peralta329.weebly.comperalta329.weebly.com/.../3/2/2/0/32206937/episode_6-12.docx · Web view(Consider strategies, word choice…) ... Why does Adnan say he is lucky? Why does he

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Episode 6: The Case Against Adnan Syed

Review “Spin”: 1. What does it mean to “spin” something? What pieces of evidence did the prosecution “spin” to use against Adnan?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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In this episode, Koenig examines all of the evidence that could be/was used against Adnan in court. Consider the validity and significance of each piece of evidence. Rate 1 (not important) to 3 (very important)

Evidence(Record Details )

How it can be used against Adnan Why it may be insignificant Level of significance

“Palm print” on map book

Adnan asking for a ride in Hae’s car

Adnan’s lack of memory

Adnan’s contact/ lack of contact with Hae

Serial Podcast Episodes 6-12 1

Evidence How it can be used against Adnan Why it may be insignificant Level of significance

Hae’s letter/ Adnan’s note to Aisha (7:39)

Dave’s call to the police (9:18)

“Cathy’s” account of the evening (13:15)

Jenn’s account of the evening(24:00)


Evidence How it can be used against Adnan Why it may be insignificant Level of significance

The Nisha Call 26:30

2. Koenig notes that the Nisha call is what makes her question Adnan when she can rationalize everything else away. Do you think it is as important as Koenig makes it out to be? Explain._________________________________________________________________________________________________

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3. What bothers Adnan most about how people perceive him? Can you relate to Adnan on this point?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Can you relate to how Koenig feels in being unsure about her feelings about the case and her understanding of what happened? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

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5. After reviewing the evidence against Adnan, do you think he is being honest about the evening Hae is killed? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Episode 7: The Opposite of ProsecutionIn this episode, Koenig reaches out to expert Deirdre Enright who works with Virginia’s Innocence Project. Enright gives insight into Adnan’s case.

1. What is Deirdre Enright’s first impression of Adnan’s case? (4:00)_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. What is the “big black hole” according to Enright? Do you agree or disagree given what you know about the case thus far. (5:15)

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3. What does Enright say about innocent clients? How might this relate to Adnan? (8:30)

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4. What does Enright think about the state’s case against Adnan?_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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5. Koenig asks, “but isn’t the fact that they did put him away mean they had enough to put him away?” What does Enright say about this? (15:00)

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6. Enright reads an e-mail regarding the evidence in Adnan’s case. What is the main point of this? (19:00)

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7. What is the first thing the Innocence team does when they begin? Why is this significant?

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8. If you were sitting on a jury, would you need to know the answer to who did commit said crime, or just who didn’t do it? (i.e. Do you think the team will have to prove who did kill Hae, instead of just showing Adnan is innocent?)

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9. What do Enright’s students think of Adnan’s case? What are their reasons for this? (23:00-30:00)

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10. Both Koenig and Enright have important information, Koenig as the narrator, and Enright as an expert. Who do you consider more effective in providing information? Explain.

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Episode 8: The Deal with JaySerial Podcast Episodes 6-12 5

You’ve been waiting for it! Koenig takes a closer look at the suspicious person of Jay.

1. Jay’s credibility was the State’s case so Adnan’s lawyer tried to “rip it to shreds”. How did she attempt to do this? (Consider strategies, word choice…)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. What are Trainum’s opinions about Adnan and Jay?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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3. What is “bad evidence”? (16:30)

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4. How might “bad evidence” factor into Jay’s testimony?

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5. What did Jay tell Chris about the evening of Hae’s murder? (28:17)

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6. Like there are multiple sides to Jay, Chris and Patrick describe a different side of Adnan. What do they say about him? ( 32:58)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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7. What happens at Jay’s sentencing? Do you agree with the decision made? Explain.

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Consider the evidence:

1. Who do you think are the best sources for understanding Jay as a person? What do they say about him?

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2. Has your opinion of Jay changed? Are you considering a different aspect of his personality? Explain.

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3. Based on your understanding of Jay, what do you think about his testimony in court? To what extent is it true?

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Episode 9: To Be Suspected

As the podcast develops an audience, those who knew the people involved begin to contact Koenig. What is the new information Koenig discovers? How is Koenig’s narrative being influenced by real time events?

1. What does Laura say about phones at Best Buy? Is she a reliable source?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. What does Summer say about the timeline the state proposes? Is she a reliable source?________________________________________________________________________________________________

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3. Koenig suggests that with this new evidence there could be no way Hae was murdered by 2:36pm. The State, however, based their entire case around this call. Who do you think is most correct? Explain.________________________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Who does Koenig thinks called Adnan at “Cathy’s” that night? How does that change our understanding of “Cathy’s” memory?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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5. How does Adnan describe his experience during the trial? About finding out about Hae’s death? (12:00-14:45) _________________________________________________________________________________________________

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6. What does Krista say about the night they find out about Hae? What does she say that shocks Koenig? Are you surprised?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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7. What are the two ways Koenig can interpret this action? How does this connect to Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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8. How did other people describe Adnan’s reaction to Hae’s death? (16:08) What does Detective Tranium say about this? _________________________________________________________________________________________________

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9. When the police come to question Adnan, what is he most concerned about? What would he tell his 17 year old self?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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10. What does Adnan focus on during the trials? (24:00)_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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11. How does Adnan describe his social life in the prison? What can we learn about him? Do you think this is important to understanding the case? (26:50)_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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12. What does Adnan say about the process of the trial and sentencing? (30:00)__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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13. How does Adnan react to the public defender’s speech during sentencing? Does this make you believe Adnan?__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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14. Why does Adnan say he is lucky?


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15. Why does he consider the situation his own fault? Do you agree?__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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16. The prosecution says that Adnan can’t admit to the crime after all these years. His parents have put too much time and money into defending him. What does Adnan say about this? Do you agree or disagree? (39:21)__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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17. Koenig ends by telling us that despite the evidence, she has reasonable doubt that Adnan committed the crime because of his character. Given Adnan’s insistence that only evidence be looked at, and Trainum’s advice to discount character descriptions in deciding guilt or innocence, do you think it is fair that Koenig comes to this conclusion? Do you agree or disagree with her conclusion?__________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Episode 10: The Best Defense is a good DefenseSerial Podcast Episodes 6-12 10

This episode examines key aspects of Adnan’s trial including the possible influence of racism, Gutierrez as a lawyer, and other revelations during the trial. What do you think was the biggest influence in Adnan ultimately being found guilty?

1. People believed that Adnan’s case was influenced by racism. What does Koenig think? (5:30)_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. What are examples Koenig shows of anti-Muslim sentiment creeping in?( Consider jury selection, the prosecution’s account of the audience at the bail hearing, the report given to the prosecutors regarding race and culture, terms used by the prosecution in developing Adnan’s motive…) (6:00-15:58)_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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3. Jurors said that they were not influenced by Adnan’s race; they saw him as a typical American teenager. To what extent do you think this is possible/ true?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Did Cristina Gutierrez blow it? 4. How does Adnan feel about Cristina Gutierrez? (18:45)

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5. What was her defense strategy in court? Do you think this was effective? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

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6. Why does the first trial end in a mistrial? (20:28)_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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7. What verdict was the jury of the first trial leaning toward?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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8. Koenig notes that Gutierrez’s main target was Jay. Rate her effectiveness in cross examining Jay. Do you think she presents a clear argument? Is she persuasive in her cross examining of Jay? Explain with specific examples. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Jay’s deal9. Jay had been charged with accessory after the fact. He had an agreement that if he

showed up and testified it would be reflected in his sentence. What was strange about how he attained a lawyer? Do you think there was more going on than is being said? (33:10)_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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10. What is the judge’s reaction to this revelation? Do you think this is appropriate?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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11. Koenig notes that Gutierrez was having trouble late in her career. What was “not right” about Christina at this point?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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12. What do the Whitmans say about Christina? What issues did they have? (44:10)_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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13. Why was Gutierrez in trouble with the attorney commission?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Adnan’s Appeal: IRL14. Adnan’s petition for appeal is based on ineffective council, specifically regarding

Asia’s potential alibi for Adnan. Do you think there is a basis for this appeal? Did he receive ineffective council?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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15. Adnan is also petitioning because he says he asked for a plea deal which Christina did not attempt to negotiate. Koenig seems skeptical that Adnan would ask for a plea deal. Why is this?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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16. What does Adnan say about this? Do you believe him?_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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17. Which do you think played the most significant role in Adnan being declared guilty: racism, ineffective council, a strong prosecution, the evidence against Adnan, or other factors? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Episode 11: Rumors

1. How does Koenig keep listeners engaged at the beginning of the podcast?________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. Few people from the Mosque are willing to talk on the record. Why?________________________________________________________________________________________

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3. How did fear affect people in Adnan’s community? (6:00-8:00)________________________________________________________________________________________

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4. What is the major rumor Koenig hears about Adnan? (10:22)________________________________________________________________________________________

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5. Does this change your opinion about Adnan? Explain. ________________________________________________________________________________________

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6. How does Adnan react to this allegation?

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7. How does he tell the story? What does he think about it now that he is an adult?________________________________________________________________________________________

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8. Charles says that most killers are ordinary people. Does this surprise you?________________________________________________________________________________________

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9. What are some of the theories presented by people who knew Adnan?

* Note: fill in Jane’s idea, answer question 10, then return to the chart.

Jane Effron

(Teacher)23:00

Koenig Laura

25:45

Their

theory

Your

opinion

about

their

theory


10. Koenig asks if a normal kid could up and do this. Is snapping a thing? What is the response? (23:55)________________________________________________________________________________________

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Episode 12: What We KnowThe finale…?

1. Can you relate to Koenig’s feelings going back and forth between thinking Adnan is innocent or guilty? As the narrator, do you think she should be more certain?

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2. What does Don say about the day Hae goes missing? (3:25)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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3. What is the difference between his first response to Hae’s disappearance and Adnan’s? What does this tell us about Don? (5:20)

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4. What is similar between Adnan’s and Don’s responses? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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5. What did the State want from Don’s testimony? (8:47)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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6. What does Josh say about Jay? Do you believe him? (11:21)


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7. Does Josh’s account make Jay seem more or less reliable?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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8. The Nisha call reviewed: What information does Dana find that might change the significance of the Nisha call? (25:13)

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9. They look at the cell records again in more detail. What happens when they look at the records again? What do they come to speculate? (28:35)

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10. What do they say seems most likely about where Jay and Adnan went that afternoon instead of the mall? Why does it make Adnan look more suspicious?

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11. What does Julie think about the 3:21 call? Why is it confusing? (31:24)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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12. What does Julie ask about the discrepancy between Jay’s and Jenn’s stories? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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13. How does Koenig try and justify the State’s motive? Do you agree with this idea? Why/why not?


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14. What does Deirdre find out? Do you think this is significant? (44:08)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Documents

peralta329.weebly.comperalta329.weebly.com/.../3/2/2/0/32206937/episode_6-12.docx · Web view(Consider strategies, word choice…) ... Why does Adnan say he is lucky? Why does he