Criminology task 6
Experts:
An expert is someone who has specialised knowledge and considerable training in a certain field.
Because of their experience and ability to explain genuine events to the jury, they frequently have a
significant influence on a trial. Their proof frequently includes numbers and technical words, which
reinforces the notion that what they are saying is correct and accurate. To increase their credibility,
an expert may also state their qualifications when taking the stand. As a result of these
considerations, the jury may be persuaded, despite the fact that the jury members are regular
individuals with no expert knowledge. As a result, the testimony will impress the jury, who will
regard the expert's view as genuine and truthful. However, when the testimony is wrong, this can
lead to a wrong verdict or miscarriage of justice.
In the instances of Sally Clark and Angela Cannings, doctor Sir Roy Meadows testified that the
mothers suffocated their infants to death, rather than the genuine explanation of SIDS. Meadows
testified in the Sally Clark case that the risk of two infants from rich families suffering from SIDS was
one in 73 million. He arrived at this figure by squaring the genuine statistic of 1 in 8500. This caused
the jurors to assume Sally Clark must be guilty, resulting in an injustice and Clark's three-year
imprisonment. Similarly, in the case of Angela Cannings, Meadows testified that she had smothered
her children to death, but this was later overturned as an unsafe conviction. Meadows based his
calculation on the likelihood of a second crib death being the same as the likelihood of the first,
while in households where one crib death has occurred, the likelihood of another greatly increases.
Angela Cannings was wrongfully imprisoned because of this. Because of his qualifications and status
as a Sir, the jury relied greatly on his expert testimony, implying that his testimony was reputable
and trustworthy when it was not.
Media:
The media has a considerable influence on the result of a criminal case. Many individuals assume
that the content of the media written is even when it is untrue, which might result in a suspect not
receiving a fair trial. Under English law, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, unless a
jury has previously been swayed by the media. This might have an impact on the trial's outcome,
resulting in a trial by media. Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer are two examples of this.
Christoher Jefferies was falsely imprisoned after being accused of killing his tenant, Joanna Yates. He
was eventually freed without charge. However, the media first characterised Jefferies negatively,
with one report portraying me as "odd," "weird," "disturbing," and "a loner." This was based mostly
on his looks, and despite his innocence, the public was led to believe he was guilty, resulting in a
media trial.
The players Joathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer were accused of abusing an Asian student in Leeds in
2001. The trial was called off when a newspaper storey about an interview with the victim's father
was published while the jury was contemplating the verdict. The Sunday Mirror report might have
substantially biased the jury, resulting in an unjust jury. Furthermore, the jury was all white, and the
victim claimed that this racism influenced the conviction. The publication was sternly chastised and
fined £175,000 in all. The figures' celebrity may have also affected the jury. Lord Justice Kennedy said
that the date and substance of the article jeopardised a protracted, expensive, high-profile, and
difficult trial at a tough time.
Experts:
An expert is someone who has specialised knowledge and considerable training in a certain field.
Because of their experience and ability to explain genuine events to the jury, they frequently have a
significant influence on a trial. Their proof frequently includes numbers and technical words, which
reinforces the notion that what they are saying is correct and accurate. To increase their credibility,
an expert may also state their qualifications when taking the stand. As a result of these
considerations, the jury may be persuaded, despite the fact that the jury members are regular
individuals with no expert knowledge. As a result, the testimony will impress the jury, who will
regard the expert's view as genuine and truthful. However, when the testimony is wrong, this can
lead to a wrong verdict or miscarriage of justice.
In the instances of Sally Clark and Angela Cannings, doctor Sir Roy Meadows testified that the
mothers suffocated their infants to death, rather than the genuine explanation of SIDS. Meadows
testified in the Sally Clark case that the risk of two infants from rich families suffering from SIDS was
one in 73 million. He arrived at this figure by squaring the genuine statistic of 1 in 8500. This caused
the jurors to assume Sally Clark must be guilty, resulting in an injustice and Clark's three-year
imprisonment. Similarly, in the case of Angela Cannings, Meadows testified that she had smothered
her children to death, but this was later overturned as an unsafe conviction. Meadows based his
calculation on the likelihood of a second crib death being the same as the likelihood of the first,
while in households where one crib death has occurred, the likelihood of another greatly increases.
Angela Cannings was wrongfully imprisoned because of this. Because of his qualifications and status
as a Sir, the jury relied greatly on his expert testimony, implying that his testimony was reputable
and trustworthy when it was not.
Media:
The media has a considerable influence on the result of a criminal case. Many individuals assume
that the content of the media written is even when it is untrue, which might result in a suspect not
receiving a fair trial. Under English law, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, unless a
jury has previously been swayed by the media. This might have an impact on the trial's outcome,
resulting in a trial by media. Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer are two examples of this.
Christoher Jefferies was falsely imprisoned after being accused of killing his tenant, Joanna Yates. He
was eventually freed without charge. However, the media first characterised Jefferies negatively,
with one report portraying me as "odd," "weird," "disturbing," and "a loner." This was based mostly
on his looks, and despite his innocence, the public was led to believe he was guilty, resulting in a
media trial.
The players Joathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer were accused of abusing an Asian student in Leeds in
2001. The trial was called off when a newspaper storey about an interview with the victim's father
was published while the jury was contemplating the verdict. The Sunday Mirror report might have
substantially biased the jury, resulting in an unjust jury. Furthermore, the jury was all white, and the
victim claimed that this racism influenced the conviction. The publication was sternly chastised and
fined £175,000 in all. The figures' celebrity may have also affected the jury. Lord Justice Kennedy said
that the date and substance of the article jeopardised a protracted, expensive, high-profile, and
difficult trial at a tough time.
