Many social issues are explored, analyzed, and evaluated through our judicial sys-tem. Imagine that you have been called for jury duty and subsequently impaneled on a jury that is asked to render a verdict on the following situation. (Note: This fictional case is based on an actual case that was tried in May 1990 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.) On January 23, the defendant, Mary Barnett, left Chicago to visit her fianc in San Francisco. She left her six-month-old daughter, Alison, unattended in the apartment. Seven days later, Mary Barnett returned home to discover that her baby had died of dehydration. She called the police and initially told them that she had left the child with a babysitter. She later stated that she knew she had left the baby behind, that she did not intend to come back, and that she knew Alison would die in a day or two. She has been charged with the crime of second-degree murder: intentional murder without premeditation. If convicted, she could face up to eighteen years in prison. As a member of the jury, your role is to hear and weigh the evidence, evaluate the credibility of the witnesses, analyze the arguments presented by the prosecution and defense, determine whether the law applies specifically to this situation, and render a verdict on the guilt or innocence of the defendant. To perform these tasks with clarity and fairness, you will have to use a variety of sophisticated thinking and language abilities. To begin, describe your initial assessment of whether the defendant is innocent or guilty and explain your reasons for thinking so.

After reading the summary of the case and the competing arguments given by the defense and the prosecution, how would you have found Ms. Barnett had you been on her jury? Explain the reasons for your verdict and tell what you feel is the most compelling evidence that helped form your decision.