8 years ago
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Why You Can’t Use Dictionaries in Court
The Place: All federal and state courtsThe Rule: Jury members cannot consult outside texts or resources – even dictionaries – during deliberation.The Reason: Even if they don’t know the meaning of a word, juries must confine their knowledge of a case to what’s presented in court. While dictionaries might seem like a harmless text, most courts have ruled that consulting one is in fact misconduct because it could color a jury’s decision.
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In what case would knowing more - knowing the truth - change a jury's decision the wrong way?
Well, American courts are more about who won rather than what's true.