But with regard to the jury the case is quite different; it is easily
influenced and more than makes up for the indifference of the bench.
Whoever takes the trouble to study the faces of the jury during trial,
comes to the conclusion that the speeches of the prosecution and defense
are the most important things in the trial, that they absorb most of the
attention of the jury, and that the question of guilt or innocence does
not depend upon the number and weight of the testimony but upon the more
or less skilful interpretation of it. This is a reproach not to the jury
but to those who demand from it a service it can not render. It is first
necessary to understand how difficult the conduct of a trial is. In
itself the conduct of a jury trial is no art, and when compared with
other tasks demanded of the criminalist may be third or fourth in
difficulty. What is difficult is the determination of the chronological
order in which to present evidence, i.e., the drawing of the brief. If
the brief is well drawn, everything develops logically and
psychologically in a good way and the case goes on well; but it is a
great and really artistic task to draw this brief properly. There are
only two possibilities. If the thing is not done, or the brief is of no
use, the case goes on irrelevantly, illogically and unintelligibly and
the jury can not understand what is happening. If the trick is turned,
however, then like every art it requires preparation and intelligence.
And the jury do not possess these, so that the most beautiful work of
art passes by them without effect. They therefore must turn their
attention, to save what can be saved, upon the orations of the
prosecution and defense. These reproduce the evidence for them in some
intelligible fashion and the verdict will be innocence or guilt
according to the greater intelligence of one or the other of the
contending parties. Persuasiveness at its height, Hume tells us, leaves
little room for intelligence and consideration. It addresses itself
entirely to the imagination and the affections, captures the
well-inclined auditors, and dominates their understanding. Fortunately
this height is rarely reached. In any event, this height, which also
dominates those who know the subject, will always be rare, yet the jury
are not people of knowledge and hence dominations ensue, even through
attempts at persuasiveness which have attained no height whatever. Hence
the great danger.
The only help against this is in the study by the presiding justice, not
as lawyer but as psychologist, of the faces of the jury while the
contending lawyers make their addresses. He must observe very narrowly
and carefully every influence exercised by the speeches, which is
irrelevant to the real problem, and then in summing up call it to the
attention of the jury and bring them back to the proper point of view.
The ability to do this is very marvelous, but it again is an exceedingly
difficult performance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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