Two Defendants Suspected of Burglary - Case Study Example

There are two defendants; one has dragged his case through delays by his lawyer’s initiatives though the jury eventually convicted him. Another defendant, co charged with the first defendant pleaded guilty to the charges. The two jointly committed the alleged crime and were equally responsible. Ethical principles involvedThe principle is considerate of the existing laws in a society with the aim of ensuring harmonious coexistence among members of a society. An ethical decision under ethical formalism would, therefore, be focused on the motive behind an act.

Utilitarianism, another ethical principle in judgment, focuses, on the contrary, to the consequences of an act as opposed to the intention of the defendant. This principle goes beyond an individual defendant to consider the effects of the defendant’s actions on society. Based on the principle, decisions should be made with considerations of future impacts of the case on the society with preference being to ensure maximum happiness among every member of the society (Pollock, 2011).