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Story
August 10, 1889
The Ketchum Keystone
Ketchum, Alturas County, Blaine County, Idaho
What is this article about?
Court officials can predict jury verdicts by observing jurors' eye contact: looking at the defendant signals acquittal, while avoiding eye contact indicates conviction, according to an experienced officer.
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Full Text
How to Read a Jury.
Officials in criminal courts who take trouble to make a study of jurors can usually tell just what sort of a verdict a jury will give as soon as its members return after deliberating upon a case, says the New York Times. There is always something in their faces which indicates to the experienced eye whether the verdict is guilty or not guilty.
"This man is going to be acquitted, sure," said an old court officer in general sessions as a jury came in with a verdict in an important case a few days ago. "You see, about every man in the box turned his face to the defendant as soon as he took his seat. That's always a sure sign, I never knew it to fail. When the verdict is for conviction the jurors invariably keep their eyes on the Judge or on the ceiling. Members of a convicting jury often seem to find it very difficult to look upon the prisoner even when the clerk instructs them to do so. I suppose the explanation of it is that with most people it is a hard matter to inflict pain even on a guilty man."
Officials in criminal courts who take trouble to make a study of jurors can usually tell just what sort of a verdict a jury will give as soon as its members return after deliberating upon a case, says the New York Times. There is always something in their faces which indicates to the experienced eye whether the verdict is guilty or not guilty.
"This man is going to be acquitted, sure," said an old court officer in general sessions as a jury came in with a verdict in an important case a few days ago. "You see, about every man in the box turned his face to the defendant as soon as he took his seat. That's always a sure sign, I never knew it to fail. When the verdict is for conviction the jurors invariably keep their eyes on the Judge or on the ceiling. Members of a convicting jury often seem to find it very difficult to look upon the prisoner even when the clerk instructs them to do so. I suppose the explanation of it is that with most people it is a hard matter to inflict pain even on a guilty man."
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Jury Observation
Verdict Prediction
Court Officials
Eye Contact
Acquittal
Conviction
What entities or persons were involved?
Old Court Officer
Where did it happen?
General Sessions
Story Details
Key Persons
Old Court Officer
Location
General Sessions
Story Details
An experienced court officer explains how to predict jury verdicts by observing if jurors look at the defendant (acquittal) or avoid looking (conviction), based on difficulty in facing a guilty person.