1. SAGE Lecture Spark
January 22, 2019

2. Sentencing and Acquittals Handed Down in the 2014 Laquan McDonald Murder Case
In 2014, Jason Van Dyke, a Chicago police officer, shot Laquan McDonald, a 17-year old, sixteen times
Van Dyke was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm
In January 2019, Van Dyke was sentenced to eighty-one months in prison and two years of mandatory supervised release
The three Chicago police officers who tried to cover-up Laquan’s murder were recently acquitted of all charges
What was your reaction to both the sentencing and acquittal?
Here are a couple sources covering both the sentencing of Jason Van Dyke and the acquittal of the three police officers who tried to cover-up the murder:
Jason Van Dyke sentenced to 6 years, 9 months in prison for Laquan McDonald murder
By Mark Rivera, Leah Hope, and Stacey Baca
ABC News
01/18/2019
Judge acquits 3 Chicago officers of Laquan McDonald cover-up
By Don Babwin and Michael Tarm
AP News
01/17/2019

3. Key Concepts
Both Van Dyke’s sentencing and the acquittal of the three police officers have highlighted a series of issues, such as:
Police department culture and the code of silence
Excessive use of police force
Racial profiling
Differences in judicial sentences
Do you think that the decisions in these cases will have any impact on the criminal justice system?
The following sources provide some insight into the issues that were highlighted by the decisions in both of the cases related to Laquan’s murder:
3 Chicago cops found not guilty of covering up Laquan McDonald shooting
CBS News
01/17/2019
Judge acquits 3 Chicago officers of Laquan McDonald cover-up
By Don Babwin and Michael Tarm
AP News

4. Assessment
Writing: Why are the decisions in both of these cases significant? Debate: The three police officers should not have been acquitted of trying to cover-up Laquan’s murder. Poll: Do you think that Jason Van Dyke’s sentence was too lenient? Short Answer: The decisions in both of the cases related to Laquan’s murder yielded different results. What issues were highlighted in both of these cases?
Current Events Quiz
1. Judge Vincent Gaughan based his sentencing decision for Jason Van Dyke on which of the following charges?
A. second-degree murder
B. aggravated battery with a firearm
C. first-degree murder
D. aggravated assault
2. The prosecution in Jason Van Dyke’s case asked for which of the following sentences?
A. probation
B years in prison
C. 25 to life with the possibility of parole
D. life imprisonment without the possibility of parole
3. The Department of Justice launched an investigation that found all of the following EXCEPT for
A. the Chicago Police Department has a code of silence culture.
B. the Chicago Police Department has a history of using excessive use of force.
C. the Chicago Police Department has routinely violation the rights of minorities.
D. all of these are correct
4. The key piece of evidence in both of the cases related to Laquan’s murder was two eyewitness reports. (T/F)
5. Van Dykke’s sentencing is eligible for reduction for good behavior. (T/F)
6. According to the prosecutor in the case of the three acquitted police officers, the code of silence was on trial. (T/F)
Answers
1) A
2) B
3) D
4) F
5) T
6) T