A Difficult Trial: Jury undecided

591 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How evidence is important in the criminal justice system

We the jury find the defendant, Not Guilty!

Today is the last day of the trial. We have heard all of the witnesses and now we know that we must deliberate. I know that some of the “witnesses” are liars. Some make valid points and I know without a doubt in my mind that Captain Preston is an innocent man and that his men were provoked. As I listened to the witnesses, here is what I came to believe:
The witnesses for the prosecution have very different stories as do some of the witnesses for the defense. Ebenezer Hinkley testified to the fact that the crowd became rowdy and accosted to guards with sticks and other flying objects. He claims he saw Montgomery gets hit before he fired the first shot and said he was approximately 16 feet away from Captain Preston and never heard the man give the order to fire. The were lapses in time between each shot. This seems to be a general consensus between many of the witnesses.
I think that William Wyatt is a bloody liar. His story conflict with just about every other witness that was presented. I think he was brought forth by the prosecution to condemn Captain Preston. Theodore Bliss offered one of the most helpful testimonies in the whole case. He was a witness for the prosecution but he cooraborated Captain Preston’s deposition. He testified to the rowdiness of the crowd and the fact that the guards were provoked and said he never heard an order to fire.
When the witnesses for the defense were presented, I heard Richard Palmes bring The...

Show More
Related

  • Summary and Analysis for Shiloh by Shelby Foote

    1391 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel, “Shiloh” by Shelby Foote is a fictional recreation of the bloody battle. The story begins with the soldiers of the Confederate Army heading towards Pittsburg Landing. The men are marching in terrible conditions. It is pouring down rain and they are dragging their tired legs through the mud. The troops come to a halt so the commanders can talk to General Johnston. General Johnston says the only way they might have a chance is if they plan a surprise attack. As the sergeants hand the men their guns, they are told to check the powder in case it got wet in the rain. A group of soldiers test their guns out on a deer running close by. At the same time the shots were fired, the sun came out and the soldiers started to scream and cheer. These noises combined were more than enough to alert the Union soldiers of the Confederates advance. Palmer remembers what his life was like before going to war. He attended the Louisiana State Military Academy when the Confederacy seceded from the Union. One of his professors predicted the south did not have a chance of winning the war. That night Palmer dreams of holding Sherman at gunpoint making him admit that he was wrong. Prior to the battle, the commanders create a battle plan. Palmer is assigned a part in this process. When the plan fails, Palmer learns that planning a battle is more difficult than it seems because the commanders on the ground face challenges that do not exist on paper.

    Read More

  • Analyzing Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shortly after the Civil war had ended and the confederate capital Richmond had fallen, the well known actor John Wilkes Booth decided to kill the President, and with the help of some friends the Vice President and Secretary of State as well. The man George Atzerodt was given the job of killing the Vice President. His plan was to book a room in the same hotel and Vice President Johnson but when the morning of the day he was supposed to commit the assassination came he backed out and could not carry through with the murder. Two other men, Lewis Powell and David Herold, were assigned to kill the Secretary of State William H. Seaward. Powell attempted to shoot him with a revolver but after a misfire attempted to stab Seaward unsuccessfully because of a jaw splint Seaward had on. After the failed assassination Powell and Herold split up. Po...

    Read More

  • Differences between Captain Thomas Preston's Account of the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere's Image of the Bloody Massacre

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Captain Thomas Preston’s vision of the Boston massacre was an incident were a British soldier accidently fired his weapon and his men then followed after resulting in the death of five Bostonians including free black sailor Cripus Attucks. Starting the story Captain Thomas Preston admits that the arrival of the Majesty’s Troops were obnoxious to the inhabitants. Troops have done everything in their power to weaken the regiments by falsely propagating untruths about them. On Monday at 8 o’ clock two soldiers were beaten and townspeople then broke into two meetinghouses and rang the bells. But at 9 o’ clock some troops have informed Captain Thomas Preston that the bell was not ringing to give notice for a fire but to make the troops aware of the attack the towns people were going to bring upon them.

    Read More

  • Forensic Evidence Admissibility For or Against in the Bloodsworth v. State Case

    1944 Words  | 4 Pages

    On Bloodsworth’s appeal he argued several points. First he argued that there was not sufficient evidence to tie Bloodsworth to the crime. The courts ruled that the ruling stand on the grounds that the witness evidence was enough for reasonable doubt that the c...

    Read More

  • What Really Happened in the Boston Massacre?

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... to a miscommunication between the Captain and his soldiers. If the crowd had not been in such an uproar the Boston Massacre never would have happened. With all the testimony and the deposition from the Captain, the jury made the correct decision by determining Preston innocent.

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Jurors in 12 Angry Men

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Guilty or not guilty? This the key question during the murder trial of a young man accused of fatally stabbing his father. The play 12 Angry Men, by Reginald Rose, introduces to the audience twelve members of a jury made up of contrasting men from various backgrounds. One of the most critical elements of the play is how the personalities and experiences of these men influence their initial majority vote of guilty. Three of the most influential members include juror #3, juror #10, and juror #11. Their past experiences and personal bias determine their thoughts and opinions on the case. Therefore, how a person feels inside is reflected in his/her thoughts, opinions, and behavior.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The Boston Massacre

    751 Words  | 2 Pages

    Whitehouse goes on to saying that a soldier got knocked down by a chunk of wood that a man got it from under his coat. Based on most against Preston and some for Preston testimonies like the Benjamin Burdick against testimony, he said that he saw” stick thrown at the Soldiers” not a big chunk of wood that would knock a soldier out. Whitehouse testimony was most likely to distract the jury from the other strong testimonies that were made against Preston, so they might think that there is something that they are misinterpreted from the other testimonies. These testimonies show evidence that Preston ordered his soldiers to fire at people who some of them were innocents who were just there to fulfill their curiosity of the situation to murder them. The Boston Massacre created a new attitude in people that was not there before. It created more hatred toward the British forces living with them and taking their money from them. It also made us understand that the American Revolution is coming because the people will not wait until another massacre to happen to kill more people of their own, they want the British to

    Read More

  • Was The Boston Massacre Really a Massacre?

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    The leader of the British, Captain Thomas Preston, gave an order to his soldiers not to fire, but his words were not clear and all the soldiers fired into the crowd. (The Coming of the American Revolution). There were five recorded deaths. One of the people that died was a man of black or Indian race named Crispus Attacks (History.com). The British troops arrived in Bosto...

    Read More

  • High School Friday Night Lights

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    High school athletics leave a major impact on everybody that is involved with them. It also can even leave a mark on people who aren’t associated with them. There are many conflicting opinions on whether high school sports are a positive or negative influence on a student’s life. Athletics in high school can have an effect on the community as a whole. In H.G. Bisssinger’s highly regarded Friday Night Lights, high school football is accurately portrayed as the most important thing in Texas; it receives much more attention than academics. Football players are often treated like celebrities; yielding confidence, and at the same time creating pressure.

    Read More

  • Comparing and Contrasting Juror 3 and Juror 8 from Twelve Angry Men

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play “Twelve Angry men”, the story line presents a variety of perspectives and opinions between twelve very different men. Some are more likely to be pointed out as prejudice, and others are more focused on reaching fair justice. Clearly, it is quite difficult for different people to vote ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ in unity when coming to a fair decision. In all of the twelve jurors, I have chosen Juror 3 and Juror 8 for contrast and comparison. I believe that Juror number 3 is a very opinionated man, with more differences than similarities comparing with Juror number 8.

    Read More

  • Criminal Trials Case Study

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    1. There are two courts that hear criminal trials, which are the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court.

    Read More

  • How Has Football Shaped Me

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sadly, my family was going through financial struggles, forcing me out of the school zone I was destined to attend. When I discussed the situation wih the high school coaches they told me they would pick me up from my new house and take me to school every day; with the condition that I’d play football for them all throughout high school. Even though this was illegal I continued to go ahead and accept the offer. My first year of high school was so exciting that it went by in the blink of an eye. Sophomore year came and the clock ticked closer and closer to when everything would change. I started in varsity as a corner back but soon would have big shoes to fill as the team’s quarterback. Not only did this require skill and hard work but the ability and qualities of a leader as well. Ultimately, playing this position helped me acquire traits that would soon be necessary for success. That year was tough for us because the majority of the team consisted of inexperienced players, however the coaches knew I would be the one to lead the

    Read More

  • Trial by Jury and Alternatives to It

    2671 Words  | 6 Pages

    Trial by Jury and Alternatives to It In order to decide whether or not trial by jury should or should not

    Read More

  • Rosewood Massacre

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    Once again, there are conflicting reports on the exact events that led up to the first death, but one fact is true across all sources, Sheriff Walker deputized some of the men. However, the mob had escalated out of control. James McElveen, a Sumner resident, recalled the sheriff’s concern when 400 to 500 more men from other areas inundated them, "I don't know what to do," the Sherriff told McElveen, "This crowd wants blood, and they [are] going to have blood” (Jones et. al.). This quote is significant because that blood was of the Rosewood blacksmith, Sam

    Read More

  • My Accomplishments To Become An NFL Player

    475 Words  | 1 Pages

    I have many accomplishments that I would like to achieve but, my main accomplishment is becoming an NFL player. Only about two percent of NCAA seniors are accepted into the NFL. The NFL isn’t easy to get into because how long it will take, Maintaining school work, and obstacles that I will face while trying and hopefully succeeding in becoming a NFL player. Next I will talk about how long it will talk. (4)

    Read More

More about A Difficult Trial: Jury undecided

Open Document