Film And Real Life Trial

The justice system is best known as a pursuit for the truth. It is managed by humans so, it is inevitable not to make errors such as ones that will lead an innocent to be wrongfully convicted. Such a scenario is the David Milgaard case where he supposedly raped and murdered a woman named Gail Miller but really, the foundations of justice were tampered with. The Canadian justice system failed terribly, dismissed millions of dollars and banished the citizens certainty in the system. Most importantly, this even diminished 20 years of a man’s life.

This time in history was a very pivotal point in journalism expression, many journalists used this trial to express themselves and ideas that would normally not expressed.

When a day trader is shot in cold blood at his workplace, his widow sues a major gun manufacturer. Holding them responsible for his death, she hires an idealistic lawyer Wendell Rohr to oversee the case. Produced in 2003, Runaway Jury is an American justice film that delves into the use of technology in the selection and manipulation of jurors. The analysis addresses: the story’s plot, tampering, formidable adversary, moral dilemma, and a torts lawyer.

In terms of the actual trial, it was highly dramatized and clearly intended for a cinematic audience. For one, there were no opening statements given and the trial started off going directly into witness testimony through direct and cross examinations. This is highly inaccurate as the opening statements are a crucial part of the trial in that they aid the jury in understanding the complex legal issues that will unfold (Budziak).

How would you argue the Scopes Trial was a defeat for both sides? How did the personal agendas of those involved influence this trial?

In the video "How Statistics Fool Juries," Oxford mathematician Peter Donnelly attempts to demonstrate through a number of examples how statistics, when viewed in a common manner, can be misunderstood and how this can have legal repercussions. Through a number of thought experiments, Donnelly provides the audience with examples of how seemingly simple statistics can be misinterpreted and how many more variables must be taken into account when calculating chance. Primarily he exposes the audience to the concept of relative difference, or the difference in likelihood between two possibilities in the same scenario. He then goes on to explain that without an understanding of this concept, many juries misunderstand statistics used in trials and very often convict people based on this faulty understanding.

In the article " Trial Lawyers Cater to Jurors' Demands for Visual Evidence" by Sylvia Hsiech, visual evidence can be used very effectively to reach jurors in courtrooms cases, but such evidence must adhere to the rules of evidence and should not be overdone. According to the author, There is a high demand for lawyers to use sound bite-like presentation and hiring visual artists to illustrate piles of documents and basically bringing them to life. For example hiring an visual artist you can keep the jurors entertained and present it visual so they can see and understand it. In the article, the author talks about Brain Carney because according to him every case can be visual. For instance whether you think your case can't be transfer into a

One of the main judges, Reverend Hale, stated that “we cannot blink it more. There is a prodigious fear of this court in the country.” (Miller, 90). The innocent were terrified because the trials got out of hand very quickly due to people following the herd of accusers. The head of the court then stated that he should “hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law.”

The Scopes Trial: A Brief History with Documents by Jeffrey P. Moran is a book that details the significant events that transpired in the Scopes Trial on 1925. The book, in part II, highlights eight days of the proceedings in regards to the Scopes Trial that occurred from July 10, 1925 to July 21, 1925. Furthermore, a couple of newspapers relating to the proceedings were scattered across as well. In part III, a plethora of documents, cartoons, and newspapers are showcased extensively pertaining to the Scopes Trial. Three documents that have stood out were Who Shall Control Our Schools? by William Jennings Bryan and Tennessee Can Dictate Curriculum, Not Answers by R.S. Woodworth.

The Scopes Trial, frequently known as the Scopes Evolution Trial or the Scopes Monkey trial, began on July 10th, 1925. The Scopes Trial was the hot topic that interested countless reporters,and it was the first trial to be broadcasted on live radio.The 'Scopes Monkey Trial,' as history would come to know it, also included a personal dimension, becoming a hard-fought contest not just between rival ideas, but between Bryan and Darrow, former allies whose political differences had turned them into fierce adversaries.Less than a week later, William Jennings Bryan accepted an invitation from the World's Christian Fundamentals Association to assist in Scopes' prosecution. Bryan's role elevated the Scopes trial from a backwoods event into a national

The Scopes Trial is part of a series most commonly known as the trial of the century. In this series there are many trials which are looked as revolutionary and important part of history. But even though some trials may be big, they don’t make it into the trial of the century just because their concept and ideology isn’t a very controversial and doesn’t make you choose one side or the other. The Scopes Trial, also known as the “Monkey Trial,” didn’t have much do with the case itself but what it actually stands for. The Scopes Trial set in motion a debate which still hasn't been properly dealt with and clashes two polar ideas to compete against each other in order for the future generation’s knowledge and to decide the true way of human existence

The coverage of certain events in media can influence the way people process things. In 1925 a man was put on trial for teaching evolution, in the town of Dayton, Tennessee. In the 1950’s trails for people thought to be communist took place, this was called the “Red Scare Lawrence and Lee wrote a play displaying their anger towards such trials, called Inherit the Wind in this play Dayton becomes Hilsboro, and the man on trial is Bertrem Cates, who is caught teaching Darwinism in school. A newspaper writer named E.K. Hornbeck provides a cynical p=outlook on the trial as well as the town. The defense attorney, Drummond believes in the right to have freedom of speech and thought, while Harrison Brady, a three time presidential candidate prosecutes Cates.

Between this time and November 3rd 1994 the jury of 12 was selected out of a venire of 304 perspective jurors. All 304 perspective juror’s had a seventy five page questionnaire to complete to determine eligibility for the trial. Both the prosecuting and defending teams set out to present their case. The trial lasted 134 days in 1995 and is renowned for the media coverage from inside

Mencken wished to display how the most religious people are those who do not need to prove their religion to others, but rather participate in it for themselves and their God. This can be seen when Mencken exclaims “Dayton was having a roaring time. It was better than the circus. But the note of devotion was simply not there;” In this, it can be seen that the people of Dayton made the Scopes trial a party of entertainment rather than an example of their undying devotion to their religion. With this, Mencken shows the ironic nature of the people of Dayton, showing that even an item such as Coca-Cola was a “levantine and Hell-sent narcotic” which to Dayton was comparable to the education of evolution. With this, Dayton became a circus, rather than a demonstration of the town’s devotion to God, showing religion “began at the bridge over the town creek, where the road makes off for the hills.”

Judge Judy has been on air for 18 years now and recently signed a contract extending her show until at least 2017; The People’s Court trails behind having several judges preside on the bench. The first judge was Judge Wapner (most iconic in the day) with even Judge Judy’s husband on the bench (for a very short time)! The latest presiding judge is Marilyn Milian. They are loved by many, but those unfortunate enough to be on the guilty side of a case seeing the wrath of a judge might not agree. Every day millions of Americans and countless people around the world tune in to The People’s Court or Judge Judy along with more recent non-traditional courts, such as Paternity Court and Divorce Court. While there are many reasons they are so popular, an important question to ask is what keeps drawing people back every day to their televisions to watch these shows?