The park manager in City Village discovers the statue in Town Square Park covered with graffiti. He reviews security footage from the previous night and sees what appears to be a young man wearing a baseball cap spray painting the statue. William, a local middle schooler who wears baseball caps and walks through the park to and from school each day, is walking past the statue, on his way home, when the park manager stops him and starts talking to him. The park manager asks William if he knows anything about the vandalized statue. William tells the park ranger that he is not comfortable with the ranger’s questions, and asks if he can go home to his parents. The park ranger tells William that he thinks William vandalized the statute and will report it to the local police.
• What happened in your scenario?
• What facts are missing that you wish you knew?
• Based on the facts that you have, were the requirements for
due process violated? What was unfair about the scenario?
• What could each of the characters have done differently to make the scenario fairer or to ensure due process?