Goff 1 Dustin Goff Professor Wolcott ENC1102 September 20, 2013 Genre Analysis Rough Draft Genre is a difficult

topic to grasp. The general definition and way it is grasped is very elementary. When the word genre is said to a general audience, they might begin associating it with the words; action, horror, comedy, or a number of other terms. These ideas limit writers and readers to a very narrow minded view on what the word genre really means. The true meaning may seem confusing at first, but really the word creates a base in which allows for an infinite number of variables to stem off of. Genres develop, then, because they respond appropriately to situations that writers encounter repeatedly. (Devitt 576) Genre changes from writer to writer and more importantly from discourse community to discourse community. It develops to the situation in which it is applied. Boiling it down to a single defining sentence it is the, typical ways of responding to a repeated rhetorical situation (within a discourse community) that have developed over time. (Devitt, Miller, Bazerman) The repeated rhetorical situation can be an infinite number of things. It is not tied down to one specific subject or category. Dewitt also discusses how it is the topic many readers focus on and not the form. While topics are important the form is what really helps to understand genre as a whole. The word genre can be tied down to a specific meaning, however what stems off of that meaning is what truly defines definition and becomes what the reader and author experience. Genre becomes increasingly important when in the context of discourse communities. They are one of the key exponents which helps form a discourse community. Genres allow members of a discourse community to view what is important in their communities, and

Goff 2 communicate this to their members and other personnel that may influence the discourse community. We compose our discourse communities as we write and speak within them. And genre is a key part of this process. (Bawarshi) Genres allow for development to occur within a discourse community. A community begins to fail when it is unable to adapt to the responses the world gives it. The genre of warrants within the law enforcement discourse communities shows just how important genres are when it comes to discourse communities. Warrants are what the law enforcement discourse communities use to interact within itself and to the courts of the United State. The genres known as warrants being examined in this essay are search and seizure, arrest, and application for warrants. Search and seizure warrants is the legal documentation officers must use obtain to search a potential offenders private property. These warrants need to be applied for by officers. There is a specific form with which officers can use to apply for a search and seizure warrant. This warrant must be accompanied by sufficient evidence that a search is needed. Arrest warrants are warrants given by judges to law enforcement officers giving them the duty to arrest and detain fugitives till they stand trial for crimes committed. The importance of these genres in their discourse community is ever increasing. They provide the legal weight officers need to conduct lawful searches and arrests to uphold the law. The information filled in the forms differ from subject to subject however the forms provide the base needed. The actual form of the warrants is what important. It keeps things standardized for the law enforcement community. Standardization is key in this community since one little thing can destroy the legal credibility for the law enforcement community. If a document lacks a signature or has a piece of information that is wrong then it has no legal credibility. This is why warrants as a genre are so important to this discourse community.

Goff 3 While the form of these warrants is very important, their lack of topical information is what makes them accessible. These genres are accessed online at ww.uscourts.gov; however it is something a common person would not stumble upon by accident. As can be seen in appendix A, B, and C all the warrants are void of information. This is due to the issue of how sensitive the information is and the legal nature of the information. It is impossible to access any of these forms that have been completed unless they are accessed by an authorized law enforcement officer, judges, or the person with whom the papers are served to. The only exception to this is if the forms are unsealed. This is when a judge deems that a case is fully closed, and the legal information released will cause no harm. The forms are the released however some information may be expunged. Whether the form is filled out or not really determines the availability of it to those not in the discourse community, thus meaning it is a somewhat private genre. The genres all have some very important reoccurring element with which help define the discourse community. The most important of which is how the forms put emphasis on signatures. In this discourse community a signature is an extremely powerful thing. A signature from a judge can allow law enforcement officers to search a persons private property, seize assets, or even make arrests. The arrest, and search and seizure warrants show this emphasis on signatures by making it the majority of what the first page consists of (See Appendix A and B). Without these signatures law enforcement officers may be performing illegal duties. Even if an officer who is investigating a subject believes they have a stolen item in their house, it is illegal for them to just walk in the house. A signature from a judge deems that a search is necessary. Citizens have a right to privacy, this privacy however is not infringed upon when a search warrant is issued. Warrants are legal documents that allow searches when necessary. A little bit of information is given along with these signatures on the first page, however the majority is

Goff 4 saved for the second page. The application for a search and seizure warrant has some emphasis on signatures, however it is not as important since it is an actual application (See Appendix C). The application does not give power to officers to actually commit a search and seizure. Thus there are fewer signatures. Information is more important in this case. While the application is only one page it implies that officers will attach more information. This information can range from pages of text to pictures and other forms of evidence. All the forms also require some general information such as the district of the warrant and the case number. The district shows where the warrant is good for and where the action will be conducted. The case number is what officers and courts use to organize and keep track of what case it is so that it can be easily accessed. These genres have been formed by the discourse communitys constant need for adaption and the information relayed by members. These warrants show how important genres are to discourse communities and how the communities actually form them. The warrants reflect the needs and what members of the community deem is important. In this case these genres have emphasis on signatures. This is due to how legally important signatures are for the law enforcement community. They determine whether or not the officer is actually performing a legal duty. These genres have formed to fit the needs of law enforcement officers. They are formatted in a way in which the members can understand them with ease and perform their proper duties. They also help communicate to the courts and the offenders with whom the searches and arrests are being performed on. A discourse community such as law enforcement could not function properly without the aid of genres, more specifically warrants.

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Appendix

In Order from A, B, to C

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Works Cited "Application for a Search Warrant." Uscourts.gov. U.S. District Courts, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/FormsAndFees/Forms/AO106.pdf>. "Arrest Warrant." Uscourts.gov. U.S. District Courts, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/FormsAndFees/Forms/AO442.pdf>. Devitt, Amy J., Anis Bawarshit, Mary Jo Reiff. Materiality and Genre in the Study of Discourse Communities. 65.5 (2003): 541-557. Web. 19 September 2013 Devitt, A.J.,(1993). Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept. College Composition and Communication, Vol. 44 (4) pp.575-584 "Search and Seizure Warrant." Uscourts.gov. U.S. District Courts, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/FormsAndFees/Forms/AO093.pdf>. "Search Warrant." Law.cornell.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. <http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/search_warrant>.