Do you remember the story about Jesus as defense lawyer for the woman accused of adultery? What can we learn about criminal law from the story of Jesus and The Adulterous Woman? (It’s in John, Chapter 8 of the New Testament.) We can learn about what criminal defense lawyers do. And we can learn about the laws of evidence;… Read More »Jesus as Defense Lawyer: The Woman Accused of Adultery
The Trial of Jesus is the most famous trial in history – really, two trials. But from a criminal law perspective, the trials are fascinating for many reasons, on many levels. This article is based upon The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth by renowned scholar and Law Professor Max Radin. (The University of Chicago Press, 1931). Prof.… Read More »The Trial of Jesus: A Criminal Law Perspective
New though it may be, psychology has much to offer trial lawyers when it comes to jurors and juries. Each juror is an individual human being, and so, like all of us, can be better understood with cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology has mapped out to an impressive extent how individuals perceive events, make sense of them, recall them, and report them. Juries, as groups, can be better understood with social psychology. Social psychologists have developed the science of how people cooperate and come to decisions together. Other branches of psychology can also be applied in the context of juror and jury research – all to the benefit of the trial lawyer.