Resources > A National Crime Reporter
A National Crime Reporter
Calvin Chrustie, Sam Cooper & Scott McGregor
This scenario depicts the legal troubles met by a journalist, in conjunction with his investigative work on the Chinese Communist Party’s involvement with transnational organized crime and the corruption of Western politicians. It enables a focus on the concept of lawfare, defined as the misuse of the law and the judicial system against an opponent. In this case, Chinese operatives are suspected of using the American court system to silence critical voices: their assets sue a journalist based on frivolous defamation allegations, forcing him to invest resources to defend and protect himself. Such very public lawfare strategies also serve to deter future critics. The case enables students to look at the weaponization of the law against one individual, but also to consider the systemic impact of loose regulations and permissive judicial institutions on creating “cover” for illegal activities by foreign actors.
A National Crime Reporter (PDF)
Additional teaching notes and materials available on Mitchell Hamline Open Access.