how to start a verdict essay

Get science-backed answers as you write with Paperpal's Research feature

How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)  

The introduction of an essay plays a critical role in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. It sets the stage for the rest of the essay, establishes the tone and style, and motivates the reader to continue reading.

What is an essay introduction , what to include in an essay introduction, how to create an essay structure , step-by-step process for writing an essay introduction , how to write an introduction paragraph , how to write a hook for your essay , how to include background information , how to write a thesis statement .

Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:
Expository Essay Introduction Example

Literary Analysis Essay Introduction Example

Check and revise – checklist for essay introduction , key takeaways , frequently asked questions .

An introduction is the opening section of an essay, paper, or other written work. It introduces the topic and provides background information, context, and an overview of what the reader can expect from the rest of the work. 1 The key is to be concise and to the point, providing enough information to engage the reader without delving into excessive detail.

The essay introduction is crucial as it sets the tone for the entire piece and provides the reader with a roadmap of what to expect. Here are key elements to include in your essay introduction:

Hook : Start with an attention-grabbing statement or question to engage the reader. This could be a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or a compelling anecdote.
Background information : Provide context and background information to help the reader understand the topic. This can include historical information, definitions of key terms, or an overview of the current state of affairs related to your topic.
Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position on the topic. Your thesis should be concise and specific, providing a clear direction for your essay.

Before we get into how to write an essay introduction, we need to know how it is structured. The structure of an essay is crucial for organizing your thoughts and presenting them clearly and logically. It is divided as follows: 2

Introduction:  The introduction should grab the reader’s attention with a hook, provide context, and include a thesis statement that presents the main argument or purpose of the essay.
Body:  The body should consist of focused paragraphs that support your thesis statement using evidence and analysis. Each paragraph should concentrate on a single central idea or argument and provide evidence, examples, or analysis to back it up.
Conclusion:  The conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis differently. End with a final statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Avoid new information or arguments.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write an essay introduction:

Start with a Hook : Begin your introduction paragraph with an attention-grabbing statement, question, quote, or anecdote related to your topic. The hook should pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to continue reading.
Provide Background Information : This helps the reader understand the relevance and importance of the topic.
State Your Thesis Statement : The last sentence is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be clear, concise, and directly address the topic of your essay.
Preview the Main Points : This gives the reader an idea of what to expect and how you will support your thesis.
Keep it Concise and Clear : Avoid going into too much detail or including information not directly relevant to your topic.
Revise : Revise your introduction after you’ve written the rest of your essay to ensure it aligns with your final argument.

Here’s an example of an essay introduction paragraph about the importance of education:

Education is often viewed as a fundamental human right and a key social and economic development driver. As Nelson Mandela once famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” It is the key to unlocking a wide range of opportunities and benefits for individuals, societies, and nations. In today’s constantly evolving world, education has become even more critical. It has expanded beyond traditional classroom learning to include digital and remote learning, making education more accessible and convenient. This essay will delve into the importance of education in empowering individuals to achieve their dreams, improving societies by promoting social justice and equality, and driving economic growth by developing a skilled workforce and promoting innovation.

This introduction paragraph example includes a hook (the quote by Nelson Mandela), provides some background information on education, and states the thesis statement (the importance of education).

This is one of the key steps in how to write an essay introduction. Crafting a compelling hook is vital because it sets the tone for your entire essay and determines whether your readers will stay interested. A good hook draws the reader in and sets the stage for the rest of your essay.

Avoid Dry Fact : Instead of simply stating a bland fact, try to make it engaging and relevant to your topic. For example, if you’re writing about the benefits of exercise, you could start with a startling statistic like, “Did you know that regular exercise can increase your lifespan by up to seven years?”
Avoid Using a Dictionary Definition : While definitions can be informative, they’re not always the most captivating way to start an essay. Instead, try to use a quote, anecdote, or provocative question to pique the reader’s interest. For instance, if you’re writing about freedom, you could begin with a quote from a famous freedom fighter or philosopher.
Do Not Just State a Fact That the Reader Already Knows : This ties back to the first point—your hook should surprise or intrigue the reader. For Here’s an introduction paragraph example, if you’re writing about climate change, you could start with a thought-provoking statement like, “Despite overwhelming evidence, many people still refuse to believe in the reality of climate change.”

Including background information in the introduction section of your essay is important to provide context and establish the relevance of your topic. When writing the background information, you can follow these steps:

Start with a General Statement:  Begin with a general statement about the topic and gradually narrow it down to your specific focus. For example, when discussing the impact of social media, you can begin by making a broad statement about social media and its widespread use in today’s society, as follows: “Social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of users worldwide.”
Define Key Terms : Define any key terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to your readers but are essential for understanding your argument.
Provide Relevant Statistics:  Use statistics or facts to highlight the significance of the issue you’re discussing. For instance, “According to a report by Statista, the number of social media users is expected to reach 4.41 billion by 2025.”
Discuss the Evolution:  Mention previous research or studies that have been conducted on the topic, especially those that are relevant to your argument. Mention key milestones or developments that have shaped its current impact. You can also outline some of the major effects of social media. For example, you can briefly describe how social media has evolved, including positives such as increased connectivity and issues like cyberbullying and privacy concerns.
Transition to Your Thesis:  Use the background information to lead into your thesis statement, which should clearly state the main argument or purpose of your essay. For example, “Given its pervasive influence, it is crucial to examine the impact of social media on mental health.”

A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, or other type of academic writing. It appears near the end of the introduction. Here’s how to write a thesis statement:

Identify the topic:  Start by identifying the topic of your essay. For example, if your essay is about the importance of exercise for overall health, your topic is “exercise.”
State your position:  Next, state your position or claim about the topic. This is the main argument or point you want to make. For example, if you believe that regular exercise is crucial for maintaining good health, your position could be: “Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health.”
Support your position:  Provide a brief overview of the reasons or evidence that support your position. These will be the main points of your essay. For example, if you’re writing an essay about the importance of exercise, you could mention the physical health benefits, mental health benefits, and the role of exercise in disease prevention.
Make it specific:  Ensure your thesis statement clearly states what you will discuss in your essay. For example, instead of saying, “Exercise is good for you,” you could say, “Regular exercise, including cardiovascular and strength training, can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.”

Examples of essay introduction

Here are examples of essay introductions for different types of essays:

Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:

Topic: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

“The question of whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 has sparked nationwide debate. While some argue that 16-year-olds lack the requisite maturity and knowledge to make informed decisions, others argue that doing so would imbue young people with agency and give them a voice in shaping their future.”

Expository Essay Introduction Example

Topic: The benefits of regular exercise

“In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. From improving physical health to boosting mental well-being, the benefits of exercise are numerous and far-reaching. This essay will examine the various advantages of regular exercise and provide tips on incorporating it into your daily routine.”

Text: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

“Harper Lee’s novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ is a timeless classic that explores themes of racism, injustice, and morality in the American South. Through the eyes of young Scout Finch, the reader is taken on a journey that challenges societal norms and forces characters to confront their prejudices. This essay will analyze the novel’s use of symbolism, character development, and narrative structure to uncover its deeper meaning and relevance to contemporary society.”

Engaging and Relevant First Sentence : The opening sentence captures the reader’s attention and relates directly to the topic.
Background Information : Enough background information is introduced to provide context for the thesis statement.
Definition of Important Terms : Key terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to the audience or are central to the argument are defined.
Clear Thesis Statement : The thesis statement presents the main point or argument of the essay.
Relevance to Main Body : Everything in the introduction directly relates to and sets up the discussion in the main body of the essay.

Writing a strong introduction is crucial for setting the tone and context of your essay. Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3

Hook the Reader : Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote.
Provide Background : Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion.
Thesis Statement : State your thesis, which is the main argument or point of your essay. It should be concise, clear, and specific.
Preview the Structure : Outline the main points or arguments to help the reader understand the organization of your essay.
Keep it Concise : Avoid including unnecessary details or information not directly related to your thesis.
Revise and Edit : Revise your introduction to ensure clarity, coherence, and relevance. Check for grammar and spelling errors.
Seek Feedback : Get feedback from peers or instructors to improve your introduction further.

The purpose of an essay introduction is to give an overview of the topic, context, and main ideas of the essay. It is meant to engage the reader, establish the tone for the rest of the essay, and introduce the thesis statement or central argument.

An essay introduction typically ranges from 5-10% of the total word count. For example, in a 1,000-word essay, the introduction would be roughly 50-100 words. However, the length can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the overall length of the essay.

An essay introduction is critical in engaging the reader and providing contextual information about the topic. To ensure its effectiveness, consider incorporating these key elements: a compelling hook, background information, a clear thesis statement, an outline of the essay’s scope, a smooth transition to the body, and optional signposting sentences.

The process of writing an essay introduction is not necessarily straightforward, but there are several strategies that can be employed to achieve this end. When experiencing difficulty initiating the process, consider the following techniques: begin with an anecdote, a quotation, an image, a question, or a startling fact to pique the reader’s interest. It may also be helpful to consider the five W’s of journalism: who, what, when, where, why, and how. For instance, an anecdotal opening could be structured as follows: “As I ascended the stage, momentarily blinded by the intense lights, I could sense the weight of a hundred eyes upon me, anticipating my next move. The topic of discussion was climate change, a subject I was passionate about, and it was my first public speaking event. Little did I know , that pivotal moment would not only alter my perspective but also chart my life’s course.”

Crafting a compelling thesis statement for your introduction paragraph is crucial to grab your reader’s attention. To achieve this, avoid using overused phrases such as “In this paper, I will write about” or “I will focus on” as they lack originality. Instead, strive to engage your reader by substantiating your stance or proposition with a “so what” clause. While writing your thesis statement, aim to be precise, succinct, and clear in conveying your main argument.

To create an effective essay introduction, ensure it is clear, engaging, relevant, and contains a concise thesis statement. It should transition smoothly into the essay and be long enough to cover necessary points but not become overwhelming. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to assess its effectiveness.

References

Cui, L. (2022). Unit 6 Essay Introduction.  Building Academic Writing Skills .
West, H., Malcolm, G., Keywood, S., & Hill, J. (2019). Writing a successful essay.  Journal of Geography in Higher Education ,  43 (4), 609-617.
Beavers, M. E., Thoune, D. L., & McBeth, M. (2023). Bibliographic Essay: Reading, Researching, Teaching, and Writing with Hooks: A Queer Literacy Sponsorship. College English, 85(3), 230-242.

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!

Similarity Checks: The Author’s Guide to Plagiarism and Responsible Writing

Types of plagiarism and 6 tips to avoid it in your writing , you may also like, what is academic writing: tips for students, what is hedging in academic writing , how to use ai to enhance your college..., how to use paperpal to generate emails &..., ai in education: it’s time to change the..., is it ethical to use ai-generated abstracts without..., do plagiarism checkers detect ai content, word choice problems: how to use the right..., how to avoid plagiarism when using generative ai..., what are journal guidelines on using generative ai....

Write that Scene

May your writing spirit live on forever

How to Write a Court Scene

Opening Statement –

» A. An opening statement is a brief overview, not a testimony.

I. Each side takes one or two minutes to outline evidence they intend to present. The parties often skip this step.

Suggest YOUR Scene Idea

Example 1: Attorney Sharla stood, and walked up to the judge, where the curious crowd behind her could also listen in. “My client has been seen holding a knife over the dead body of Jamison.” She paused to look at the man then continued even louder. “Although he is innocent.” The crowd behind her gasped. “Until proven guilty,” Sharla continued, with one finger high in the air, “Ms. Jones should know better.” With full force she slammed her hands on the opposing attorney’s desk.

Prosecutor’s Case-

» A. The attorney will call witnesses. Police officers and detectives can be called too.

II. This is still not the time to testify. The cross-examination questions should be about the witness’s recollection of facts. Every witness is treated the same. II I. The Prosecution and Defense may object to something being said or done during the trial. If the Judge agrees, he/she says, “ Sustained !” If the judge does not agree, he/she will say: “ Overruled !” If the Judge does not know why the objection was made, he/she will ask: “On what grounds do you make your objection?” IV. After cross-examination is completed, the attorney will have the opportunity to ask additional questions about the witness’s answers. When there are no more witnesses, the prosecution will rest or end its case. Example 2:

Sharla rose from her position and stood up straight, saying, “I call Rosa to the stands.” A older women with white hair, walked slowly over to the stand. An officer had to help her midway since she took too long.

“IS it true that on the night of February 20, you were in the house with Mr. Cohan?”

“Y-yes I was,” the woman said in a quiet voice; barely anyone could hear her. The crowd leaned in, scooting to the edge of their seats.

“And is it true,” Sharla continued, “that you were the only one in the house with him.”

The old lady lowered her head and nodded.

“I’m sorry, but can you speak up, please.”

“It’s true,” the lady said and she began to cry. The room started to buzz with whispers.

“Order in my court,” the judge demanded.

“I have no further questions,” Sharla said, walking away from the stand with a huge smile on her face.

Ms. Jones, the other attorney went up to the stand holding a piece of paper. “Can you please read what this says, Rosa. Loud enough so that the people in the back may hear you.”

Rosa sat up, wiped a few tears from her red eyes and read what was on the paper. “I will be back shortly, got to pick up some milk from the grocery store.”

Ms. Jones nodded and took back the paper. “This note was found in the kitchen, with the date February 20th written on the bottom. It is possible that Rosa stepped outside the house BEFORE the murder occurred. Then, not realizing what happened, she came home, put the milk in the fridge and then went to bed, only to wake up the next day and find her nephew dead.”

Ms. Jones nodded and went back to her desk, this time she was smiling instead of Sharla.

With a brand new attitude, Sharla went back up to the stand and asked the poor old Ms. Rosa several questions. Such as, “Are you mentally ill, are you sure you wrote that note on the 20th and not the 19th? Why did you leave a note instead of just going out to get the milk?” [pullquote] “Are you mentally ill, are you sure you wrote that note on the 20th and not the 19th? Why did you leave a note instead of just going out to get the milk?”

[/pullquote]

“Objection!” Ms. Jones proclaimed. “What relevance does this really have to the case?”

“Agreed,” the judge said. “Ms. Sharla, are you badgering the woman in order to confuse her?”

Sharla blinked her eyes innocently. “No, your Honor, I would never.”

“Then, carry on.”

And so she did. Her beauty even had the highest judge in the county melting in her hands. Pathetic, I say, pathetic!

Defendant’s Case-

» A. The character will testify under oath when presenting evidence.

“Okay, now I would like to call my client to the stand, George Mires.”

George, a tall man with a long beard, bald, and a beer belly, came waltzing over to the stand as if he was in a circus.

“George,” Sharla began, “I mean, Mr. Mires, where were you that night.”

“I was in my bed, cozy with my blanket and a bottle of rim.”

“I see. Was there anyone else there to justify this?”

“No.” George shook his head.

“Well, still….” Sharla stalled for a minute; she probably didn’t think George would say that. “Okay, what happened that day?”

“Welp, I was doing my daily yoga exercise, it’s good for my health, you know (he pointed at his belly), when my neighbor came knocking on my door in a frantic. She told me how her nephew was found dead in his bed and asked if I could call the police.”

“Didn’t you find that odd that she didn’t just call the police herself?”

“No.” George held his head up high. “She was in shock, like she didn’t know what was going on. I would be to.” He looked over at Rosa. “Hell, I probably wouldn’t even be able to dial 9-1-1 correctly if that happened to someone I loved.”

“Mhmmm….” Sharla seemed afraid. Clearly this wasn’t going the way she hoped. I wouldn’t be surprised if she asked George to lie on stand. But I’m glad he told the truth, it serves her right.

» A. The prosecution has the burden of proof to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, the prosecution must present evidence at the trial. Failure to appear for trial may result in dismissal of your claim.

I. You are presumed innocent until proven guilty. As the defendant, you are not required to present evidence at the trial because of the presumption of innocence. I I. Photographs, videos and some written documents may be used as evidence. The court clerk will number each item of evidence before the trial starts. II I. The Rules of Evidence generally do not allow notarized and other written statements to be used as evidence. Since the person who wrote the statement is not in court, they cannot be cross-examined. Testifying about what another person said or told you is usually prohibited. In other words, hearsay evidence is considered unreliable because it is secondhand or retold information.

Example 4:

“I have no further questions, your honor,” Sharla said this quickly.

Ms. Jones went to the stand, however, even though she believed George was guilty and wanted to attack him with so many questions, she called another witness to the stand instead.

“I call Jordania to the stand.”

Everyone in the room gasped. They turned around to face me as I stood and went to the front of the court. No one was expecting me to make a statement. After all, I did supposedly hate Rosa and her family, why would I help her?

I looked over at Sharla with a satisfying grin. She went pale as a ghost and sunk in her chair.

“Jordania, may I call you by your first name.”

[pullquote]”I am her daughter. The one she gave up for adoption several years ago because she couldn’t handle my attitude.”[/pullquote]

I looked back at Ms. Jones and nodded.

“Good. Jordania, how are you related to Rosa?”

“I am her daughter. The one she gave up for adoption several years ago because she couldn’t handle my attitude.”

“I see,” there was a short pause, “and so you are connected to this story, how?”

I cleared my throat before speaking. “I was there on the night of the murder. I know exactly what happened. I not only have untouched photographs, but I have videos as well. On that night I was visiting Rosa for the first time. I had just graduated with my degree in Business and my life was going well. I had given my life to Christ a week ago and was ready to start fresh with everyone I knew. My friends, my adopted family, and Rosa was last on the list. She was the most important for obvious reasons. I hated her so much.” I stared at my mom, hoping to find comfort. “Anyways, I learned to forgive her for abandoning me and I just wanted to surprise her.”

Ms. Jones interrupted me. “So you went to house and then what?”

“Well, I went to the wrong house, actually. It was George’s house I went to. The door was opened so I walked in. I figured it was my momma’s house, I was family, and there wouldn’t be a problem. Sadly I was wrong.”

The court room went silent. Even the judge had his eyes glued on me.

“Then what happened?” Ms. Jones urged me to continue on.

“I-I saw it. Pictures upon pictures of the victim hanging inside George’s house. He was obsessed with this man to the point of insanity. At first, I thought it was my mom who was insane, because remember, I thought I was in her house. There was clothes in a picture fame and titled “My love” there were loads of shrines with images of Jamison. I nearly threw up. Then, I saw what I wish I would have never seen. Next door, there was a light on. I peeked outside the blinds and saw a large man, standing with a knife over a body.”

“How could you have seen the body?”

“It was on the bed, high enough for many people to see. I only got to witness this because I was in the next door house.”

Ms. Jones nodded. “Then what?”

I ran upstairs, looking for my mom.

“Because you still thought it was her house?”

“Correct. My mom wasn’t there. Instead I found pictures of the man. So I went running down the steps in a hurry to get out of that place, only to be startled by the noises of someone coming into the house.”

“It was George, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “He was all covered in Jamison’s blood. I took pictures of it too. Also got ones of George standing with the knife.”

“Where did you get the camera?”

“I bought it to take pictures with my mom. Instead I had to take pictures of THIS!”

“Calm down,” Ms. Jones informed me. “We’re almost done. So, what happened after he came in the house?”

I swallowed hard. “He started speaking about what he did.”

“To who?”

“To himself. I recorded it.”

“Let’s hear it.” The sheriff took out my recorder that was in a plastic bag, put it on the juror’s stand and played it.

Gasp! They all said in unison after hearing the recording.

“Thank you, Jordania, that is all for now.” Ms. Jones shook my hand.

“Sharla,” the judge said, breaking her out of her daze, “Do you have any questions for the witness?”

Sharla shook her head.

Conclusion of the Trial-

» A. After all the evidence has been presented, each side has an opportunity to summarize the case in their closing statement.

Ms. Jones went to the front of court to make her closing statement. “As you can see, fellow citizens, George Mires was the one who killed Jamison, not Rosa.[pullquote]No sane person could do such a thing– sleep soundly, knowing full well that a dead body is in the other room.[/pullquote] Yes, Rosa was there the night of the crime, however, she had briefly stepped out to get a jug of milk. That was her alibi and there are cameras and witnesses to testify this as truth. With that said, I ask you what woman in her right mind, let alone person, would ruthlessly kill someone, only to go out to the grocery store calmly, to grab a jug of milk. No one! And then, to have the nerve to keep the body out for one whole night, stinking up your house. No sane person could do such a thing– sleep soundly, knowing full well that a dead body is in the other room. That obviously means she wasn’t aware of what happened. Furthermore, if she did kill her nephew, why didn’t she just hide the body in the back yard? Why did she walk all the way over to her neighbor’s house to call the police? I ask you, jury of the court, to put yourself in her shoes and see if you could do such a thing.”

Sharla was next for her closing statement, though her statement was brief and wasn’t as strong as Ms. Jones’.

» A. After closing statements the Judge explains to the jury that they must “make their decision based only the facts presented and not their feelings.”

The jury came back out in only ten short minutes. The vote was unanimous.

The judge spoke once the crowd silenced. “Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?”

The jury spokesman stood and said: “Yes, your Honor, we have.”

Judge then asked, “Members of the Jury, on the Case of George vs. Rosa, what you say?”

The Jury Spokesman cleared his throat before pronouncing, “Your Honor, the members of this Jury find the defendant GUILTY of first degree murder.”

Loud conversation burst out within the room. The judge had to bang his gavel several times before there was peace again. “Order, order in my courtroom.” He said in a stern voice.

» B. The Judge will now pass sentence of the verdict is GUILTY or release the Defendant if found NOT GUILTY. The Judge will then say, “This court is adjourned.”

I. The Bailiff will say, “All rise”. When everybody is standing, the Judge will leave the bench. I I. The trial is now over and everybody returns to his or her seat.

Example 7:

“It is time.” The judge said this statement with finality. “I will now pass sentence of the verdict. I agree with the jury on the verdict of guilt, and hereby sentence George Mires to 50 years to life in prison, without parole.”

I watched closely as the sheriff put handcuffs on the large man and took him away. Being that George was already 45 years old, that meant he would most likely die behind bars. Excellent.

When the judge left his bench and the trial was over, I went over to Sharla who looked flabbergasted. She remained still, not moving an inch.

“Sorry bout’ that mom,” I said with a cheerful smile.

[pullquote]”I warn you,” Sharla said, breaking out of her daze for the last time, “don’t come back home.”[/pullquote]

“I warn you,” Sharla said, breaking out of her daze for the last time, “don’t come back home.”

“Trust me, I won’t.” I looked around the courtroom to see if anyone was listening, then said, “If you would have just told me where my real mother lived, none of this would have happened. I would have already been there when that creep broke into their house. I could have saved my cousin, damn it.”

“You don’t know that.” Sharla said.

“My ass.” I was furious. “Because of you, I had to spend an extra week trying to find my mother. Because of you I will never see my cousin’s smiling face. Because of you… because of you my cousin didn’t even know I existed and will never know. What kind of step-mom are you?” I asked with immense anger.

Sharla just looked at me, laughed and then spit in my face. “And for all I did for you, you ungrateful son of a bit—“

I slapped her across her face before she could say the full word. “I don’t want to ever see you again,” I said as I walked off and out of the courtroom, without the urge to look back.

!You might have to scroll down the textbox with your mouse!

Attorney Sharla stood, and walked up to the judge, where the curious crowd behind her could also listen in. “My client has been seen holding a knife over the dead body of Jamison.” She paused to look at the man then continued even louder. “Although he is innocent.” The crowd behind her gasped. “Until proven guilty,” Sharla continued, with one finger high in the air, “Ms. Jones should know better.” With full force she slammed her hands on the opposing attorney’s desk.

Ms. Jones nodded and went back to her desk, this time she was smiling instead of Sharla. With a brand new attitude, Sharla went back up to the stand and asked the poor old Ms. Rosa several questions. Such as, “Are you mentally ill, are you sure you wrote that not on the 20th and not the 19th? Why did you leave a note instead of just going out to get the milk?”

And so she did. Her beauty even had the highest judge in the county melting in her hands. Pathetic, I say, pathetic!

“Okay, now I would like to call my client to the stand, George Mires.”

“I am her daughter. The one she gave up for adoption several years ago because she couldn’t handle my attitude.”

“I-I saw it. Pictures upon pictures of the victim hanging inside George’s house. He was obsessed with this man to the point of insanity. At first I thought it was my mom who was insane, because remember, I thought I was in her house. There was clothes in a picture fame and titled “My love” there were loads of shrines with images of Jamison. I nearly threw up. Then, I saw what I wish I would have never seen. Next door, there was a light on. I peeked outside the blinds and saw a large man, standing with a knife over a body.”

“It was George, wasn’t it.”

“Sharla,” the judge said, breaking her out of her daze, “Do you have any questions for the witness?” Sharla shook her head.

Ms. Jones went to the front of court to make her closing statement. “As you can see, fellow citizens, George Mires was the one who killed Jamison, not Rosa. Yes, Rosa was there the night of the crime, however, she had briefly stepped out to get a jug of milk. That was her alibi and there are cameras and witnesses to testify this as truth. With that said, I ask you what woman in her right mind, let alone person, would ruthlessly kill someone, only to go out to the grocery store calmly, to grab a jug of milk. No one! And then, to have the nerve to keep the body out for one whole night, stinking up your house. No sane person could do such a thing, sleep soundly, knowing full well that a dead body is in the other room. That obviously means she wasn’t aware of what happened. Furthermore, if she did kill her nephew, why didn’t she just hide the body in the back yard? Why did she walk all the way over to her neighbor’s house to call the police? I ask you, juror of the court, to put yourself in her shoes and see if you could do such a thing.”

Sharla was next for her closing statement, though her statement was brief and wasn’t as strong as Ms. Jones’.

The jury came back out in only ten short minutes. The vote was unanimous.

Judge then asked, “Members of the Jury, on the Case of George vs. Rosa, what you say?”

Loud conversation burst out within the room. The judge had to bang his gavel several times before there was peace again. “Order, order in my courtroom.” He said in a stern voice. “It is time.” The judge said this statement with finality. “I will now pass sentence of the verdict. I agree with the jury on the verdict of guilt, and hereby sentence George Mires to 50 years to life in prison, without parole.”

I watched closely as the sheriff put handcuffs on the large man and took him away. Being that George was already 45 years old, that meant he would most likely die behind bars. Excellent. When the judge left his bench and the trial was over, I went over to Sharla who looked flabbergasted. She remained still, not moving an inch.

15 thoughts on “ How to Write a Court Scene ”

Attorney Shannon Karter rose to the judge, in favour of Detective Kaputo’s statement. Mr Davison, a Black defence Attorney was provided from out of the State. ‘Mrs Lee Guan, you were at ACRO gas station in Chinatown on the 27thof July, when your husband was robbed and threatened, correct?’ Mrs Guan looked up attentively; Karter’s compelling stare possessed her. ‘Yes, I was there – upstairs’, she replied. ‘So you were not at the scene of this felony?’ Karter asked. ‘No’, Guan replied, Ms Karter unsatisfied at the information ‘but I did hear gun shots from outside the station’. At least she was telling the truth. Her face was bowed, as if she was concealing preferable answers away from the judge. There was a murmuring buzz from the jury. ‘So what happened next?’ Karter asked, drowning patience. ‘Well, I went down stairs and…the thief had got away…and my husband…’ ‘Was he shot?’ ‘No’. The buzzing noise from the curious crowd rose gradually. ‘But he was about to be shot – ’. ‘Objection!’ Shouted Mr Davison. Ms Karter halted with a shudder. ‘On what grounds do you make your objection Mr Davison?’ Asked the judge. ‘The gun she was in possession of was handed over with an empty barrel, how could the noises you’d heard been from her?’ asked Davison. A frown came across Shannon’s face. ‘I-I don’t know’, stuttered Mrs Guan, her face kept pointing down. ‘Furthermore, your husband, Mr Guan, was not shot, so it is possible that she was waving an empty-barrelled gun just to scare him’. ‘What are you saying Mr Davison?’ the judge said. ‘I’m saying that if it were really in her intension to kill the store manager she wouldn’t be armed with something as functional as a toy’. Ms Karter sliced her eyes at the defendant thinking ‘Nonsense’ and was to make a swift comeback. ‘Objection!’ Shannon strutted towards the scene. ‘Amy is guilty for armed robbery’, she continued. ‘Whether the barrel was empty or not, or had probably ran out while she was shooting, she used it to threaten Mr Guan and obtained his money’. The crowd hummed silently to each other, making suspicions. ‘And if she wasn’t shooting outside, then who was?’ The humming rose with anticipation of the subject. ‘She should know better’, said Ms Karter, smiling as she turned her back to the judge, and directly to Davison. ‘I call Detective Kaputo to the stand’. For there were many more questions she had in preparation to attack the defendant, but she didn’t want to over prosecute. For some information had to be saved until the end. The jury’s’ eyes darted to the handsome man in his forties as he strode to the stand. His hair was a subtle sheen of grey at the forefront; the strands neatly combed back and well presented, just as his case was. ‘Mr Albert Kaputo, may I call you Mr Kaputo?’ Mr Davison prepared the question. ‘Sure, sure’, Kaputo replied. ‘Great. So, Mr Kaputo, did the defendant confess to threatening to Kill Mr Guan at the gas station?’ ‘Yes. She did’, He said, ‘It’s in the tape’. Shannon smiled, knowing Mr Davison couldn’t beat her; he seamed nervous as if this wasn’t going the way he planned. Another spec of evidence counted by the clerks. The jury gasped. Hums of suspicion became murmurs of conclusion. ‘Order in my COURT!’, the judge demand with a military voice. By any means, there was something peculiar about the tape. ‘You do realise it’s not fair to pressurize her into giving a confession she didn’t want to. Being a young delinquent she is not as experienced as an adult’, said Davison. ‘It was a confession by choice. Besides, she has had experience with the justice system – and has been under custody several times for misdemeanour offences – a criminals are treated the same way’, relied Kaputo. ‘How many times?’ asked the Judge. ‘Three’. ‘So don’t you think by now she ought not to incriminate herself with a statement as such?’ ‘Agreed!’ the judge proclaimed. ‘Mr Kaputo, was the defendant given her Miranda warnings before the statement?’ Asked Mr Davison. Detective Kaputo was silent for a long time. A young delinquent without an advisor or parent and a cunning detective such as himself meant serious investigation. ‘Not directly’, Kaputo replied quickly. ‘Not directly?! What we’re you planning to tell her right after she’d given you a full blown confession – ?’ Davison confronted. ‘She already knows the warnings’. The judge looked distressed, just when she herself thought things were coming to a conclusion. ‘Your honour, I would like to ask my client some questions about the obtaining of this information’. The judge was annoyed. ‘Amy do wish to speak?’ The judge said Abruptly. She nodded stiffly. Then the judge gave a tired hand gesture that said ‘ask away’.

‘Were you aware of the Fifth Amendments the Miranda warnings during your interrogation?’ ‘Yeah’. All this technical talk made her weary. Oh the weary discombobulation of jargon to a delinquent mind! ‘So how did the interrogators get you to confess, was it voluntary?’ ‘Hyeah!’ she sighed. Over and done with already! ‘Amy, please realise I’m trying to help you’, admitted Davison. Her eyes rolled, dismissing the obsolete fact into a world of ignorance. That’s what they all say. ‘So it is true you threatened to kill Mr Guan if he hadn’t given you the money, as said in your hand written and taped confession?’, attacked attorney Shannon. ‘Attorney Shannon Karter it is NOT your time to question!’ enforced the judge. Shannon sank back into her place. The crowd sounded again. ‘No’. What? The jury gasped. A statement Kaputo had build standard evidence upon and she was denying the whole thing? The beginning of the cross examination. ‘But your statement clearly says you threatened to kill Mr Guan if he hadn’t given up the money. What makes you now deny?’ asked Mr Davison. ‘I never said that, I only agreed to it’. ‘Why?’ ‘Objection! It is not necessary to know why. All that matters is that she confessed and waived her Miranda rights by doing so – ’ ‘– Let my client speak, Karter’. ‘Because I was starving! And bored. No-one wants to be locked in cell for seven hours!’ finally the truth prevailed. Uuuhh! The dramatic crowd gasped again. The judges eyes darted to Mr Kaputo. ‘Your honour, my client gave this statement under custody compelled by the circumstances of her release, neither was it a Mirandized statement, therefore making it involuntary’, said Davison. ‘Mr Kaputo – what is the meaning for this?’ The judge asserted with agitation. ‘Your honour the evidence speaks for its –’. ‘– No – no. First you fail to Mirandize her and then you lock her in the interrogation room until she gives a statement of what you want to hear?’ the judge ranted on, coming to her resolute conclusion. ‘Your honour there is one more witness I would like to call to the stand’, Shannon interrupted in an abrupt haste. Out of options, and frustrated at Detective Kaputo testimony, she called, ‘I call Sergio Valdés to the stand’. The jury quieted down as did the judge, striving with wonder. I stood up, quite stunned she called me. How would I help her? ‘Mr Valdés, we’re you at the scene on the theft?’ she asked. ‘I was outside the gas station store’, I replied. ‘So you didn’t see her threaten the storeowner at gun point?’ ‘No. I was outside’. Mr Davison laughed sardonically. ‘When will you have a witness who is actually a witness Shannon?’ he said. she fixated her glassed on her statements, one hand on hip. ‘Hmph!’ ‘Mrs Lee Guan, Mr Guan’s wife, said she heard gun firing from outside the station, and that her husband was nearly shot. Did this girl fire back at the station before escaping, did you see or hear any shooting?’ ‘No’, I said, untruthfully and confident. For I didn’t want Mrs Guan’s covering up for her husband to extend the matters, but covering up by blaming it on the defendant clearly wasn’t going to work. ‘So the shooting, it was just a pigment of your aural imagination, Mrs Guan?’ attacked Mr Davison. ‘But – but my husband told me that she nearly shot him –’. ‘Mrs Guan, what your husband told you is not admissible evidence in court. He would need to make that clear for himself bothered to show up’, he ranted ‘ Seriously – enough with the shooting business, is there evidence that actually shows she threatened the storeowner?’ ‘Objection!’ shouted the judge, ‘this isn’t about Amy’s voluntary or involuntary statement, is it?’ The judge demanded results. ‘Your honour, being that the defendant was aware of her right and reminded later on, her written testament and confession on tape was voluntary’, Shannon Karter concluded. ‘Although, Your honour, She was not warned of her right before the testament, and confessed under custody of severe conditions. Her statement is also inaccurate according Mr Valdés, a witness that there was no shooting and the gun was retrieved empty’, Davison summed up. The judge examined the evidence long and hard. ‘Mr Kaputo, How long was Amy deprived for before she confessed?’ Ask the judge. Shannon gulped. It was a question she didn’t want to hear him answered to. ‘Excuse me – Your honour’. ‘How long did you detain this girl in a cell, deprived of food, water, the bathroom or any of the above?’ She bounced back more stern. ‘Um – no more that six hours your honour’. It was truly about six and a half hours she was kept. The judge made a final vindication regarding the evidence. ‘Well – well’, she shuffled the papers, ‘I cannot argue about whether her statement was mirandized or not, but it was still her right to remain silent, and she confessed guilty.’ The jury rose in anticipation, Shannon rose with a grin of excitement, and Mr Davison with expectation of the worst and hope for the best, just as the defendant. ‘However, if you forced her to confess by depriving the defendant of her essential needs…I’m afraid I’m going to have acquit Mr Kaputo’s until further investigation’. The jury was shocked, so was Attorney Shannon, and they wailed with anger. For her grin had disappeared and appeared on Attorney Davison’s face. ‘Her statement was obtained by an involuntary confession’, and her hammer slammed to the desk, ‘However!’ The judge slammed her gavel to the desk for order in the court, ‘Armed robbery is a second class felony, and should be charged up to fifteen years in prison.’ Amy’s cuffed hands stiffened. ‘But considering the evidence that underlays the defendants attempt to actually use the weapon is unclear… I will have to suppress those charges’, she looked at Amy then back at the evidence ‘ to 12 months of probation, until acquitted’.

Mrs Guan strode viciously up to Amy while I watched. She wanted her to pay. ‘Listen Pinkie, don’t think your gonna get away with this’, Mrs Guan whispered angrily. ‘Hey’, I intervened, walking up to her, ‘why don’t we find out who the real gun holder of the firing was that night and make a case about that, huh?’ I defended. Her eyes crossed Amy, then me as she slowly turned back like a merciful predator. Really, it wasn’t in her power to prosecute Amy further. ‘Leave it’, I said.

Sweet stuff fellow writer! Did you use the website’s outline for this scene?

Yes, mostly. It seemed so realistic. But I had to do a bit of research. My friend feared I had been watching to many crime scene and detective series but that’s hardly the case. I think the drama in the outline, and my research influenced my ideas the most.

I’m so glad to hear that! I completely understand about the concern your friend has. As writers we can look a bit odd when we research unusual things for our novels :-).

By the way, if you are interested, I’m just finishing up the “Combat Scene” outline if you want to take a look at it.

https://writethatscene.com/how-to-write-a-combat-scene/

Can you write an ‘I’m pregnant scene’, with like shock like no one expected it

Hello Glory,

May I have more information. Do you mean a pregnant scene where it is a married couple? A teenager? An older woman? Other than that, I should be good to go.

Anything, It’s all about the shock baby!

Sweet. can’t wait

Should have surprise pregnancy scene outline up by the end of this week! Would love to read your excerpts for it too, Glory.

cool, please let me know were it is so I can find it and read it!

No problem. Surprise Pregnancy Scene is on the homepage: https://writethatscene.com/ . I’ve also added an I Love You Scene if you would like to check it out: https://writethatscene.com/i-love-you-scene/

Thank you so much 😉 I will start writing my own example right away!

This is fairly good however, there are a few errors. Having stood trail for murder though these errors maybe more obvious to me then they would be to other readers. Anyway, nice job. And before anyone makes some off hand comments about my post I will just note: I did say I stood trial for murder I did not say I was convicted.

Thanks for the comment! What are some errors you notice? We’d be happy to look into them.

— Alex Charles ’22

Writing Center

Related articles, constructing a scholarly narrative with incomplete information.

Tortoise Tuesday: Structure in Creative Non-fiction…and Beyond

Volcanoes and Detectives: Writing unconventionally in academic work (and maybe doing it well)

Math in the Humanities? Writing about a Non-Traditional Topic for a Traditional Audience

Dead end or dividend: falling (face-first) into the intentional fallacy.

Thesis: Works in Progress

Motive: Works in Progress

Evidence and Analysis: Works in Progress

Current Issue
Issue Archives

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Brought to you by:

How to Write a Case-Based Essay

By: William Ellet

Writing about a case is very different from talking about it. This chapter describes how to organize and write a logical, economical, and convincing case essay.

Length: 15 page(s)
Publication Date: Apr 17, 2007
Discipline: Teaching & the Case Method
Product #: 2451BC-PDF-ENG

What's included:

Educator Copy

$4.50 per student

degree granting course

$7.95 per student

non-degree granting course

Get access to this material, plus much more with a free Educator Account:

Access to world-famous HBS cases
Up to 60% off materials for your students
Resources for teaching online
Tips and reviews from other Educators

Already registered? Sign in

Student Registration
Non-Academic Registration
Included Materials

Learning Objectives

To outline the structure of a persuasive case essay.

Apr 17, 2007

Discipline:

Teaching & the Case Method

Industries:

Professional training services

Harvard Business Press Chapters

2451BC-PDF-ENG

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience, including personalizing content. Learn More . By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and revised Privacy Policy .

Essays About Justice: Top 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

Discover our guide with examples of essays about justice and prompts for your essay writing and discuss vital matters relating to a person’s or nation’s welfare.

Justice, in general, refers to the notion that individuals get what they deserve. It includes fundamental moral values in law and politics and is considered an act of fairness, equality, and honesty. Four types of justice deal with how victims can solicit a verdict. They are procedural, distributive, retributive, and restorative. There are many pieces with justice as the subject. It’s because justice is a broad subject encompassing many human values.

5 Essay Examples

1. juvenile justice system of usa essay by anonymous on ivypanda.com, 2. wrongful convictions in criminal justice system by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 3. racial profiling within the criminal justice system by anonymous on papersowl.com, 4. criminal justice: the ban-the-box law by anonymous on ivypanda.com, 5. the special needs of the criminal justice on mental illness cases by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 1. what is justice, 2. is justice only for the rich and powerful, 3. the importance of justice, 4. the justice system in mainstream media, 5. justice: then vs. now, 6. justice system around the world, 7. obstructions to justice.

“No doubt, familiarity about the nature of juvenile crimes and how juvenile justice structures function across the world will offer an insight to policy makers, social scientists and for gullible citizens. Thus, a comparative analysis will throw light on how well or how poorly one nation is exercising relative to other nations.”

The essay delves into the justice system process for teenagers who are 18 years and below who commit wrongful acts. Most teenagers involved in juvenile crimes do not have a strong foundation or parental support. The author also talks about the treatments, boot camps, and retreat houses available for teenagers serving in juvenile prisons.

The ever-increasing number of juvenile crimes in the world reflects the mismanagement and lack of juvenile courts, sentencing programs, rehabilitation, and age-appropriate treatment. The writer believes that if mistrials remain in the juvenile system, the problem will continue. They suggest that the government must initiate more system reforms and provide juvenile offenders with proper ethical education.

“The justice system is composed of various legal groups and actors, making a miscarriage possible at any stage of the legal process, or at the hands of any legal actor. Eyewitness error, police misconduct, or falsification of evidence are examples of factors that may lead to a wrongful conviction.”

In this essay, the author uses various citations that show the justice system’s flaws in the process and criteria of its rulings. It further discusses the different instances of unfair judgments and mentions that at least 1% of all convicts serving prison time were wrongfully accused.

The writer believes that changing the way of addressing different cases and ensuring that all legal professionals do their assigned duties will result in fair justice. You might also be interested in these essays about choice .

“Here in the 21st century, we don’t exactly have ‘Black Codes’ we have what is known as Racial Profiling. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defines racial profiling as ‘the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race ethnicity, religion or national origin.’”

This essay investigates the involvement of race in the criminal justice system, whether they are victims or perpetrators. The author claims that some law enforcement officers mistreat and misjudge people because of their race and presents various cases as evidence of these discriminatory actions. One example is the case of an unarmed black teenager, Jordan Edwards , who was shot because former officer Roy Oliver thought his partner was in danger.

Unfortunately, law enforcement officials use their power and position in society to deny any act of racial profiling, rendering the said law useless. The author declares that while their paper may not prove racial bias in the criminal justice system, they can prove that a person’s color plays a role and can cause harm.

“I think the Ban-the-Box law is the best way of creating employment opportunities for ex-convicts without discrimination. Criminal offenses vary in the degree of the crime, making it unfair to treat all ex-convicts the same. Moreover, some felons learn from their mistakes during detention and parole, creating a better and law-abiding citizen with the ability to work faithfully.”

The essay explains how ex-convicts or current convicts are consistently discriminated against. This discrimination affects their lives even after serving their sentence, especially in their rights to vote and work.

Regarding job hunting, the author believes the Ban-the-Box law will effectively create more employment opportunities. The law allows employers to see an ex-convict’s skills rather than just their record. The essay concludes with a reminder that everyone is entitled to a civil right to vote, while private enterprises are free to run background checks.

“Case management focuses on incorporating key elements that focus on improving the wellbeing of individuals that are being assessed. Mental illness within the criminal justice system is treated as a sensitive issue that requires urgent intervention in order to ensure that an inmate is able to recover.”

This essay pries into one of the most delicate areas of ruling in the justice system, which is leading mentally ill convicts. Offenders who were deemed mentally ill should be able to receive particular treatments for their health while serving time.

The author mentions that every country must be able to provide mental health services for the inmates to prevent conflicts inside the prison. In conclusion, they suggest that reviewing and prioritizing policies related to mental illness is the best solution to the issue.

Are you interested in writing about mental illnesses? Check out our guide on how to write essays about depression.

7 Prompts for Essays About Justice

Justice is a vast subject, and its literal meaning is the quality of being just. This process often occurs when someone who has broken the law gets what they should, whether freedom or punishment. Research and discuss everything there is to know about justice so your readers can fully understand it. Include a brief history of its origins, types, and uses.

Several situations prove that justice is only for the rich. One of the main reasons is the expensive court fees. Research why victims settle outside the court or just let their abusers get away with crimes.

Include data that proves justice is a luxury where the only ones who can ask for equal treatment are those with resources—present situations or well-known cases to support your statements. On the other hand, you can also provide counter-arguments such as government programs that help financially-challenged individuals.

Every citizen has the right to be protected and treated fairly in court. Explain the importance of justice to a person, society, and government. Then, add actual cases of how justice is applied to encourage reform or chaos. Include relevant cases that demonstrate how justice impacts lives and legal changes, such as the case of Emmett Till .

Talk about how justice is usually depicted on screen and how it affects people’s expectations of how the justice system works. Popular television shows such as Suits and Law and Order are examples of the justice system being portrayed in the media. Research these examples and share your opinion on whether movies or television portray the justice system accurately or not.

In this essay, research how justice worldwide has changed. This can include looking at legal systems, human rights, and humanity’s ever-changing opinions. For instance, child labor was considered normal before but is viewed as an injustice today. List significant changes in justice and briefly explain why they have changed over time. You might also be interested in these essays about violence .

Essays About Justice: Justice system around the world

Countries have different ways of instilling justice within their societies. For this prompt, research and discuss the countries you think have the best and worst legal systems. Then, point out how these differences affect the country’s crime rates and quality of life for its citizens.

Examine why people tend to take justice into their hands, disobey legal rules, or give up altogether. It can be because seeking justice is an arduous process resulting in emotional and financial burdens. Often, this occurs when a person feels their government is not providing the support they need. Take a look at this social issue, and discuss it in your essay for a strong argumentative.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

View all posts

Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

English Works

12 Angry Men: Sample essays (justice/jurors)

Sample Plan/Essay

Topic: “ This is one of the reasons we are strong.” Through his play, Twelve Angry Men , Reginald Rose suggest that the judicial system has more strengths than it does flaws.

In an era when America was attempting to find her identity and heal divisions wrought by Cold War hostilities, Reginald Rose, in his didactic play Twelve Angry Men, affirms the dire importance of a diverse jury’s ability to deliver justice to its people. Whilst Rose suggests that the judicial system has its imperfections, he also endorses the benefits he claims are invaluable to society. Initially, as the jurors respond to the task of judging the guilt or innocence of the 16 year old boy, charged with first degree murder of his father, shortcomings are flagrantly obvious. However, owing to the integrity and perspicacity of the 8 th juror and his insistence the principles of justice and reasonable doubt, he orchestrates a careful examination of the circumstantial evidence. As Rose clearly shows, honouring these safeguards not only empowers individuals to engage in the judicial process, but acts as the basis for a just verdict which reflects a decent, caring democratic society; diversity may hinder, but in this case it can facilitate also justice. Thus, the fundamental mechanisms of the process are what makes the system “strong”.

The flaws in the judicial system owing to the 12 “angry men”

Rose depicts a judicial system that is essentially flawed because of its dependence upon twelve “angry” Caucasian men who possess different views, personalities and personal agendas. Specifically, and through the use of a real-time deliberation process, the playwright emphasizes how the integrity of the judicial system is undermined when the jurors arrive at the table clothed in their own personal experiences and prejudices. (quote from the 10 th )

Rose deliberately constructs a parallel story for the 3rd Juror, whose broken relationship with his son, influences his decision. In the stage directions he notes how he is reeling from the pain of being “stabbed in the chest” which foreshadows his revenge agenda and his rigid, patriarchal view of parenting. Throughout the play, there are repetitive references to the “knife”, which will be critical to the evidence, but in this case the stab wounds symbolically refer to the 3 rd juror’s raw and personal emotions. Knife…

Climate of prejudice; a fault that Rose implies was a pressing issue in trials conducted during the post-war era of McCarthy-style hysteria.

Another shortcoming is the legal competence of the jurors, many of whom lack the aptitude to carry out their duties because they have a distorted or deficient understanding of their legal duties. The meek 2nd Juror’s fragmented speech conveyed through Rose’s use of ellipses and indicated in the stage directions as “nervous”, suggests he fears voicing his opinion because of his relative inexperience as a juror. As a result, he “just thinks the boy is guilty” and cannot express his reasoning, intimidated by the louder voices that dominate the early stages of the play. From the beginning, the 12th Juror, who believes that “the whole thing is unimportant”, is fixated on the “view”, the “impression” and the “drive” of the lawyers, a manifestation of his embodiment as post war materialism . The game of the tic-tac toe also becomes a figurative manifestation of their indifference as is the “doodling”. Likewise, the mindless whistling of the 7 th juror and the change of his vote to “not guilty” because he has “had enough” highlights his obvious apathy. Rose suggests this attitude, which is compounded by the heat, is counterproductive to the notion of active citizenship.

The strengths of the system because of the emphasis on the safeguards of justice

In order to overcome these innate limitations, Rose suggests that the emphasis on and adherence to the safeguards are essential assets to the deliberation process. The power of the process lies within its ability to expose their “personal prejudice” in a “locked room ”, where the men cannot escape scrutiny. The locked room also becomes a metaphoric representation of the men’s closed minds that are gradually enlightened as the trial proceeds. Furthermore, Rose uses the “harsh white light” as a device to reveal the men’s limitations, confirming that the process contributes to greater self-awareness.

8 th juror: embodiment and “architect” of justice

In this regard, the role of the 8 th juror, who believes the boy deserves the courtesy of “talking” about the evidence before arriving at hasty assumptions, is critical to the exposure of injustices and prejudices . He is the juror who most faithfully follows the disembodied voice of the judge and his reminder that the jurors must deliberate “honestly and thoughtfully”and sift “fact” from “fancy”. By focusing on the concept of reasonable doubt, he exposes the inconsistencies in the testimonies of the eye-witnesses and urges the jurors to question the “circumstantial evidence”. His probing casts doubt and his question to the jurors, “What if the facts are wrong”, also serves to whet the audience’s curiosity.

The 9th Juror, whose experience derived from his age and experience is vital, asserts that no one has a “monopoly on the truth” as “coincidences are possible.” As such, the jurors are forced to question the reliability of the evidence such as the psychiatrist’s report which indicates that the defendant had “strong homicidal tendencies,” only to conclude that these tendencies don’t always manifest as action; likewise the threat “I’m going to kill you” which becomes a humiliating experience for the third juror. The fact that the old man could not have physically walked to the door to verify the identity of escaping person and the absence of the woman’s glasses all conspire to plant doubt.

8 th juror: empowers diversity rather than conformity

In the right context and circumstances, Rose also suggests that diversity, a hallmark of democracy, can hinder, but can also facilitate justice. The gradual self-awareness and enlightenment of many of the jurors helps the collective team more effectively scrutinise the evidence. In many ways, such diversity of provides a plethora of contexts for identification which in turn helps the jurors gain an insight into the flaws of the evidence. The 5 th Juror’s “slum background” and upbringing empower him to challenge the angle of the knife wound and the 9 th Juror’s age creates doubt in the reliability of the old man’s testimony. He empathetically observes [2] that the man’s need to be “quoted just once” provides motivation to lie. The painter’s experience of apartments near an el-train also reveal the difficulty a witness would have hearing the boy. The 4 th juror recognises the woman’s impossibility of seeing clearly without glasses – another metaphoric representation of how the “facts” become increasingly blurred and murky.

Furthermore, minority groups are enfranchised as evident through the middle-European 11 th Juror, who reminds audiences that people “entitled to their unpopular opinions.” The notion that “there are no secrets in a jury room” holds its ground to both ensure that all voices are heard but also that extreme views are unveiled. Consequently, the 10 th Juror is silenced and “defeated” as them men “turn their backs” on him acting as a powerful reminder that in seeking consensus in society, we must reject the “darkening” threat posed by venomous views.

8 th juror: symbolism of democratic, social harmony

As the juror’s are freed from the “locked room” and the cathartic rain ceases to fall, the boy and thus the men are liberated by the civilising power of democracy. Indeed, in an act of social harmony, the 8 th Juror’s gesture of helping the 3rd Juror with his coat demonstrates the potential for fractured sides to find consensus in a society attempting to find her identity post war From the liberating ability of the process, Rose celebrates democracy as a powerful and enlightening asset and is accordingly the ultimate strength of the jury system.

Through the 8th juror’s gaze through the window to the New York Skyline, Rose suggests that the delivery of justice and vigilance is important to ensure the protection of democratic values and to secure justice for those most in need of it protection. Therefore, a focus on the safeguards yields benefits beyond the achievement of justice. The process can empower the disempowered and act as a resounding model for a democratic society. It is the reason we “are strong”.

Therefore, a focus on the safeguards yields benefits beyond the achievement of justice. The process can empower the disempowered and act as a resounding model for a democratic society. Through the Foreman’s “Slattery” metaphor, Rose suggests that the democratic foundation of the system is not reliant on individuals, but rather endorses the collaboration of diverse voices and experiences they bring to the “scarred table”. Indeed, self aware individuals prove useful in directing the discussion away from extreme and potentially divisive views.

In an era which was plagued by “Cold war” mentalities of relentless suspicion, Rose acknowledges that the jury system is inherently flawed. However, the play serves as a source of inspiration to the strength of the judicial process should the principles of justice be appropriately upheld. Ultimately the concept of reasonable doubt affords the best protection against the miscarriage of justice. Only when the safeguards of democracy are consciously followed, can any reward be in sight. Rose serves us with a timely reminder that we must accept our civic duties and remain self-aware and “watchful” for those who attempt to hinder the system in order witness what “makes us strong”.

‘Twelve Angry Men is less about guilt or innocence than about reasonable doubt.’ Discuss

Set in 1950s New York with a backdrop of post McCarthyism hysteria, Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men explores the deliberations of a jury in a homicide trial. Although the McCarthyist witch-hunts caused a legacy of suspicion, Rose suggests that ‘reasonable doubt’ remains the best safeguard of justice. The audience are thus taken into the customary black box scenario and witness the difficulties faced by the twelve individuals when attempting to follow the judge’s instruction to “deliberate honestly and thoughtfully” as prejudice and experiences cloud their judgements. According to David Mamet’s introduction it is the fact that each individual interprets the standard of ‘reasonable doubt’ differently that is “the genius of the trial.” By staging the heated discussion, Rose exposes the difficulties that surround the legal concept of ‘reasonable doubt and its application. Eventually, if applied rigorously, Rose suggests that it is the best mean of protecting a person’s innocence. If applied insightfully, it can also expose a person’s bigoted attitude and distorted personal agendas.

Rose characterises the 8 th juror as a spokesperson for justice because he foregrounds the concept of reasonable doubt; Rose thereby suggests that this provdes the best safeguard of the legal system. The fact that he cannot “send a boy off to die, without talking about it first.” Forces the other jurors to carefully consider witness testimonies. Rose’s use of anonymous numbers depersonalises the jury members to show that their personalties should not play a factor. Ironically, the 8 th juror seems to be the only one who best abides by this nameless system. Rose thereby suggests that the emphasis must be on the boy and the irrefutable nature of his crime. Moreover, the 8 th juror’s focus on ‘reasonable doubt’ leads to insightful questioning of the eye-witnesses; the old man could not have heard the boy yell over the sound of the elevated train or made it to his front door in time, and “the woman’s eyesight is in question.” As the 8 th juror exposes the inconsistencies and false assumption associated with the evidence, Rose poses the importance of the idea that ‘reasonable doubt’ could save someone’s life.

Rose sets up the 8 th juror as a contrasting voice of dissent in order to expose the extent to which the other jurors are controlled by their preconceived notions of guilt and innocence. Despite his insistence to scrutinise the evidence, other jurors still base their votes on biases, attitudes and personal experiences. The 3 rd juror, who says, “The man’s a dangerous killer” and the 10 th , who remarks “You know what you’re dealing with” may be the most vociferous in their accusations of the boy’s guilt and it is this emphasis on guilt that threatens a fair trial. The locked room appears as a metaphoric representation of their “locked minds” and their prejudice, which may lead to a miscarriage of justice. Hence, owing to preconceived biases, jurors are too quick to arrive at hasty conclusions and are less willing to accept the apparent doubt in the circumstantial evidence.

With an emphasis on reasonable doubt, the trial changes direction and the flaws in the evidence become increasingly apparent, making it difficult for many jurors to insist on the boy’s guilt. At the exposition of the play, almost all the jurors are convinced of the defendant’s guilt. The 10 th juror flippantly states, “A kid kills his father. Bing! Just like that,” evincing that there is no element of doubt in his mind. Similarly, the 6 th juror comments, “There’s not a doubt in the world.” However as the play progresses, doubt slowly creeps into the minds of the jurors as evidence is cross-examined. The tension is diffused as ‘the sound of the rain’ is heard in the silence. The storm and the ‘flickering of harsh white light’ could be interpreted as symbols of reality and truth. Afterwards, the 4 th juror, one of the most logical and methodical jurors, (“Let’s stick to the facts.”) eventually votes ‘not guilty’ stating he now has a ‘reasonable doubt’. Likewise, the 11 th juror switches his vote as he “now has a reasonable doubt in his mind.” The jurors are aware of the importance of investigating the evidence and henceforth acknowledge that their prior certainties may have faults.

The 8 th juror, through a stage direction that mimics his state of mind and are shown that “this is the problem that has been tormenting him. He does not know and he never will.”

** Based on ‘reasonable doubt’, a verdict of ‘not guilty’ is reached, which Rose suggests is the only correct verdict under these circumstances. AS the evidence is not conclusive, the jurors are not able to confidently prove the boy’s guilt. Critical to the “not guilty” verdict is the capitulation of the 10 th and 3 rd jurors owing to their vociferous opposition. The 10 th juror concedes that he has been outmanoeuvred by the “smart bastards” precisely because he must recognise that his bigoted misconceptions cannot prove the boy’s guilt. Likewise, the 3 rd is forced to recognise the degree to which his personal vendetta interfered with the decision-making process. The reminder that “he’s not your boy”, finally shames him into concurring with the ‘not guilty’ verdict. The deconstruction of these obstacles finally paves the way for an honest and just outcome. The unlocking of the door and the knife in the table – which was critical to the fact-finding process – suggest that prejudice has been dispelled. Thus Rose would suggest they reach a fair and reasonable verdict.

It is unequivocal that the legal drama Twelve Angry men imparts the notion that ‘reasonable doubt’ is a portentous part of America’s judicial system and it is of greater concern than the truth. Rose demonstrates this though the jury, a microcosm representation of a cross-section of America, who works together to form a just, unanimous decision. The variety of symbolic techniques show how Rose supports the ‘not guilty’ verdict and his view that ‘reasonable doubt’, if applied rigorously and insightfully, can expose personals aspects and agendas that may conspire to affect a fair trial. Ultimately, Rose reveals he is less concerned about the guilt or innocence of the accused but that a vote of ‘reasonable doubt’ is better than wrongly putting an innocent man to death and acts as a safeguard in the justice system.

Return to Summary: literary Devices
Return to Notes: Article on 12 Angry Men
A sample/ plan essay on Twelve Angry Men

For Sponsorship and Other Enquiries

Keep in touch.

More from M-W
To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of verdict

deliverance
determination
judgement

Examples of verdict in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'verdict.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English verdit, verdict , borrowed from Anglo-French veirdit "announcement, finding, judicial decision," from veir "true" (going back to Latin vērus ) + dit "statement, judgment" (going back to Latin dictum ), after Medieval Latin vērumdictum, vēredictum — more at very entry 2 , dictum

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing verdict

open verdict
Scotch verdict

Articles Related to verdict

chatbot assistant conversation ai artificial intelligence technology concept man chatting with chatbot via mobile smart phone application with speech bubble on virtual screen

The Words of the Week - Dec. 9

Dictionary lookups from American history, artificial intelligence, and the law

Dictionary Entries Near verdict

Cite this entry.

“Verdict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdict. Accessed 21 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of verdict.

Middle English verdit, verdict "a decision by a jury," derived from early French veir "true" and dit "saying, formal pronouncement"; veir from Latin verus "true" and dit from Latin dictum "formal pronouncement," derived from dicere "to say" — related to dictate , verify , very

Legal Definition

Legal definition of verdict.

Note: Under Rule 50 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, judgment as a matter of law has replaced directed verdict in federal practice.

Note: Under Rule 29 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the term judgment of acquittal has replaced directed verdict in federal practice.

Note: The acceptance of partial verdicts before a jury is finished with deliberations may interfere with the deliberative process; having a jury achieve unanimity on a higher charge first discourages compromise verdicts on lesser included offenses. In some jurisdictions it has been considered proper to afford the jury the opportunity to render a partial verdict of acquittal on a higher charge to avoid declaring a mistrial because of a hopeless deadlock only on a lesser included offense; such a verdict would prevent double jeopardy on the higher charge.

Note: A responsive verdict of guilty on a lesser included offense must be supported by the evidence.

alteration (partly conformed to Medieval Latin veredictum ) of Anglo-French veirdit statement, finding, verdict, from Old French veir true (from Latin verus ) + dit saying, from Latin dictum

More from Merriam-Webster on verdict

Nglish: Translation of verdict for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of verdict for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about verdict

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day, noblesse oblige.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), absent letters that are heard anyway, popular in wordplay, the words of the week - apr. 19, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), a great big list of bread words, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, 12 more bird names that sound like insults (and sometimes are), games & quizzes.

Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Michael Kelleher

How to guide the jury through the verdict form in closing argument.

November 12, 2013
Author's Bio
Return to Blog

In this post, I’ll provide an example of what an attorney might be saying as this graphic builds during closing argument. For the tech-lovers among our readers, I’ll also talk a bit about the use of Adobe Illustrator to create the graphic.

Tell the Jurors What You Need Them to Do

When the jurors leave the courtroom to begin deliberations, there should be no confusion as to what they need to do to decide in favor of your client. When the jury’s decision will be reflected on a verdict form, teaching the jury to fill out the form correctly is often worth an advocate’s time in closing.

Lead the Jurors Step By Step

Once you decide to show the jury a verdict form, you need to decide how to display it and integrate it into your closing argument. Options include:

Writing on a Pre-Printed Board on an Easel —some attorneys prefer physical boards and interacting with those boards with markers. For these attorneys, displaying the verdict form on an easel and filling it in for the jury with a marker can be effective.
Display of the Completed Form —an attorney might also display the completed form as shown above in the graphic. A disadvantage of this approach is that the jury is likely to read ahead and then quit listening to the argument.
Sequential Display of the Blank Form Followed By the Filled Form Fields— our recommended approach is to lead the jury step by step through the needed entries on the verdict form. Intuitively, one might expect that this approach would be more engaging and less boring. There is evidence supporting this view too: a large study has shown that linking an immersive, continuous flow of visuals with your oral argument is more effective than occasional isolated images.

A Video Example of a Segment of Closing Argument With a Verdict Form

Below is a short video showing a step-by-step progression of an argument incorporating a verdict form. The argument is rough—it could use both a better introduction following from another topic, and a stronger finish, but it should nevertheless give you an idea of how the argument could accompany filling in of the form.

Tech Tips: Adobe Illustrator Techniques Used for This Graphic

If you follow my Twitter feed ( www.twitter.com/lawnuke ), you will see that I am spending some of my spare time learning Adobe design software and reading Edward Tufte’s design books . I’m not planning to become an artist myself, but I like to understand how things work and to be able to tinker with them as necessary. I made my own graphics for this post, so here, for the propeller-heads in the audience, a bit of how I did it in Adobe Illustrator:

Separate layers for the form and the filled-in fields : Separating design elements with Adobe’s “layers” can allow easier editing of a graphic, and can also allow easy creation of multiple alternate versions of the graphic. For example, here the blank form is the bottom layer, the “x” indicating the finding of liability is a second layer, and the $42 million amount is a third layer. Because the layers are separate, multiple versions of the graphic can be made quickly by making the data entries either visible or invisible. The layers panel from Illustrator for this graphic is shown below. You can read more about layers on Adobe’s web site .

If you’d like to receive updates from this blog, please click to subscribe by email .

Share this article:

Subscribe to our blog

Set yourself up for the best case scenario..

Let's get in touch

Conjunctions
Prepositions

VERDICT in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Verdict

A verdict is the final decision or judgment made by a court or jury at the end of a trial. It determines whether the defendant is found guilty or not guilty of the charges brought against them.

Verdicts play a crucial role in the legal system, serving as the culmination of the evidence, arguments, and testimonies presented throughout a trial. They establish the legal outcome and consequences for the accused individual, shaping the course of justice in accordance with the law.

Table of Contents

7 Examples Of Verdict Used In a Sentence For Kids

The verdict is what the judge decides in court.
After hearing all the evidence, the jury will give their verdict .
A verdict can be guilty or not guilty.
The verdict is the final decision in a court case.
The judge will announce the verdict in the courtroom.
Everyone in the courtroom waits to hear the verdict .
In a trial, the verdict determines if someone is innocent or guilty.

14 Sentences with Verdict Examples

The verdict of the student council elections will be announced tomorrow.
My friend received a positive verdict on her thesis defense.
The debate team eagerly awaited the judges’ verdict on the final round.
After hours of deliberation, the mock trial jury reached their final verdict .
The professors’ verdict on the research project will determine our final grades.
We anxiously awaited the verdict of the college basketball match.
The plagiarism checker will provide a quick verdict on the originality of our essays.
The disciplinary committee met to discuss the verdict on the cheating scandal.
The campus court will soon reach a verdict on the dispute between two student organizations.
Student leaders gathered to hear the verdict on the proposed changes to the college’s policies.
The internship coordinator’s verdict on our applications will be posted online.
The film club members eagerly awaited the verdict of the movie night poll.
The seminar presenter eagerly awaited the audience’s verdict on her presentation.
The career fair will be a great opportunity to receive a quick verdict on potential job prospects.

How To Use Verdict in Sentences?

To use Verdict in a sentence, start by identifying a situation where you need to express a decision or opinion. Once you have your scenario, think about the action or person you want to evaluate. For example, you could say, “The verdict on the new movie was that it was entertaining.”

Next, place the word “Verdict” in your sentence where it fits naturally. Remember that a verdict is a formal decision made by a jury or a judge in a court of law, but you can adapt it for informal use in everyday situations.

To add more context to your sentence, consider adding details to clarify the situation or explain the reasoning behind your judgment. For instance, you could say, “After assessing the evidence presented, the verdict was that the defendant was not guilty.”

Ensure that the word “Verdict” is appropriately capitalized in your sentence, as it is a proper noun in this context. This will help convey the importance of the decision or opinion being shared.

Practice using Verdict in different sentences to become more familiar with incorporating it into your conversations. With time and practice, you will gain confidence in using this word effectively in various situations.

In conclusion, the importance of crafting sentences with clarity and precision cannot be overstated. Whether used in legal contexts to convey a verdict or in everyday communication to express opinions or judgments, well-constructed sentences have the power to convey meaning effectively. A concise sentence with the keyword “verdict” can serve as the ultimate conclusion or final judgment in a legal case, exemplifying the significance of language in conveying final decisions or outcomes.

By understanding the impact of sentences with the keyword “verdict,” individuals can appreciate how language shapes perceptions, influences interpretations, and clarifies information. From legal proceedings to everyday conversations, the way sentences are structured can have a profound effect on how messages are received and understood. Ultimately, the ability to construct sentences with precision and clarity is essential for effective communication and conveying verdicts or conclusions in a clear and concise manner.

In Front or Infront: Which Is the Correct Spelling?

As an expert blogger with years of experience, I’ve delved… Read More » In Front or Infront: Which Is the Correct Spelling?

Targeted vs. Targetted: Correct Spelling Explained in English (US) Usage

Are you unsure about whether to use “targetted” or “targeted”?… Read More » Targeted vs. Targetted: Correct Spelling Explained in English (US) Usage

As per Request or As per Requested: Understanding the Correct Usage

Having worked in various office environments, I’ve often pondered the… Read More » As per Request or As per Requested: Understanding the Correct Usage

Share full article

Supported by

Guest Essay

What Sentencing Could Look Like if Trump Is Found Guilty

A black-and-white photo of Donald Trump, standing behind a metal barricade.

By Norman L. Eisen

Mr. Eisen is the author of “Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial.”

For all the attention to and debate over the unfolding trial of Donald Trump in Manhattan, there has been surprisingly little of it paid to a key element: its possible outcome and, specifically, the prospect that a former and potentially future president could be sentenced to prison time.

The case — brought by Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, against Mr. Trump — represents the first time in our nation’s history that a former president is a defendant in a criminal trial. As such, it has generated lots of debate about the case’s legal strength and integrity, as well as its potential impact on Mr. Trump’s efforts to win back the White House.

A review of thousands of cases in New York that charged the same felony suggests something striking: If Mr. Trump is found guilty, incarceration is an actual possibility. It’s not certain, of course, but it is plausible.

Jury selection has begun, and it’s not too soon to talk about what the possibility of a sentence, including a prison sentence, would look like for Mr. Trump, for the election and for the country — including what would happen if he is re-elected.

The case focuses on alleged interference in the 2016 election, which consisted of a hush-money payment Michael Cohen, the former president’s fixer at the time, made in 2016 to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. Mr. Bragg is arguing that the cover-up cheated voters of the chance to fully assess Mr. Trump’s candidacy.

This may be the first criminal trial of a former president in American history, but if convicted, Mr. Trump’s fate is likely to be determined by the same core factors that guide the sentencing of every criminal defendant in New York State Court.

Comparable cases. The first factor is the base line against which judges measure all sentences: how other defendants have been treated for similar offenses. My research encompassed almost 10,000 cases of felony falsifying business records that have been prosecuted across the state of New York since 2015. Over a similar period, the Manhattan D.A. has charged over 400 of these cases . In roughly the first year of Mr. Bragg’s tenure, his team alone filed 166 felony counts for falsifying business records against 34 people or companies.

Contrary to claims that there will be no sentence of incarceration for falsifying business records, when a felony conviction involves serious misconduct, defendants can be sentenced to some prison time. My analysis of the most recent data indicates that approximately one in 10 cases in which the most serious charge at arraignment is falsifying business records in the first degree and in which the court ultimately imposes a sentence, results in a term of imprisonment.

To be clear, these cases generally differ from Mr. Trump’s case in one important respect: They typically involve additional charges besides just falsifying records. That clearly complicates what we might expect if Mr. Trump is convicted.

Nevertheless, there are many previous cases involving falsifying business records along with other charges where the conduct was less serious than is alleged against Mr. Trump and prison time was imposed. For instance, Richard Luthmann was accused of attempting to deceive voters — in his case, impersonating New York political figures on social media in an attempt to influence campaigns. He pleaded guilty to three counts of falsifying business records in the first degree (as well as to other charges). He received a sentence of incarceration on the felony falsification counts (although the sentence was not solely attributable to the plea).

A defendant in another case was accused of stealing in excess of $50,000 from her employer and, like in this case, falsifying one or more invoices as part of the scheme. She was indicted on a single grand larceny charge and ultimately pleaded guilty to one felony count of business record falsification for a false invoice of just under $10,000. She received 364 days in prison.

To be sure, for a typical first-time offender charged only with run-of-the-mill business record falsification, a prison sentence would be unlikely. On the other hand, Mr. Trump is being prosecuted for 34 counts of conduct that might have changed the course of American history.

Seriousness of the crime. Mr. Bragg alleges that Mr. Trump concealed critical information from voters (paying hush money to suppress an extramarital relationship) that could have harmed his campaign, particularly if it came to light after the revelation of another scandal — the “Access Hollywood” tape . If proved, that could be seen not just as unfortunate personal judgment but also, as Justice Juan Merchan has described it, an attempt “to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election.”

History and character. To date, Mr. Trump has been unrepentant about the events alleged in this case. There is every reason to believe that will not change even if he is convicted, and lack of remorse is a negative at sentencing. Justice Merchan’s evaluation of Mr. Trump’s history and character may also be informed by the other judgments against him, including Justice Arthur Engoron’s ruling that Mr. Trump engaged in repeated and persistent business fraud, a jury finding that he sexually abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll and a related defamation verdict by a second jury.

Justice Merchan may also weigh the fact that Mr. Trump has been repeatedly held in contempt , warned , fined and gagged by state and federal judges. That includes for statements he made that exposed witnesses, individuals in the judicial system and their families to danger. More recently, Mr. Trump made personal attacks on Justice Merchan’s daughter, resulting in an extension of the gag order in the case. He now stands accused of violating it again by commenting on witnesses.

What this all suggests is that a term of imprisonment for Mr. Trump, while far from certain for a former president, is not off the table. If he receives a sentence of incarceration, perhaps the likeliest term is six months, although he could face up to four years, particularly if Mr. Trump chooses to testify, as he said he intends to do , and the judge believes he lied on the stand . Probation is also available, as are more flexible approaches like a sentence of spending every weekend in jail for a year.

We will probably know what the judge will do within 30 to 60 days of the end of the trial, which could run into mid-June. If there is a conviction, that would mean a late summer or early fall sentencing.

Justice Merchan would have to wrestle in the middle of an election year with the potential impact of sentencing a former president and current candidate.

If Mr. Trump is sentenced to a period of incarceration, the reaction of the American public will probably be as polarized as our divided electorate itself. Yet as some polls suggest — with the caveat that we should always be cautious of polls early in the race posing hypothetical questions — many key swing state voters said they would not vote for a felon.

If Mr. Trump is convicted and then loses the presidential election, he will probably be granted bail, pending an appeal, which will take about a year. That means if any appeals are unsuccessful, he will most likely have to serve any sentence starting sometime next year. He will be sequestered with his Secret Service protection; if it is less than a year, probably in Rikers Island. His protective detail will probably be his main company, since Mr. Trump will surely be isolated from other inmates for his safety.

If Mr. Trump wins the presidential election, he can’t pardon himself because it is a state case. He will be likely to order the Justice Department to challenge his sentence, and department opinions have concluded that a sitting president could not be imprisoned, since that would prevent the president from fulfilling the constitutional duties of the office. The courts have never had to address the question, but they could well agree with the Justice Department.

So if Mr. Trump is convicted and sentenced to a period of incarceration, its ultimate significance is probably this: When the American people go to the polls in November, they will be voting on whether Mr. Trump should be held accountable for his original election interference.

What questions do you have about Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial so far?

Please submit them below. Our trial experts will respond to a selection of readers in a future piece.

Norman L. Eisen investigated the 2016 voter deception allegations as counsel for the first impeachment and trial of Donald Trump and is the author of “Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial.”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

Trump's hush money trial begins Monday. Here's what to expect.

Donald Trump will become the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case next week — and he'll do so against the backdrop of a presidential campaign in which he's the presumptive Republican nominee.

Jury selection begins Monday in New York City, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.

Here's a look at what you need to know and what's expected to happen.

How long is jury selection expected to last?

Jury selection is expected to last one to two weeks. Starting Monday, prosecutors and lawyers for Trump will seek to whittle a pool of potentially hundreds of people to 12 jurors and six alternates. Each juror will answer 42 questions designed to discern whether they can be impartial about the polarizing former president. Questions include inquiries about what news sources they follow and whether they've ever attended any Trump rallies or protests. The jurors will be anonymous, meaning their identities will be withheld from the public because of security concerns.

A criminal trial involving Trump's company before the same judge in 2022 took a week to select 12 jurors and five alternates.

What is Trump charged with?

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, a low-level felony. Trump faces a maximum of four years behind bars if he’s convicted.

What is the prosecution alleging?

Prosecutors allege Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”

At the heart of the case are allegations of various sex scandals that prosecutors say Trump tried to suppress with the help of his lawyer Michael Cohen and top executives in charge of the National Enquirer. In the final days of the election, Cohen paid $130,000 to one of the women, adult film star Stormy Daniels, to keep silent about her claim she'd had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied the allegation.

After he was elected, Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of checks from his trust that were processed through the Trump Organization and labeled as payments "for legal services rendered" — a claim the DA says was false.

What is Trump’s defense?

Trump has maintained he didn’t do anything wrong, and while he has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen, he has said he didn’t know details about what Cohen was doing.

His lawyers are likely to target Cohen on the witness stand by painting him as a liar who loathes the former president and whose testimony shouldn’t be believed. They’re likely to be aggressive with Daniels, as well, and they’re expected to focus on comments she has made mocking Trump in an effort to portray her as biased and untrustworthy.

Who will testify for the prosecution?

Cohen, who says Trump directed him to make the payment to Daniels, is expected to be a key witness, as is Daniels. Trump's attorneys sought to bar both from testifying, but Judge Juan Merchan gave both the green light to take the stand. Daniels' former attorney Keith Davidson is likely to testify about his negotiations over the payment, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

Also expected to testify is Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump, a claim he denies. She received money from the Enquirer to keep quiet about her allegations in what prosecutors said was part of a "catch and kill" scheme designed to keep a lid on potential Trump scandals.

David Pecker, a Trump ally who was the CEO of Enquirer publisher AMI at the time, is also expected to be called, the source said. Dylan Howard, another former AMI executive involved in the discussions with Trump and Cohen, may also testify.

Former White House communications director Hope Hicks — who prosecutors have said was involved in phone calls among Trump, Cohen and AMI — and former Trump assistant Madeleine Westerhout are also likely to take the stand, the source said.

Jurors are also expected to hear from Jeffrey McConney, the former controller for the Trump Organization, and Deborah Tarasoff, a former accounts payable supervisor at the company, the source said.

Who will testify in Trump's defense?

Court filings show Trump plans to call Bradley A. Smith, a former Federal Election Commission chair who will testify about the FEC and its function, laws it's responsible for enforcing and definitions and terms that relate to the case. The judge ruled he won’t be allowed to offer his opinion about whether Trump's actions violated election law, as Trump had hoped he would.

Trump, who is the only person who can directly rebut some of Cohen's claims, said Friday that he would "absolutely" testify in the trial. He is not required to take the stand.

Will Trump have to be in court every day?

Unlike the New York civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll defamation trials, the DA's case is criminal, so Trump is required to be in court every day to participate in his defense. The trial is off on Wednesdays, but Trump will have to be in court for the four other days of the court week. The trial days are expected to last from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Trump has suggested he might do campaign events at night after having attended court during the day.

How many jurors' votes are needed for a conviction or an acquittal?

To reach a verdict, all 12 jurors must agree on whether Trump is guilty or not guilty of a specific charge.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Election 2024
Entertainment
Newsletters
Photography
Personal Finance
AP Investigations
AP Buyline Personal Finance
AP Buyline Shopping
Press Releases
Israel-Hamas War
Russia-Ukraine War
Global elections
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Middle East
Election Results
Delegate Tracker
AP & Elections
Auto Racing
2024 Paris Olympic Games
Movie reviews
Book reviews
Personal finance
Financial Markets
Business Highlights
Financial wellness
Artificial Intelligence
Social Media

A jury of his peers: A look at how jury selection will work in Donald Trump’s first criminal trial

How will the attorneys and judge overseeing the trial of Donald Trump find a “fair and impartial” jury to sit in judgement of a former and possibly future president charged with a crime? A New York criminal justice professor breaks down the process. (AP Video: Joseph B. Frederick)

Trump the defendant and 2024 presidential candidate aims to campaign at New York hush money trial

The first of Donald Trump’s four criminal trials will begin in New York on April 15. Here is a look at some of the key figures in the case. (AP Video: Ted Shaffrey)

FILE - Former President Donald Trump, center, appears in court for his arraignment, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether Trump is guilty of a crime. The idea is to get people who are willing to put their personal opinions aside and make a decision based on the evidence. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool)

Copy Link copied

FILE - Judge Juan Merchan’s Manhattan courtroom sits empty between proceedings, March 12, 2024, in New York. Former President Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether the former president of the United States is guilty of a crime. The idea is to get people who are willing to put their personal opinions aside and make a decision based on the evidence. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of a pre-trial hearing with his defense team at Manhattan criminal court, Monday, March 25, 2024, in New York. Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether Trump is guilty of a crime. The idea is to get people who are willing to put their personal opinions aside and make a decision based on the evidence. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool)

FILE - Adult film actress Stormy Daniels arrives at an event in Berlin, on Oct. 11, 2018. Former President Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial for charges related to a sex scandal involving Daniels is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether the former president of the United States is guilty of a crime. The idea is to get people who are willing to put their personal opinions aside and make a decision based on the evidence. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

FILE - Judge Juan M. Merchan poses in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. Former President Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether Trump is guilty of a crime. Merchan will ask the potential jurors a critical question: Can they serve and be fair and impartial? For this trial, jurors who indicate they cannot serve or be fair will be dismissed. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom sits empty between proceedings, March 12, 2024, in New York. Former President Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether Trump is guilty of a crime. The idea is to get people who are willing to put their personal opinions aside and make a decision based on the evidence. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Judge Juan Merchan’s name plate sits on the bench in his Manhattan criminal courtroom, March 12, 2024, in New York. Former President Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether the former president of the United States is guilty of a crime. Merchan will ask the potential jurors a critical question: Can they serve and be fair and impartial? For this trial, jurors who indicate they cannot serve or be fair will be dismissed. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday with a simple but extraordinary procedural step that is vital to American democracy. A group of regular citizens — Trump’s peers, in the eyes of the law — will be chosen to decide whether the former president of the United States is guilty of a crime.

The process of picking a jury could take days. Lawyers on both sides of the case will have limited opportunities to try and shape the panel in their favor, but the court’s goal won’t be to ensure that it has a partisan balance between Democrats and Republicans, or is made up of people oblivious to previous news coverage about the trial.

The idea is to get people who are willing to put their personal opinions aside and make a decision based on the evidence and the law.

Here are some of the factors that will go into jury selection:

What to know about Trump’s hush money trial:

Trump will be first ex-president on criminal trial. Here’s what to know about the hush money case.
A jury of his peers: A look at how jury selection will work in Donald Trump’s first criminal trial .
Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, and a civil lawsuit. You can track all of the cases here.

Who can sit on the jury?

This jury will be made up only of people who live in Manhattan, one of New York City’s five boroughs. All English-speaking, U.S. citizens over age 18 who have not been convicted of a felony are eligible for jury duty in New York. Court officials identify potential jurors from lists of registered voters, taxpayers, driver’s license holders, public benefit recipients and other sources.

The pool of potential jurors for Trump’s trial will have been chosen at random. People can volunteer for jury duty, but they can’t pick what trial they serve on.

What if a juror doesn’t want to serve?

Jury duty is compulsory, but you can get excused for a variety of reasons, including a financial or medical hardship.

How will the jury get picked?

Judge Juan M. Merchan will begin by bringing a large group of potential jurors into his courtroom. He will then give a brief outline of the case and introduce the defendant, Trump, to the jury. The judge will then ask the potential jurors a critical question: Can they serve and be fair and impartial? Those who cannot will be asked to raise their hand. For this trial, jurors who indicate they cannot serve or be fair will be dismissed.

Those who remain will be called in groups into the jury box, where they will be asked 42 questions, some with multiple parts.

The lawyers on each side will have a limited number of strikes they can use to exclude potential jurors who they don’t like, without giving a reason. They can also argue that a particular juror should be excluded, but have to get the judge to agree to dismiss that person.

The process continues until 12 jurors and six alternates have been picked. More large groups of potential jurors can be brought into the courtroom, if needed.

FILE - Judge Juan Merchan's courtroom sits empty between proceedings, March 12, 2024, in New York. Former President Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday, April 15, with a group of 12 jurors and six alternates chosen to decide whether Trump is guilty of a crime. The idea is to get people who are willing to put their personal opinions aside and make a decision based on the evidence. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

What questions will jurors be asked?

The judge won’t allow the lawyers to ask whether potential jurors are Democrats or Republicans, whom they voted for or whether they have given money to any political causes. But there are multiple questions aimed at rooting out whether people are likely to be biased against, or in favor of, Trump.

Among them:

“Do you have any political, moral, intellectual, or religious beliefs or opinions which might prevent you from following the court’s instructions on the law or which might slant your approach to this case?”

“Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for a Trump presidential campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump?”

“Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump?”

“Do you currently follow Donald Trump on any social media site or have you done so in the past?”

“Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for any anti-Trump group or organization?”

“Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for any anti-Trump group or organization?”

“Do you currently follow any anti-Trump group or organization on any social media site, or have you done so in the past?”

“Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonged to any of the following: The QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Antifa.”

Jurors will be asked what podcasts and talk radio programs they listen to and where they get their news.

Will the public learn the identities of the jurors?

The judge has ordered that the jurors’ names be kept secret, an unusual but not unprecedented step in trials where there is a potential that jurors might wind up being harassed or threatened during or after the trial. There is nothing to stop jurors from voluntarily talking about their experiences after the trial is over. While it is pending, they aren’t supposed to talk about it to anyone.

What will this jury decide?

Jurors in this trial will listen to testimony and decide whether Trump is guilty of any of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Their decision to convict or acquit must be unanimous. If they cannot agree on a verdict, the judge can declare a mistrial. If jurors have a reasonable doubt that Trump is guilty, they must acquit him. If they convict him, the judge will be the one who decides the sentence, not the jurors.

Pessimism growing in Trump's inner circle that a hush money guilty verdict is inevitable

I n a deep dive into how the Manhattan hush money trial is affecting Donald Trump emotionally , the New York Times' Maggie Haberman is reporting that members of Trump's inner circle are starting to accept that he will be found guilty.

As Haberman notes, there is an aura of doom in the Trump camp that the trial is diminishing the former president as he is forced to sit at the defendant's table for four days a week which is crippling his ability to campaign.

Along with that, there is a growing realization after jury selection was completed that the odds of a mistrial may be slimmer than previously thought after listening to prospective jurors weigh in on the former president .

ALSO READ: A criminologist explains why keeping Trump from the White House is all that matters

"Some of those opinions have been negative, with one potential juror made to read aloud her old social media posts blasting him as a sociopath and an egomaniac. The only times he has smiled have been when prospective jurors have referred to work of his that they have liked," Haberman wrote.

She then added, "Many in Mr. Trump’s broader orbit are pessimistic about the case ending in a hung jury or a mistrial, and they see an outright acquittal as virtually impossible. They are bracing for him to be convicted, not because they cede the legal grounds, but because they think jurors in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan will be against the polarizing former president."

The report also notes that insiders worry just as much that the trial itself, regardless of the verdict, will hurt him with voters.

As the NYT's Haberman explained, "... the shared sense among many of his advisers is that the process may damage him as much as a guilty verdict. The process, they believe, is its own punishment."

You can read more here .

Become an FT subscriber

Try unlimited access Only $1 for 4 weeks

Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.

Global news & analysis
Expert opinion
Special features
FirstFT newsletter
Videos & Podcasts
Android & iOS app
FT Edit app
10 gift articles per month

Explore more offers.

Standard digital.

FT Digital Edition

Premium Digital

Print + premium digital, weekend print + standard digital, weekend print + premium digital.

Today's FT newspaper for easy reading on any device. This does not include ft.com or FT App access.

10 additional gift articles per month
Global news & analysis
Exclusive FT analysis
Videos & Podcasts
FT App on Android & iOS
Everything in Standard Digital
Premium newsletters
Weekday Print Edition
FT Weekend Print delivery
Everything in Premium Digital

Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

Everything in Print

Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

Terms & Conditions apply

Explore our full range of subscriptions.

Why the ft.

See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times.

International Edition

an image, when javascript is unavailable

site categories

House Passes New Bill To Force TikTok Sale; Lawmakers Also Pass $95 Billion National Security Package For Aid To Ukraine, Israel And Taiwan

NPR Editor Resigns In Aftermath Of His Essay Criticizing Network For Bias

By Ted Johnson

Ted Johnson

Political Editor

NPR’s Linda Wertheimer, One Of The Network’s “Founding Mothers,” Announces Retirement

Bob Edwards Dies: Longtime Anchor Of NPR’s ‘Morning Edition’ & SiriusXM Host Was 76

“That wouldn’t be a problem for an openly polemical news outlet serving a niche audience. But for NPR, which purports to consider all things, it’s devastating both for its journalism and its business model,” Berliner wrote. He also wrote that “race and identity became paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace,” while claiming that the network lacked viewpoint diversity.

His essay set off a firestorm on the right, with Trump blasting the network and Fox News devoting extensive coverage to the criticism, along with calls for ending government funding for NPR.

In his essay, Berliner wrote that “defunding isn’t the answer,” but that its journalism needed to change from within. The network’s funding has been a target of conservatives numerous times in the past, but lawmakers ultimately have supported public radio.

Berliner shared his suspension notice with Folkenflik, who wrote that it was for failure to seek approval for outside work, as well as for releasing proprietary information about audience demographics.

Katherine Maher, who recently became CEO of the network, published a note to staff last week that appeared to take issue with Berliner’s essay, writing that there was “a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are.”

“Asking a question about whether we’re living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions,” Maher wrote. “Questioning whether our people are serving our mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful, and demeaning.”

Maher herself has become a target on the right, with some figures citing her past social media posts, including one from 2020 that referred to Trump as a “deranged racist sociopath.” At the time, she was CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation. In a statement to The New York Times , Maher said that “in America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen.” “What matters is NPR’s work and my commitment as its C.E.O.: public service, editorial independence and the mission to serve all of the American public,” she said.

An NPR spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. The network told The Times that Maher is not involved in editorial decisions.

Some of Berliner’s colleagues have been vocal in their own criticism of his essay. Eric Deggans, the network’s TV critic and media analyst, wrote that Berliner “set up staffers of color as scapegoats.” He also noted that Berliner “didn’t seek comment from NPR before publishing. Didn’t mention many things which could detract from his conclusions.”

Must Read Stories

Netflix wins ‘calabasas’ series from kim kardashian, marlene king & emma roberts, ‘civil war’ has edge over ‘abigail’ with $11m+ 2nd weekend, ‘hell’s kitchen’’ & all of deadline’s reviews from busy broadway spring, participant sank when everyone jumped in: michael cieply.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

David Folkenflik

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

Katherine Maher
uri berliner

IMAGES

Effective Waysto Start Your Essay
How to Start an Essay: Quick and Simple Tips to Start a Great Essay • 7ESL
How to start an essay: 3 hacks for getting started
Step-By-Step Guide to Essay Writing
How To Write an Essay
How to Write a Great Essay Quickly!

VIDEO

Essay Introduction:How to Start Essay Introduction with a Quotation?
Steps for Planning to Write an Argument
What is "Electoral Bond"
📚 Reading 007
What not to do when starting an essay?
Movie Reaction: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

COMMENTS

PDF Craft Your Next Opening Statement With Confidence
You can refer to your opponent's story as such, though. STEP 10. Include all elements you need to prove in your opening. In some jurisdictions, your opponent may be entitled to a directed verdict after the opening statement, so be sure to touch on all elements to at least some degree so as to stave off this approach.
How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)
Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3. Hook the Reader: Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader's attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. Provide Background: Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion.
PDF Strategies for Essay Writing
In those cases, a useful starting point will be to come up with a strong analytical question that you will try to answer in your essay. Your answer to that question will be your essay's thesis. You may have many questions as you consider a source or set of sources, but not all of your questions will form the basis of a strong essay.
How to Write an Essay Introduction
Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
How to Write a Court Scene
Suggest YOUR Scene Idea. Example 1: Attorney Sharla stood, and walked up to the judge, where the curious crowd behind her could also listen in. "My client has been seen holding a knife over the dead body of Jamison.". She paused to look at the man then continued even louder. "Although he is innocent.". The crowd behind her gasped.
Beginning the Academic Essay
The writer of the academic essay aims to persuade readers of an idea based on evidence. The beginning of the essay is a crucial first step in this process. In order to engage readers and establish your authority, the beginning of your essay has to accomplish certain business. Your beginning should introduce the essay, focus it, and orient ...
Starting an Essay: From Prompt to Outline
My approach to writing every essay is the same. First, I begin by reading the prompt. Second, I create an "idea map"—a brainstorming visual—and research my subject simultaneously. Third, I transition from that idea map into a traditional essay outline. Fourth, I draft my essay, relying heavily on my outline before my fifth and final ...
The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay
The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion. Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling ...
How to Write a Case-Based Essay
This chapter describes how to organize and write a logical, economical, and convincing case essay. Learning Objectives. To outline the structure of a persuasive case essay. Details. Pub Date: Apr 17, 2007. Discipline: Teaching & the Case Method. Subjects: Business education Business writing Case teaching Persuasion Problem solving.
How To Start a College Essay: 9 Effective Techniques
For many, getting started is the hardest part of anything. And that's understandable. First, because it turns whatever you're doing into a reality, which raises the stakes. Second, because where you start can easily dictate the quality of where you end up. College essays have their own special brand of DTDT.
A LAWYER'S PRIMER FOR WRITERS: The Steps of a Trial
Mistrial: When a judge throws out a verdict. When a mistrial is declared, the trial must start all over again, beginning with jury selection. Motion: A formal request, either verbal or in writing, made to the court. If a motion is in writing and filed with the court, a hearing is typically scheduled to review the motion.
PDF Mock Trial Script
Mock Trial Script. MOCK TRIAL SCRIPT. Bailiff: All rise. [Wait for everyone-except the judge- to stand.] Department One of the Superior Court is now in session. Judge (first name) presiding. Please be seated. Judge: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the People of the State of California versus (defendant's first name).
PDF How to Write Opening and Closing Statements for Mock Trial
know where to start. It is helpful to know a little bit about what an opening statement is. An opening statement is an opportunity to outline the case for the jury, and to let the jury know what to expect. It is not an opportunity to argue your case. It is important to remember that jurors know very little about a case before it begins.
Essays About Justice: Top 5 Examples And 7 Prompts
Countries have different ways of instilling justice within their societies. For this prompt, research and discuss the countries you think have the best and worst legal systems. Then, point out how these differences affect the country's crime rates and quality of life for its citizens. 7. Obstructions to Justice.
PDF Effective Opening Statements
I. Introduction. The opening statement is one of the most important components of any trial. It is your first opportunity to present the case to the jury, and to shape the jury's perspective of the entire trial. The opening statement also is your first opportunity to present yourself to the jury, and to establish the kind of credibility that ...
Prosecution opening
Anticipate the defense theories: [As a prosecutor, you will give your opening statement first. So a good opening statement anticipates the points that the defense attorney will make in their opening statement. For example, if the defense is claiming self-defense, point out that self defense does not apply because the defendant provoked the ...
12 Angry Men: Sample essays (justice/jurors)
Sample Plan/Essay. Topic: "This is one of the reasons we are strong.". Through his play, Twelve Angry Men, Reginald Rose suggest that the judicial system has more strengths than it does flaws. In an era when America was attempting to find her identity and heal divisions wrought by Cold War hostilities, Reginald Rose, in his didactic play ...
Verdict Definition & Meaning
verdict: [noun] the finding or decision of a jury on the matter submitted to it in trial.
How to Guide the Jury Through the Verdict Form in Closing Argument
Lead the Jurors Step By Step. Once you decide to show the jury a verdict form, you need to decide how to display it and integrate it into your closing argument. Options include: Writing on a Pre-Printed Board on an Easel —some attorneys prefer physical boards and interacting with those boards with markers. For these attorneys, displaying the ...
VERDICT in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Verdict
To use Verdict in a sentence, start by identifying a situation where you need to express a decision or opinion. Once you have your scenario, think about the action or person you want to evaluate. For example, you could say, "The verdict on the new movie was that it was entertaining.". Next, place the word "Verdict" in your sentence ...
What Sentencing Could Look Like if Trump Is Found Guilty
Mr. Eisen is the author of "Trying Trump: A Guide to His First Election Interference Criminal Trial." For all the attention to and debate over the unfolding trial of Donald Trump in Manhattan ...
Trump's hush money trial begins Monday. Here's what to expect.
Starting Monday, prosecutors and lawyers for Trump will seek to whittle a pool of potentially hundreds of people to 12 jurors and six alternates. ... To reach a verdict, all 12 jurors must agree ...
O.J. Simpson helped create the America we live in today
Supporters of O.J. Simpson react outside the Criminal Courts Building to the not guilty verdict in Simpson's murder trial on October 3, 1995, in Los Angeles.
What we know about jury selection in Donald Trump's hush money trial
Donald Trump's history-making criminal trial is set to start Monday with a simple but extraordinary procedural step that is vital to American democracy. A group of regular citizens — Trump's peers, in the eyes of the law — will be chosen to decide whether the former president of the United States is guilty of a crime.
Pessimism growing in Trump's inner circle that a hush money ...
In a deep dive into how the Manhattan hush money trial is affecting Donald Trump emotionally, the New York Times' Maggie Haberman is reporting that members of Trump's inner circle are starting to ...
Ben Bernanke's brutal verdict on the Bank of England
But the man who led the US Federal Reserve in its response to the 2008-09 global financial crisis ducked the big question for economists: whether the UK's central bank should start publishing ...
A timeline of the Donald Trump-Stormy Daniels hush money case
The first criminal trial of a US ex-president kicks off Monday, April 15, with jury selection in New York, where former President Donald Trump faces charges from the Manhattan District attorney ...
NPR Editor Resigns In Aftermath Of His Essay Criticizing ...
UPDATE: The NPR editor who penned an essay criticizing the network for what he saw as bias in its coverage of Donald Trump and a host of other issues has resigned.
How two small Texas towns became the patent-law centre of America
(Samsung did not and, despite the ice-rink, was hit with a $303m jury verdict in Marshall last year.) By 2021 Waco's patent docket—similarly speedy, thanks to local rules—was attracting ...
NPR Editor Uri Berliner suspended after essay criticizing network : NPR
NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)

Table of Contents

Literary Analysis Essay Introduction Example

Examples of essay introduction

Argumentative Essay Introduction Example:

Expository Essay Introduction Example

Related Reads:

Similarity Checks: The Author’s Guide to Plagiarism and Responsible Writing

How to Write a Court Scene

» A. An opening statement is a brief overview, not a testimony.

Suggest YOUR Scene Idea

» A. The attorney will call witnesses. Police officers and detectives can be called too.

» A. The character will testify under oath when presenting evidence.

» A. The prosecution has the burden of proof to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, the prosecution must present evidence at the trial. Failure to appear for trial may result in dismissal of your claim.

» A. After all the evidence has been presented, each side has an opportunity to summarize the case in their closing statement.

» A. After closing statements the Judge explains to the jury that they must “make their decision based only the facts presented and not their feelings.”

» B. The Judge will now pass sentence of the verdict is GUILTY or release the Defendant if found NOT GUILTY. The Judge will then say, “This court is adjourned.”

Related posts:

15 thoughts on “ How to Write a Court Scene ”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

Starting an Essay: From Prompt to Outline

Writing Center

Tortoise Tuesday: Structure in Creative Non-fiction…and Beyond

Volcanoes and Detectives: Writing unconventionally in academic work (and maybe doing it well)

Math in the Humanities? Writing about a Non-Traditional Topic for a Traditional Audience

Thesis: Works in Progress

Motive: Works in Progress

Evidence and Analysis: Works in Progress

How to Write a Case-Based Essay

Learning Objectives

Essays About Justice: Top 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

5 Essay Examples

7 Prompts for Essays About Justice

12 Angry Men: Sample essays (justice/jurors)

For Sponsorship and Other Enquiries

Definition of verdict

Examples of verdict in a Sentence

Word History

Phrases Containing verdict

Articles Related to verdict

The Words of the Week - Dec. 9

Dictionary Entries Near verdict

Kids Definition

Legal Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on verdict

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Michael Kelleher

Tell the Jurors What You Need Them to Do

Lead the Jurors Step By Step

A Video Example of a Segment of Closing Argument With a Verdict Form

Tech Tips: Adobe Illustrator Techniques Used for This Graphic

Share this article:

Subscribe to our blog

VERDICT in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Verdict

7 Examples Of Verdict Used In a Sentence For Kids

14 Sentences with Verdict Examples

How To Use Verdict in Sentences?

Related Posts

In Front or Infront: Which Is the Correct Spelling?

Targeted vs. Targetted: Correct Spelling Explained in English (US) Usage

As per Request or As per Requested: Understanding the Correct Usage

What Sentencing Could Look Like if Trump Is Found Guilty

What questions do you have about Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial so far?

Trump's hush money trial begins Monday. Here's what to expect.

How long is jury selection expected to last?

What is Trump charged with?

What is the prosecution alleging?

What is Trump’s defense?

Who will testify for the prosecution?

Who will testify in Trump's defense?

Will Trump have to be in court every day?

How many jurors' votes are needed for a conviction or an acquittal?

A jury of his peers: A look at how jury selection will work in Donald Trump’s first criminal trial

Who can sit on the jury?

What if a juror doesn’t want to serve?

How will the jury get picked?

What questions will jurors be asked?

Will the public learn the identities of the jurors?

How to Write an Essay Introduction (with Examples)  