PSYC 376 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Rhetorical Question, Moot Court, Kenneth Tobey
19 Apr 2017
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Document Summary
The outcomes of criminal trials have profound effects on the lives of the parties involved. The accused, if convicted, will carry a criminal record, probably for the rest of his life, and he may be incarcerated. The complainant will disclose personal and intimate details of a past event in open court and her testimony will be scrutinized, cross-examined, and ultimately evaluated for its credibility. This can be profoundly stressful for all witnesses and may be overwhelming for some children. Because the stakes are high very high trial procedures must be concerned with eliciting the most accurate and complete evidence from witnesses that is possible. In the past, this meant that complainants were required (except in the most extraordinary circumstances) to testify in open court, in the presence of both attorneys, and in the presence of the accused. The trauma associated with providing testimony this way was profound for some children and the effects could be long-lasting.
