not to blame as they are abiding by the existing laws.  Harbor authorities face a dilemma that taxing foreign cruise ships may scare off investors. However, if the harbor conditions are not improved, the American ship industry is doomed altogether. In light of this, the wisest decision is to enact policies allowing for taxation of the ships.

References

Harris, N. (2003). Big Cruise Ships Cause Traffic Jam in Ports. Wall Street Journal, pp. B1, B6.