Visual Evidence for the Murder Trial of Andrea Yates The children could hear the terrifying screams from their siblings in the bathroom. One by one all five entered the bathroom where their mother waited for them, unfortunately not a single one would make it out alive. Within six months of this heinous crime Andrea Yates the mother of these five children was put on trial. The evidence presented by both sides in the courtroom, would have long lasting effects on everyone involved in the case, as well as the millions of Americans that were following the trial. Visual testimony in any trial, especially a murder trial can have many effects on the outcome of a trial. Both prosecutors, and defense attorneys have a huge burden to fulfill in order …show more content…
In order for the people whose job it is to determine innocence or guilt of a person need more than just expert testimony in the form of a long drawn out explanation. Videos, photographs, or audio recordings are all helpful tools when presenting a case to a jury. In this case with Andrea Yates, there was so much evidence presented that could either have a positive or negative effect on the outcome of the trial. Prosecuting attorneys gave the jurors quite a horrific scene to digest mentally. Andrea Yates taped confession of the murdering of her five children were played for the jurors. In this she explained that she felt she was actually saving her children from being punished for having what she believed was an unfit mother. The 911 call Mrs. Yates made after the crime was also played for the jury. The jurors were also shown the actual crime scene photos of where the murders took place, as well as the how the mother of these five children laid them by each other after she drowned them one by one. The jury was shown videos of more normal times for the family, when things seemed to be going well. Expert testimony also played a role in the outcome of the first trial. The evidence presented in this case was able to help the jury come to a decision when determining Mrs. Yates final
Trayvon Martin was assaulted and shot by George Zimmerman. During the trial visual evidence was used against George Zimmerman. Visual evidence is becoming more and more relevant in these recent trials. The increases use of visual evidence is a definite positive thing, however those who use such evidence should do so wisely. Those who improperly use visual evidence may mislead the jury, and convict/ not convict the right person.
After reading chapters one and two of the Psychology in Everyday Life book and learning about the four big ideas in psychology, and also while trying to figure out the contributing factors of Andrea Yates’ murder of her children. I have to focus in on and think about big idea two, the biopsychosocial approach, that integrates three levels which are biological, psychological and social/cultural; all together these factors influence and give insight into behavior and mental processes. (CITE BOOK) After reviewing these, the psychological factors that I believe to have contributed to Andrea Yates’ murder of her children are, firstly biological, Andrea had a genetic predispositions, which means Andrea had an increased likelihood of developing
That was proven, but that does not prove how Caylee died or who put Caylee in that trunk of the car. In order to charge someone with murder, you need to know how they killed a person, or at least be able to answer who, what, when, where why and how. None of those questions were answered. They were not able to prove how Caylee died and that was a big factor! The prosecution failed miserably.
Many believe that the parents of the Sandy Hook victims conspired to murder their children, but what they fail to realize is that all their “ evidence” is just circumstantial. In court all types of various evidence is presented to the jury. According to Citizens Information “ The general rule is that circumstantial evidence is admissible. However, the courts are careful when the only evidence in a case is circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence must be closely examined and it must be looked at cumulatively.
Finally, Wayne Williams took the stand and testified, which resulted in very unfavorable attention from the jury (The Atlanta, n.d.). His angry and combative demeanor on the witness stand left jury members with little sympathy (The Atlanta, n.d.). It only took the jury approximately ten hours to deliberate and reach a guilty verdict, however, if the fiber evidence was not presented I do not believe the deliberation would have been so quick and most likely would have resulted in a not guilty
I feel a little bit of sympathy towards Andrea Yates, but not so much. The reason is because although Andrea did have mental problems which must have been hard to deal with while taking care of kids I do still believe she was still fully capable of understanding that her actions were wrong. Andrea lived a normal life and showed promise that she would lead a successful life. Andrea grew up with loving parents, she got good grades, and she was liked by everybody, and had a career going for her as a nurse.
However, this story of Mrs. Stephens being helpless is all the defense has. But how can you, the jury, believe a story from a woman that would lie to doctors, to police,
The O.J. Simpson trial was a trial that was seen across the nation. Therefore, everyone was watching this trial to see what would happen and as we know evidence plays a major part in getting the correct verdict in a trial. Now some of the physical evidence that was found was some hair evidence on a cap as well as on Ron Goldman shirts. There were some cotton fibers consistent with the carpet in the Bronco that O.J. was riding in on a glove at his Rockingham residence as well as at the Bundy residence. Furthermore, there was blood dropped by the killer at Bundy and it was noted that it was the same type as Simpson and he had fresh cuts on his left hand a day after the murder.
This shows that evidence is an important role in pleading someone guilty. When you convict someone of a crime, make sure you know the evidence and information on the case before sentencing
Throughout the film, Juror 8 carefully and methodically examines the evidence, questions assumptions, and seeks to uncover the truth. This type of critical thinking is crucial in the justice system, where a single misinterpreted detail or assumption can lead to a grave injustice. As citizens, it is our duty to cultivate this type of critical thinking and to hold the justice system accountable for doing the
This may cause the jury to be indecisive between what the actual case and what the media portrays it to be. The amount of media released for cases creates a negative impact within the courts and makes it difficult for a fair trial. When juries are uncertain about a case or a suspect, they result to social media platforms and news coverage that will provide them with more information and depth into the case. ‘’But if the case unfolds in the media, by the time a case gets to court, the supposedly impartial jury (or even the judge) may have already heard information and allegations (not admissible by court standards) that have caused them to seriously prejudice the parties’’. (Nedim, 2014).
Witness for the Prosecution “The ultimate mystery is one’s own self” (Sammy Davis Jr.). Mysteries have an allure that keep audiences intrigued and engaged on what will happen next. “Witness for the prosecution”, originally written by Agatha Christie, is no different in the sense that both the short story and visual adaption keep the audience on the edge of their seat as the apprehensive story unfolds. Although the storyline for the short story and movie adaptions both follow the same repertoire, there are a vast number of significant differences that keep the audience entertained and in suspense of what is to come next.
Another piece of evidence is a woman who swears to have seen the young man stabbed the father through the last two windows of the train. The evidence says that she was asleep and when she woke up and turned to the window through the last two windows of the train, she was able to see how the young man stabbed his father. The only problem with this argument is that the woman wore bifocal glasses and nobody usually sleeps with glasses so it would be very difficult that without their lenses of such magnitude could see what actually
This is an important element when deciding who the best and worst jurors were. There were no facts as to who was right or wrong because we didn’t see the crime in question. All
The fact cannot be denied that circumstantial evidence plays a pivotal role in a criminal case. It has helped the courts in administration of justice in so many landmark cases which heavily relied on circumstantial evidence. Generally