Important Legal Terms for "12 Angry Men": High School Lesson Plan
Important Vocabulary
Counsel: a lawyer or attorney
Defendant: A person, company, etc. who is accused of something and taken to court
Prosecution: The legal team who presents the case in a criminal trial against an individual suspected of breaking the law (the defendant).
Testimony: the statement or declaration of a witness under oath
Burden of Proof: The obligation to establish a fact by proof. This is the prosecutor’s responsibility.
Motive: Something that causes a person to act in a certain way or do a certain thing. Examples of motives: revenge, jealousy, anger.
Alibi: An excuse or explanation for the defendant’s whereabouts at the time of the crime.
Circumstantial Evidence: Evidence that is implied; it
Premeditated Homicide/Murder: A murder that was done on purpose (not accidental) or one that was planned in advance is considered “premeditated.”
Foreman: The head juror. The foreman’s role is to ask questions on behalf of the jury, facilitate jury discussions, and sometimes to read the verdict of the jury.
Reasonable Doubt: the level of certainty a juror must have to find a defendant guilty of a crime. There must be no “reasonable doubt” in the mind of a juror that the defendant is guilty.
Deliberate: to consider carefully
Verdict: The jury’s final decision; the verdict is either “not guilty” or “guilty”
Acquitted: Declared “not guilty” (found innocent).
Hung jury: a jury that can’t agree on a verdict
Double Jeopardy: as stated in the 5th Amendment to the Constitution, no one can be punished more than once for the same crime.
Application
One way to either teach these concepts or assess students’ understanding of these concepts is to discuss the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the man convicted of killing former singer/pop star Michael Jackson. The website listed below offers an in-depth look at the trials, the jurors, the evidence and the verdict. Students could be asked to identify the defendant, prosecution, the verdict, the motive, the testimony, etc.
https://www.latimes.com/news/local/michael-jackson-trial/
Download the Lesson & Student Handout
- <strong>Vocabulary with Definitions Power Point</strong>
- <strong>Vocabulary Capture Handout</strong>
This post is part of the series: Teaching “12 Angry Men”
Reginald Rose explores the ideas of acting responsibly and fairly when considering evidence in a murder case. “12 Angry Men” is suitable for grades 8 and up and is a great introduction to students in reading and understanding drama as well as our legal system.
