Twelve Angry Men

Twelve Angry Men

By Reginald Rose

Think about the following termsSequestered

Deliberation

Foreman

Verdict

Hung Jury

Mistrial

Prosecution

Defense

Jury

Jury Size

Juror

Jury Selection

Two Sides of the Trial

Prosecution DefenseLawyer(s) attempting to prove that the person accused committed a crime.

Lawyer(s) attempting to show that the person accused did not commit a crime.

What is a Jury?

In most criminal trials, a jury is comprised of 12 members.

A member of a jury is called a juror.

A sworn body of people brought together to provide an impartial verdict

Jury SelectionA pool of jurors is randomly selected from the community.

Prospective jurors can then be excused for many personal reasons.

Attorneys then question the remaining potential jurors and end up with the final 12 plus alternates.

Deliberation

In a criminal case, the verdict must be unanimous.

If a jury finds itself “hopelessly deadlocked”, a hung jury occurs, and a mistrial is declared.

The jury discusses the case and attempts to reach a decision on the accused’s guilt.

A foreman is elected to lead the discussion and keep things organized and civil.

Sometimes juries will be sequestered. This means that they are not allowed to talk or see anyone outside the courthouse during the entire proceedings.

A mistrial can be declared when there is a hung jury, but a judge can also declare one when there has been misconduct by someone involved in the case.

The VerdictA formal finding of fact by a jury.

Guilty or not guilty – there is no innocent.

Reading a Play• Cast – a listing of all the characters in the play

• Stage Directions – information about how actors move, say lines, or feel at a certain moment in the play. Also help the reader visualize the setting. Usually written in italics.

• Monologue – a long speech delivered by only one character

• Aside – lines that are delivered only for the audience or another specific character to hear. We assume that others on stage cannot hear what is said.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1016109849/