The article “Stereotypes in the Courtroom” presents a magnificent picture concerning the presence of stereotypes and their severe impacts on the jurors and the respective case decisions. It is a certain fact that most of the jurors may indulge themselves in the effect of stereotyping at some time in certain cases. Various forms of stereotypes may range from race, ethnicity, nationality, gender or socioeconomic status of the respective parties. In most cases, the defendants look guilty in the eyes of societal units, but the respective jury may synchronize various characteristics of the alleged party to the decision. In this context, one possible reason is that less mental effort is being made by the respective authorities as required in certain cases. Personal liking or disliking, mental tendencies, and personal feelings of the jurors regarding some specific defendant may lead to lasting imprints in terms of justice and fair play. These features may develop due to certain attributes and behaviours of the party being presented before the jurors.
However, if we look meticulously, a similar situation is portrayed in the movie “12 Angry Men”. Huge similarities between the facts of the said article and the movie under consideration are present concerning stigma and stereotypes. For example, the statement given by Henry Fonda about the alleged boy, “he had been treated with poor circumstances throughout his life,” is a vivid manifestation of what the article depicts in real essence. Correspondingly, the notion of Ed Begley presents him as a racist person when he entitled the boy a “slum kid”. It is evident that the characters of the movie or jurors are adorned with stereotypes, especially against those belonging to several minorities or who have diminished socioeconomic status. These stereotypes concerning external attributions have a serious impact on the mental tendency of jurors and, eventually, the interpretations of the evidence. In other words, stereotypes and stigmatic relevance may lead to biased interpretations and prejudiced proceedings of the respective case.
However, these stereotypes are perpetuated in society for several sound reasons. The most effective aspect of this is societal inequality. Such inequalities usually relate to multiple populace chunks on multiple levels. Moreover, ideas and concepts about a certain class, which are perceived by family members, friends, or media, may leave indelible imprints on the mind. In addition, having an opinion about a certain class without spending reasonable time with its members leads to ripening such stereotyping. Similarly, such mental perception may be prolonged if one is not mentally open to accepting new ideas and concepts with the passage of time (Jussim et al.).
In this context, there may be various ways to educate the populace, including the common person and the respective jurors, to prevent stereotyping. The first step is honest conversation and debate about stereotypical threats that harm societal units. In addition, an inclusive environment must be built to nip this evil in the bud. Further, individuals’ mental growth and tendencies against stereotypes and stigmas must be ensured at the school level or school age (Makhpirov & Tukhtabayeva). Furthermore, the awareness campaigns and availability of relevant training material at respective centres may prevent citizens, especially jurors, from such stereotyping.
Lastly, the pros and cons of the trial by jury have been a complex and hot topic for decades. I believe a jury is the most effective way to decide a person’s destiny. Undoubtedly, various evils are associated with such a group, like stereotyping and stigmas. However, these can be improved by implementing several reforms and changes through the evolutionary process. Systems and competent institutions need time and specific direction to improve with the passage of time, as every black cloud has a silver lining at the end.
Work Cited
McKimmie, Blake M. “Stereotypes in the Courtroom.” NEW DIRECTIONS 20.1 (2011): 173.
Jussim, Lee, and Nathan Honeycutt+1. “The Accuracy of Stereotypes: Data and Implications.” (2021).
Makhpirov, V. U., and U. T. Tukhtabayeva. “STEREOTYPES’FRIGHTENING STRENGTH–AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.” ББК 81.2 С 23 (2021): 68.
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