As a juror for the case of Myra Denning v. Ron Polikoff, I consider it my responsibility to make sure that I chose a fair verdict for Mr. Polikoff based upon the evidence presented during this trial. Therefore, for one count of Rape in the First degree, I chose the verdict of not guilty for the defendant, Mr. Ron Polikoff for the following reasons. On the night of the presumed rape, Ron Polikoff, a Professor at City Arts College got in contact with one of his Grad students, Myra Denning, in regards to discussing her final portfolio. Mr. Polikoff had every intention of setting up a time and place to meet with Ms. Denning, but was soon forced to change that because Ms. Denning showed up at his doorstep late at night wearing a sexy, silk …show more content…
She has actually done this many times before. Also, through the help of Jenny, Ron’s college student girlfriend (who also happens to be Myra’s roommate), a very long list of people Myra ever had a sexual encounter with came into light. This is a huge part of the case as to why I believe Ron is innocent because it just goes to show how promiscuous Myra is and that she has a very difficult time keeping her legs closed and saying no. I think it’s safe to say that Ms. Denning is not the most reliable or trustworthy person in this type of matter. To further prove my point, she filed a sexual assault complaint against Det. Elliot Stabler because she assumed he tried to “cop a feel”, when in reality all he did was save Ms. Denning from falling down the stairs because she had just fainted. Ms. Denning also has a history of lying which make it difficult to trust someone especially when they lie about facts of the case. For example, when Detective Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler questioned her if she had and recent sexual intercourse, she firmly said no. They soon found out that Myra Denning was not only lying about that but also about the fact that she has a boyfriend. Lastly, Ms. Denning used her ailing grandmother as an excuse to get out a speeding ticket when the cops pulled her over. However, a short while late it was discovered that her grandmother was in n such urgency. Since the very beginning Mr. Polikoff has cooperated which less can be said about Ms. Denning
The reason there is penalty for committing a crime is to deter people from committing the same act again. If you don’t be hard on crime then the crime rate will continue to be on the rise . The citizen wanted someone to represent on behalf of themselves and Justice Penny White was not that person. By Chief Justice Adolpho A. Birch Jr. overturning the death sentence of the criminal on the basis of the fact that rape accompanied by murder is an aggravating circumstance beyond
Anderson’s story contains a four-page description of the events that led to Melinda, the main characters, rape scene. These four pages were enough for Scroggin and Swier to challenge this novel in its entirety and hide it from students, hindering their horizons of literature.
Two days before Thanksgiving, Janet confronted James Cox, one of her students, who was caught plagiarizing. Because Janet was already feeling sexist attitudes from her students, James’
The jury system of a trial is an essential element of the democratic process. It attempts to secure fairness in the justice system. Traditionally, the jury system has been viewed as a cornerstone of common law procedure. However, the use of the system of trial by jury is on the decline. Today, its use differs, depending on whether (a) it is a civil or criminal matter, and (b) in criminal matters, whether it is a summary or an indictable offence.
Some could argue that this case illustrates the failure of the jury system. Despite all the evidence pointing to the guilt of the defendant,
In the story Cohen makes use of the most trivial murder of 1836 to show the twisted societal accommodations of those who are considered privileged, hypocritical channelled views towards sexuality and legal codes exploitation with a mingling of tabloids journalism and mere politics. In her story Cohen brings out a really sensational fact that a place for women is determined by a man.
In 2008, the murder of two-year old Caylee Anthony shocked the country. Arrested and put on trial for her murder was her mother Casey Anthony. Many people believed that she was guilty, and they were appalled when the jury found her not guilty. The jurors used the information presented to make their decision. As opposed to going with what everyone else believed (document
Payne was tried and convicted by the Tennessee Trial Court by a jury on two counts of first-degree murder and on one count of assault with intent to murder in the first degree. Payne was then sentenced to death for both murders and 30 years in prison for the assault. Payne appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court asserting that Mary Zvolanek’s testimony was “irrelevant,” and that her testimony violated his rights guaranteed by the 8th amendment as was applied in the cases of Booth. V. Maryland, 482 U.S. 496 (1987), and South Carolina v. Gathers, 490 U.S. 805 (1989); however, the court concluded that Zvolanek’s testimony was “harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.” Following the Court’s decision, Payne appealed to the United States Supreme Court who heard his case.
First, Juror 8 stood his ground. In the beginning the Foreman called for a vote and eleven men raised their hand for guilty while Juror 8 raised his hand for not guilty. “There were eleven votes for guilty. It's not so easy for me to raise my hand and send a boy off to die without talking about it first.” said Juror 8 for justifying his actions. Later, when the other jurors were trying to convince Juror 8, he was quick with his arguments. To Juror 2 he said, “Nobody has to prove otherwise. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. The defendant doesn’t have to open his mouth. That’s in the constitution. You’ve heard of it.” To Juror 10 he said, “You don’t believe the boy. How come you believe the woman? She’s one of “them” too, isn’t she?” When Juror 6 brought up the motive for the murder, Juror 8 remarked with, “…I
The heart of the American Judicial System is the determination of the innocence or guilt of the accused. At the beginning of the play, the jurors all feel that the man is guilty for murdering his father and they all wanted to convict him without carrying out a detailed discussion. The persistence of juror eight, however, plays a significant role in ensuring that the correct and fair verdict is delivered. The judicial system maintains that the defendant does not have an obligation to prove his innocence. The fact is not clear to everyone as Juror 8 reminds Juror 2 about it. The fact is a key element of the judicial system and assists in the process of coming up with a verdict. The defendant is usually innocent until proven guilty. Another element of the judicial system that comes out in the play is for a verdict to stand it must be unanimous. Unanimity ensures that the
For this assignment I got the opportunity to witness the Florida Supreme Court case Thomas Theo Brown V. State of Florida presided over by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and a panel of other justices. This case was regarding the appeal of Thomas Theo Brown, a Wendy’s employee who was convicted for fatally shooting his co-worker, Ms. Juanese Miller, back in 2009. He had been sentenced to death following the guilty verdict of first degree murder. Mr. Brown filed a challenge to his conviction, wherein he stated a claim that he should be resentenced due to a lack of objection by his original counsel regarding a claim made by the prosecution. The claim not objected to was that the defendant, Mr. Brown, had premeditated the murder in spite of the fact that he had actually admitted to second degree murder.
It is ostensible that through our extensive investigation, we have revealed an abundant quantity of reasons and a plethora of vigorous auxiliary evidence to authenticate the innocence of the defendant, Ozie Powell. We postulate that Ozie Powell is utterly guiltless and that Victoria Price and Ruby Bates have formulated elaborate fabrications about the manifestation of rape on the 25th of March, 1931. Ozie Powell is innocent, and will be declared innocent.
Several pairs of eyes trail the prosecutor as he puts forth his reasons as to why the defendant should be guilty. Several pairs of ears listen intently in a trance like mode, also cautious of every detail. The prosecutor presents the facts with great gusto, painting a picture of the defendant in a bad light. Once he is done, the defendant’s lawyer takes the stage and he too, with great effort, puts forth reasons as to why his client is innocent. In the end, when everything is said and done and it time for the verdict, only one voice answers to the court clerk out of the 12 men and women. These 12 people are the jurymen and they play an equally important role as the lawyers and judges of a court trial. In fact, a jury is the sole decider, based
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
Focus on the other side’s pressure- Not yours- Juror No. 8 knew the defendant’s freedom was at stake.