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Introduction to Twelve Angry Men. Agenda:. Historical Context: l ive television d rama in the 1950s Playwright/Screenwriter: Reginald Rose History on Twelve Angry Men How is the Law involved? History of Criminal Law Selection of a Jury Function of a Jury Law of Evidence
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Agenda: • Historical Context: live television drama in the 1950s • Playwright/Screenwriter: Reginald Rose • History on Twelve Angry Men • How is the Law involved? • History of Criminal Law • Selection of a Jury • Function of a Jury • Law of Evidence • Setting the Stage: Responsibility
Historical Context1: Live Television Drama in the 1950s • The decade of the1950s is known for its live dramas that were broadcast on television • known as the “golden area of television” • During this period, television replaced radio and film as the primary entertainment for society • Live drama died out in the 1960s because new technology enabled productions to be filmed 1Prestwick House: http://www.enotes.com/twelve-angry-men-prestwick-tu/
Author: Reginald Rose1 • Born on December 10, 1920 in New York City • During WWII he served in the US army, ending his career as a first lieutenant • After the war he worked as a clerk, publically writing for Warner Brothers Pictures, writing short stories and novels • He became a regular writer for CBS’s Studio One, a weekly show that produced live drama • In that same year he wrote Twelve Angry Men, his most popular work to date, that was broadcast on September 20, 1954 1Prestwick House: http://www.enotes.com/twelve-angry-men-prestwick-tu/
History on Twelve Angry Men • The play was inspired by Rose’s experience of jury service • The 12 “Angry Men” are the individuals that make up a trial jury for the purposes of hearing a legal case and interpreting the facts, and finally returning with a verdict of either guilty or not guilty for the accused
History of Criminal Law • Early Juries • Trial by jury brought to England 1066 with the Normans • Medieval Europe, trials usually decided by ordeals, believing that God intervened, “revealing the wrongdoer and upholding the righteous”1 • In 1215, the Catholic Church decided that truth by ordeal was merely superstitious, and they needed a more credible system 1http://moscow.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/twelve-angry-men.pdf
Early Juries1 cont’d • The first jury was made up of local people who were expected to know the defendant • Jurors were to “say the truth” (nowadays it is called “deliberating toward a verdict”) • By the 14th Century, the role of the jury finally became that of judgment by evidence • By the 15th Century, trial by jury became the dominant mode of resolving legal issues, and it was not until centuries later that the jury assumed a more modern role of deciding on facts on that which is heard in a court of law 1http://moscow.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/twelve-angry-men.pdf
Law of Evidence1 • Burden of Proof • Burden of producing evidence beyond all reasonable doubt (persuading the jury to believe) rests with the prosecution to prove guilt • Relevance • Evidence is relevant when it has a tendency to prove or disprove disputed facts • i.e. eyewitness testimony is relevant because it can prove an event happened 1http://moscow.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/twelve-angry-men.pdf
Law of Evidence1cont’d • Hearsay • Statements made outside of court by someone who is not present to testify under oath at trial • One reason for excluding this evidence is because cross-examination can’t occur, which is the opportunity for one side to ask questions to that witness in hopes of refuting his/her information/credibility 1http://moscow.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/twelve-angry-men.pdf
Law of Evidence1cont’d • Witnesses • Nearly all persons with knowledge relevant to the case can testify • Expert witnesses can also be called on, which are experts in their field of work and can interpret findings, examine situations, forensics, etc. • i.e. psychologist, medical doctor, coroner 1http://moscow.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/twelve-angry-men.pdf
About the Play • The play deals with the sensitive issues of prejudice and racism, relying heavily on the portrayal of stereotypes • You must be alerted to the fact that the views of the jurors, as improper as they are (mid 20th Century), did influence the jury system/decisions for many years • This controversy emphasizes the play’s important theme of justice prevailing, even if one person stands up for what is right
Setting the Stage The Charge to the Jury: Responsibility