Trials have been happening since close to the beginning of time.These trials, however, in how they are conducted and the results have changed over the years, and so has the public's interest and what makes a trial great. But the trials that are attended and remembered still are found to hold a specific message and lesson which relates significantly to the time period and continues on through history. In this paper, we will look to open the window into what makes a trial a “great trial” by contrasting a great vs. a popular trial, outlining public interest in trials, and examples of the great trials of Scopes, Salem Witch, John Peter Zenger, Nuremberg trials, and the Brown v. The Board of Education. Accordingly, we will look to contrast the
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In terms of social movements using courts, it is believed that the purpose of these movements turning to judges and courts rather than legislatures is related to the fact that a court decision provides legitimacy for the movement that has been recognized and accepted by the courts. As well many great trials are said to settle an issue within society or at the very least they are believed to evolve the issue to satisfy society to a degree within the time period. These trials are also as found in the course themes in many circumstances seen to leave behind a legacy, which will be further explored in referencing the Nuremberg trials and its lasting legacy. Many great trials are said to hold within them the concept of symbolism, which as discussed throughout this course means that a single name was spoken from a case significantly stands for something universally as a result of the trial. An example of this would be the trial of Scopes which carries the symbolism of the fight for academic freedom and yet another challenge towards the religious dominants within society (California Law Review, p.366). When looking at trials that have lost their degree of being noteworthy, you usually ask …show more content…
Most popular trials deal with murders or mental illness in which the public becomes curious and seek to know the details and be entertained by the media’s story coverage (Banner, p.1285). As stated in an article by Lawrence Friedman, the common law trial can be quite a dramatic event. It can be dramatic in a quite literal sense: trials are, or can be, a kind of stage-play, with a definite story or plot-usually, in fact, two stories or plots, which are in sharp contrast to each other and a suspenseful and exciting ending, when the jury files into the room and announces its verdict (Friedman, p.1243). Much criminal justice is a staple in books, movies, and the news. In terms of the high profile cases that can be labelled as tabloid type cases, they seem to always have a certain sensational character: they fascinate the public, they launch a thousand conversations, they produce acres of film, print, and comment (Friedman, p.1245). An example of a popular trial is the trial of O.J. Simpson, a football hero among other things, is the most famous of recent celebrity defendants. His trial was an incredible media event, beamed into millions of
In terms of social movements using courts, it is believed that the purpose of these movements turning to judges and courts rather than legislatures is related to the fact that a court decision provides legitimacy for the movement that has been recognized and accepted by the courts. As well many great trials are said to settle an issue within society or at the very least they are believed to evolve the issue to satisfy society to a degree within the time period. These trials are also as found in the course themes in many circumstances seen to leave behind a legacy, which will be further explored in referencing the Nuremberg trials and its lasting legacy. Many great trials are said to hold within them the concept of symbolism, which as discussed throughout this course means that a single name was spoken from a case significantly stands for something universally as a result of the trial. An example of this would be the trial of Scopes which carries the symbolism of the fight for academic freedom and yet another challenge towards the religious dominants within society (California Law Review, p.366). When looking at trials that have lost their degree of being noteworthy, you usually ask …show more content…
Most popular trials deal with murders or mental illness in which the public becomes curious and seek to know the details and be entertained by the media’s story coverage (Banner, p.1285). As stated in an article by Lawrence Friedman, the common law trial can be quite a dramatic event. It can be dramatic in a quite literal sense: trials are, or can be, a kind of stage-play, with a definite story or plot-usually, in fact, two stories or plots, which are in sharp contrast to each other and a suspenseful and exciting ending, when the jury files into the room and announces its verdict (Friedman, p.1243). Much criminal justice is a staple in books, movies, and the news. In terms of the high profile cases that can be labelled as tabloid type cases, they seem to always have a certain sensational character: they fascinate the public, they launch a thousand conversations, they produce acres of film, print, and comment (Friedman, p.1245). An example of a popular trial is the trial of O.J. Simpson, a football hero among other things, is the most famous of recent celebrity defendants. His trial was an incredible media event, beamed into millions of