Read The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference)

The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference)

James Q. Whitman

4.9/5 (24263 ratings)

Description:To be convicted of a crime in the United States, a person must be proven guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.” But what is reasonable doubt? Even sophisticated legal experts find this fundamental doctrine difficult to explain. In this accessible book, James Q. Whitman digs deep into the history of the law and discovers that we have lost sight of the original purpose of “reasonable doubt.” It was not originally a legal rule at all, he shows, but a theological one. The rule as we understand it today is intended to protect the accused. But Whitman traces its history back through centuries of Christian theology and common-law history to reveal that the original concern was to protect the souls of jurors. In Christian tradition, a person who experienced doubt yet convicted an innocent defendant was guilty of a mortal sin. Jurors fearful for their own souls were reassured that they were safe, as long as their doubts were not “reasonable.” Today, the old rule of reasonable doubt survives, but it has been turned to different purposes. The result is confusion for jurors, and a serious moral challenge for our system of justice. We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference). To get started finding The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference), you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Pages: —

Format: PDF, EPUB & Kindle Edition

Publisher: —

Release: —

ISBN: 0300116004

Description: To be convicted of a crime in the United States, a person must be proven guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.” But what is reasonable doubt? Even sophisticated legal experts find this fundamental doctrine difficult to explain. In this accessible book, James Q. Whitman digs deep into the history of the law and discovers that we have lost sight of the original purpose of “reasonable doubt.” It was not originally a legal rule at all, he shows, but a theological one. The rule as we understand it today is intended to protect the accused. But Whitman traces its history back through centuries of Christian theology and common-law history to reveal that the original concern was to protect the souls of jurors. In Christian tradition, a person who experienced doubt yet convicted an innocent defendant was guilty of a mortal sin. Jurors fearful for their own souls were reassured that they were safe, as long as their doubts were not “reasonable.” Today, the old rule of reasonable doubt survives, but it has been turned to different purposes. The result is confusion for jurors, and a serious moral challenge for our system of justice. We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference). To get started finding The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference), you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

Special Offer | $0.00

Special Offer! | $0.00

The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference)

The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial (Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference)

More Books

Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law

Hitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law

Harsh Justice: Criminal Punishment and the Widening Divide between America and Europe

Harsh Justice: Criminal Punishment and the Widening Divide between America and Europe

The Verdict of Battle: The Law of Victory and the Making of Modern War

The Verdict of Battle: The Law of Victory and the Making of Modern War

The Legacy of Roman Law in the German Romantic Era: Historical Vision and Legal Change (Princeton Legacy Library) by James Q. Whitman (2014-07-14)

The Legacy of Roman Law in the German Romantic Era: Historical Vision and Legal Change (Princeton Legacy Library) by James Q. Whitman (2014-07-14)

The Legacy of Roman Law in the German Romantic Era (Princeton Legacy Library)

The Legacy of Roman Law in the German Romantic Era (Princeton Legacy Library)

From Masters of Slaves to Lords of Lands: The Transformation of Ownership in the Western World (Studies in Legal History)

From Masters of Slaves to Lords of Lands: The Transformation of Ownership in the Western World (Studies in Legal History)

The Verdict of Battle: The Law of Victory and the Making of Modern War by James Q. Whitman (2014-11-24)

The Verdict of Battle: The Law of Victory and the Making of Modern War by James Q. Whitman (2014-11-24)