I. Pre-reading discussions:
1. What majorconcepts in American judicial system do you find in Unit 16? Explain theseconcepts briefly.
2. What is“reasonable doubt”? What do you think is the logic to rule a person guiltybeyond reasonable doubt?
3. On which partdoes the burden of proof rest in the American judicial system?
4. Please make a list of theevidence against the boy. How is each piece of evidence invalidated later? Orwhat reasonable doubts are raised by the jurors? Do you have any otherreasonable doubts?
5. How would you describe each ofthe 12 jurors? Give a profile of each juror. Why so? Please support youropinion with textual evidence.
6.Suppose the same crime was committed nowadays, what would the court do to findout the truth? (Would there be any DNA testing or detailed forensic evidence?)
7. Doyou think it is fair to endow a jury with the full responsibility to decidewhether a suspect is guilty or innocent? How do you understand the role of ajudge in a court and that of a jury?
8. Inwhat way has the jury changed a lot? (Why do you think the jury in this trialconsisted of only white men, no women or the Blacks? Was smoking allowed in thejury room?)
9. Doyou know that language can have power as well? Can you feel the power oflanguage in the text? In what way is language powerful? Give some examples.

