Saliba​ ​1

Stephanie​ ​Saliba

Mr.​ ​Warecki

CLN​ ​4U1a

13​ ​December​ ​2017

“Sweeps”​ ​Case​ ​Report​ ​Assignment

Facts​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Case

● Rick​ ​Mason​ ​was​ ​hosting​ ​a​ ​tv​ ​show​ ​called​ ​“Final​ ​Confession”

● Dr.​ ​Joseph​ ​Vinton,​ ​a​ ​child​ ​molester​ ​who​ ​got​ ​released,​ ​was​ ​on​ ​the​ ​show

confronting​ ​one​ ​of​ ​his​ ​victims,​ ​Scott​ ​Fisher

● After​ ​Dr.​ ​Joseph​ ​Vinton​ ​apologizes​ ​for​ ​his​ ​crimes,​ ​Scott’s​ ​father​ ​shoots​ ​him

● The​ ​shooter​ ​is​ ​then​ ​shot​ ​by​ ​the​ ​security​ ​guard,​ ​Barry​ ​Talbot

● Briscoe​ ​and​ ​Logan​ ​arrive​ ​to​ ​the​ ​crime​ ​scene​ ​and​ ​Logan​ ​talks​ ​to​ ​Mason

● ​ ​Mason​ ​explained​ ​that​ ​the​ ​location​ ​was​ ​a​ ​secret​ ​and​ ​Mr.​ ​Fisher​ ​could​ ​not​ ​have

known​ ​where​ ​they​ ​were​ ​filming​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​shoot​ ​Dr.Vinton

● Briscoe​ ​talks​ ​to​ ​Sarah​ ​(Scott’s​ ​mother)​ ​and​ ​she​ ​says​ ​that​ ​she​ ​has​ ​not​ ​seen​ ​her

ex-husband​ ​in​ ​a​ ​long​ ​time,​ ​she​ ​did​ ​not​ ​expect​ ​him​ ​to​ ​show​ ​up

● Sarah​ ​tells​ ​the​ ​detective​ ​that​ ​her​ ​husband​ ​was​ ​in​ ​the​ ​army​ ​and​ ​has​ ​a​ ​history​ ​of

violence​ ​(he​ ​punched​ ​Dr.​ ​Joseph​ ​Vinton​ ​in​ ​court)

● ​ ​ ​The​ ​detectives​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​the​ ​security​ ​guard​ ​and​ ​he​ ​claimed​ ​that​ ​he​ ​knew​ ​Scott’s

father​ ​had​ ​anger​ ​issues​ ​and​ ​had​ ​a​ ​history​ ​of​ ​violence

● Barry​ ​Talbot​ ​said​ ​that​ ​he​ ​never​ ​talked​ ​to​ ​Scott’s​ ​father;​ ​however,​ ​there​ ​was​ ​a​ ​call

made​ ​between​ ​Mr.​ ​Mason​ ​and​ ​his​ ​lawyer

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● The​ ​call​ ​included​ ​a​ ​conversation​ ​where​ ​Mason​ ​asked​ ​his​ ​lawyer​ ​what​ ​kind​ ​of

trouble​ ​he​ ​would​ ​be​ ​in​ ​if​ ​Scott’s​ ​father​ ​came​ ​on​ ​the​ ​show​ ​and​ ​caused​ ​trouble

● Scott’s​ ​father​ ​claimed​ ​that​ ​he​ ​did​ ​not​ ​talk​ ​to​ ​the​ ​security​ ​or​ ​Mason

● Scott’s​ ​mother​ ​said​ ​that​ ​she​ ​brought​ ​Scott​ ​on​ ​the​ ​show​ ​to​ ​seek​ ​a​ ​resolution

● The​ ​shrink​ ​confirmed​ ​the​ ​mother’s​ ​logic

● The​ ​hotel​ ​where​ ​the​ ​guests​ ​stayed​ ​at​ ​before​ ​the​ ​show​ ​revealed​ ​that​ ​a​ ​call​ ​was

made​ ​from​ ​the​ ​hotel's​ ​pay​ ​phone​ ​to​ ​Scott’s​ ​father’s​ ​house

● Scott’s​ ​father​ ​is​ ​confronted​ ​by​ ​the​ ​detectives​ ​again​ ​and​ ​he​ ​lies​ ​and​ ​says​ ​that

Mason​ ​called​ ​him​ ​directly,​ ​then​ ​he​ ​lies​ ​again​ ​and​ ​says​ ​that​ ​he​ ​was​ ​not​ ​in​ ​contact

with​ ​anybody​ ​before​ ​the​ ​show

● Scott​ ​confessed​ ​that​ ​Mason​ ​told​ ​him​ ​the​ ​show's​ ​location​ ​and​ ​brought​ ​him​ ​to​ ​the

payphone​ ​to​ ​call​ ​his​ ​father​ ​to​ ​come​ ​to​ ​the​ ​show

Issue

Is​ ​Rick​ ​Mason​ ​guilty​ ​of​ ​manslaughter​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​degree​ ​and​ ​criminal​ ​facilitation?

Held

No,​ ​Rick​ ​Mason​ ​is​ ​not​ ​guilty​ ​of​ ​manslaughter​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​degree.

Yes,​ ​he​ ​is​ ​guilty​ ​of​ ​criminal​ ​facilitation.

Judicial​ ​Reasoning

Rick​ ​Mason​ ​is​ ​convicted​ ​of​ ​criminal​ ​facilitation​ ​and​ ​is​ ​sentenced​ ​to​ ​18​ ​months​ ​in

prison.​ ​“A​ ​person​ ​is​ ​guilty​ ​of​ ​ ​criminal​ ​facilitation​ ​when​ ​believing​ ​it​ ​probable​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is

rendering​ ​aid​ ​to​ ​a​ ​person​ ​who​ ​intends​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​in​ ​criminal​ ​conduct,​ ​engages​ ​in​ ​conduct

which​ ​provides​ ​such​ ​a​ ​person​ ​with​ ​means​ ​or​ ​opportunity​ ​for​ ​the​ ​commission​ ​thereof,​ ​and
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which​ ​in​ ​fact​ ​aids​ ​such​ ​person​ ​to​ ​commit​ ​the​ ​criminal​ ​conduct.”-Article​ ​115.08​ ​New

York​ ​State​ ​Penal​ ​Law.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​case,​ ​Mason​ ​renders​ ​aid​ ​to​ ​Scott's​ ​father​ ​who​ ​intends​ ​to

engage​ ​in​ ​criminal​ ​conduct.​ ​Mason​ ​provides​ ​the​ ​father​ ​with​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​for​ ​the

commission​ ​which​ ​in​ ​fact​ ​aids​ ​the​ ​father​ ​to​ ​commit​ ​the​ ​criminal​ ​conduct.

Actus​ ​reus​ ​is​ ​the​ ​guilty​ ​action.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​a​ ​voluntary​ ​action​ ​defined​ ​in​ ​law.​ ​In​ ​this

criminal​ ​case,​ ​actus​ ​reus​ ​is​ ​proven​ ​because​ ​Scott​ ​testifies​ ​that​ ​Mason​ ​tells​ ​him​ ​the

location​ ​of​ ​the​ ​show,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​something​ ​that​ ​should​ ​be​ ​private.​ ​Mason​ ​then​ ​takes​ ​Scott

to​ ​a​ ​payphone​ ​to​ ​call​ ​his​ ​father​ ​and​ ​tell​ ​him​ ​the​ ​location.​ ​Mason​ ​does​ ​these​ ​actions

voluntarily.​ ​Mason’s​ ​actions​ ​renders​ ​aid​ ​to​ ​Scott’s​ ​father,​ ​who​ ​intends​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​in

criminal​ ​conduct.

Mens​ ​rea​ ​is​ ​the​ ​guilty​ ​mind.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​case,​ ​Mason​ ​carries​ ​out​ ​these​ ​actions​ ​by​ ​being

reckless.​ ​Mason​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​by​ ​telling​ ​Scott​ ​to​ ​phone​ ​his​ ​father​ ​to​ ​come​ ​to​ ​the​ ​show​ ​that

there​ ​will​ ​be​ ​some​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​conflict.​ ​Mason​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​Scott’s​ ​father​ ​has​ ​a​ ​violent​ ​history

as​ ​well​ ​by​ ​the​ ​security​ ​guard​ ​he​ ​hires.​ ​The​ ​security​ ​guard​ ​even​ ​tells​ ​him​ ​that​ ​there​ ​should

be​ ​more​ ​security​ ​if​ ​the​ ​father​ ​is​ ​going​ ​to​ ​come,​ ​but​ ​Mason​ ​dismisses​ ​this​ ​comment.​ ​This

shows​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​reckless​ ​because​ ​he​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​his​ ​actions​ ​will​ ​cause​ ​some​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​harm,

but​ ​chooses​ ​to​ ​disregard​ ​the​ ​dangers​ ​of​ ​his​ ​actions.​ ​He​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​if​ ​there​ ​is​ ​less​ ​security,

there​ ​is​ ​more​ ​of​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​for​ ​the​ ​father​ ​to​ ​commit​ ​any​ ​harmful​ ​action.​ ​This​ ​proves

that​ ​Mason​ ​provides​ ​the​ ​father​ ​with​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​for​ ​the​ ​commission​ ​which​ ​aids​ ​the

father​ ​to​ ​commit​ ​the​ ​criminal​ ​conduct.​ ​Mason​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​the​ ​father​ ​is​ ​full​ ​of​ ​rage

because​ ​Dr.​ ​Vinton​ ​molested​ ​his​ ​son​ ​and​ ​he​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​by​ ​the​ ​father​ ​being​ ​present​ ​there

will​ ​be​ ​some​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​conflict.