A Defendant
& # 8217 ; s Criminal Record Essay, Research Paper
Should juries be informed of a suspect & # 8217 ; s previuos felon record? This is a inquiry which could do seriuous argument, depending on an single & # 8217 ; s point of position. One individual might believe that merely the facts or grounds of a particualr instance are pertinent to the determination a jury should do. Another might take the place that any grounds is at best circumstantial and that the accuser & # 8217 ; s character has at least every bit much bearing on the instance as difficult grounds does.
The being of different positions is one trademark of juries, which are supposed to be composed of a cross-section of the population. While some would be probably to keep, as indicated above, that touchable grounds and a individual & # 8217 ; s yesteryear are non related, I would non be one of them. What a individual does in the yesteryear has a bearing on who they become in the hereafter ; history, and lives, are on a contiuum and events along that line are related, non reciprocally sole. Our yesteryear is surely relevant when we apply for a occupation, for illustration, and we must show our possible employers with our employment history. Our ability in hte present nad hereafter is judged at least slightly by our yesteryear. At the really least, jurymans must hold the same chance as employers do. After a
ll, they have a tougher undertaking, to make up one’s mind the destiny of an accused individual.
Is a condemnable with a record more likely to perpetrate offense once more? Statistically, the reply is a echoing & # 8220 ; yes! & # 8221 ; Jurors, therfore, should non be required to do judement base in limited information. They can non adequatly judge person based merely on what they know about one & # 8220 ; minute in time. & # 8221 ; Most people are able to show a good image when necessary, and we shoud non promote juries to be swayed entirely by fleeting appearanc. & # 8220 ; White neckband & # 8221 ; felons are frequently able to acquire lighter sentence than they should because they do non look like the dtereotyped thought of a felon.
Alternatively, they are able to look like respectable concern people. The power to carry should be balanced with the tribunal room with the presentation off all available informatin about the accused from the yesteryear. Because recidivism is extremely likely, cognizing about a condemnable & # 8217 ; s past offenses can forestall future offense.
The US is known as the land of the 2nd opportunity, but the one thing we do non desire to make is give felons a 2nd opportunity to perpetrate offenses. We must non intentionally obcure their yesteryear. A individual character is reflected in the entree to all information about an accused particularly a condemnable record.
