Capital punishment refers to the execution of a convicted suspect for a crime, especially murder. In the movie, capital punishment was a major theme and contention between Austin Spencer, a newspaper publisher, and Roy Thompson, the district attorney. Capital punishment, in Spencer's view, should be abolished since it may lead innocent people to their death in cases where there is limited evidence, but the prosecutor is very convincing. This strong opinion leads Spencer and Tom Garett to plan a case that would lead to Tom being prosecuted for murder to make a point against capital punishment.
Circumstantial evidence is another concept that is highlighted in the movie. It refers to the type of evidence that is contrasted from direct evidence through logical reasoning to make a connection to the crime committed. To support an assertion's truth, circumstantial evidence requires more than one explanation for an admission of guilt or absence of guilt. In Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, Thompson, the district attorney, presents a series of circumstantial evidence to the court, such as money same amount of money withdraw from Tom's account found with Patty Gray, the murder victim. This series of circumstantial evidence presented by Thompson initially lead the jury to give a guilty verdict in the case.
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Double jeopardy is a judicial rule which prevents an individual from being tried twice on the same case after a conviction or acquittal. Double jeopardy comes up in the movie after the defense attorney fails to present new evidence to convince the court to restart the case before the jury gives their verdict. The coming up of new evidence pointing to Tom's innocence cannot lead to a new case against Tom since the sentence has already been issued because of the double jeopardy clause. A plea of Tom's innocence can only then be substantiated by a pardon from the governor.
Direct examination as a legal term is presented in the movie and refers to the questioning of a witness in a civil or criminal case to adduce evidence from them. In direct examination, witnesses are called to the stand, and they give their accounts under oath. Witnesses giving under examination should not be asked leading questions. In the movie, the direct examination concept comes up when Dolly Moore and Susan Spencer are asked questions in court concerning the trial. Spencer was on his way to give his testimony under direct examination before meeting the fatal car crash.
Redirect examination relates to the concept of direct testimony where a witness who was already examined in court is called back for more questioning (How Courts Work, 2019). Redirect examination is usually done to ascertain the witness's credibility or clarify certain important matters relating to the witness evidence. In the movie, Thompson recalls Dolly Moore back to the witness stand for a redirect testimony session to clarify the critical matter of makeup particles found in the defendant's car. Before the redirect examination, the judge reminds Dolly that she is still testifying under oath and must give a truthful account.
The defendant in legal spheres refers to the person accused of committing a crime in a trial. A defense attorney represents the defendant in the trial to prove innocence for acquittal purposes in a criminal case. The defendant in the movie's plot was Tom Garret, who was accused of the murder of Patty Gray. Tom booked as a murder suspect and taken to court where after the trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to death before a request for pardon and the consequent cancellation of the same.
Corroborating evidence is the evidence that supports or confirms a particular proposition in a court trial. Corroboration requires that the existing evidence be backed up by another source for purposes of emphasizing a particular proposition. Tom's defense attorney attempts to find the pictures in Spencer's possession before he died, which would have been presented as corroborating evidence to the court. If it had been found, this evidence would have acted as corroboration to the proposition that Tom was faking the murder plot to prove a case against the death penalty.
Newly discovered evidence is another term related to corroborating evidence and refers to the evidence that had not been initially presented in court during a trial but appears after the trial has concluded. Newly discovered evidence differs from corroborating evidence because it does not directly support an already submitted proposition; both sides of the trial are not usually aware of newly discovered evidence until after the trial. Spencer's letter presented to Thompson after the sentencing of Tom to explain the fake murder story they had planned is taken in as new evidence, which is used as a basis for requesting for governor's pardon.
Death row refers to the confinement within the prison facility that houses inmates who have been sentenced to execution. Death row inmates are often isolated from other prisoners as they await legal proceedings to determine their fate. In the movie, Tom is sent to death row twice after conviction, with the defense attorney pointing out to Susan that according to state laws, prisoners on death row are not allowed visitors in the first week.
Another term reflected in the movie is pardon, which is a decree by the government usually given by the president or governor of a state to relieve a person from their legal consequences of a criminal act. Tom became a candidate for pardon by the state's governor after newly discovered evidence seems to make him innocent of Patty's murder; this request for pardon is letter canceled.
Reference
How Courts Work . American Bar Association. (2019, September). https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/law_related_education_network/how_courts_work/directexam/.
