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ID:11527741
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页数:5页
时间:2018-07-12
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1、[1001213365,11/20/2011]AshortdiscussionaboutAmericancriminalsystemBeyondAReasonableDoubtWhatisbeyondareasonabledoubt?Beyondareasonabledoubtisthehigheststandardusedastheburdenofproofincriminalproceedings.Generally,theprosecutorhastobeartheburdenofprooftopersuadethejuryandisoblig
2、atedtomakehisallegationtotheextentthattherecouldbenoreasonabledoubtinthemindofareasonablepersonthatthedefendantisguilty.Thetestofreasonablenessisobjectiveandsubjecttoone'sreason,commonsenseandpriorexperiences.Althoughdifferentjurorshavetheirownviewswithrespecttoreasonableness,t
3、hejurorswillfollowtheinstructionsgivenbythejudgetodeterminewhetherthedefendantisguiltyorinnocentinaparticularcase.Somedoubtsarestillpermitted,butonlytotheextentthatitwillnotaffectareasonablejuror'sopinion.Thevalidationofacriminalconvictionrequirestheprosecutortoprovethatthedefe
4、ndant'sconducthassatisfiedeachelementinthedefinitionofthecrimebeyondareasonabledoubt.Thisburdenwillneverbeshiftedtothedefendantthroughoutthetrial.Thedefendantenjoysthebenefitofassumptionandislabeledasinnocentuntiltheprosecutormeetstheburden.Thejudgeinthetrialcourtneedstoinstruc
5、tthejuryaboutthispresumptionofinnocence.Thejuryshouldkeepaopenmindandbeinstructedthatareasonabledoubtisnotadoubtbaseduponsympathyorprejudice,butrather,itislogicallyconnectedtotheevidenceorabsenceofevidence.Ifthereisnosufficientevidencebroughtbytheprosecutortomaketheconvictionon
6、thereasonablegrounds,thedefendantremainsinnocent.Whyweadoptbeyondareasonabledoubt?Thereareseveralkindsofstandardofproof,however,beyondareasonabledoubtisthestrictest.Whyweneedthisstricteststandardinourcriminalsystem?First,criminallawismainlyintendedtobethetoolforthegovernmenttou
7、seitsauthorizedpowertokeepthesocietyinorderandredistributejustice.Thegovernment'scommitmentistoacquittheinnocentandpunishtheguilty.Withoutpunishmentandinstitutionsdesignedforpunishment,criminallawisoflittleuseandhasnoforcefuleffect.Mostofpunishmentwillbeimplementedinthewayofdep
8、rivingtheguiltyoffreedom.However,individualrights,espe
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