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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 9 page paper examines media coverage of the Peterson case. Might the media have influenced the public and ultimately the outcome of the trial? Other cases are mentioned. Quotes are included. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
9 pages (~225 words per page)
File: RT13_SA522SP.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
case divided a nation. It was difficult to obtain a fair jury and this situation seems to occur in a myriad of trials. The Michael Jackson case for example is
something that has divided media where some contend that he must be guilty, or at least the facts point to it, but that he will likely get off without penalty.
In each and every high profile case, there is a sense of manipulation. Can the media change the outcome of a case through its amount of coverage and slant?
Recent cases suggest that media attention may secure a guilty verdict as jurors are under pressure. There was the Rabbi murder case in New Jersey where only hearsay evidence tied
the Rabbi to the murder of his wife. He still denies any connection. Scott Peterson is another case with questionable evidence where media tried and convicted him in the public
eye before the trial was ever started. With only scant physical evidence, this circumstantial case is one that saw the verdict as anticipated. Scott Peterson was found guilty of the
double homicide. Not only that, but important witnesses like Amber Frey profited from book deals. A significant part of the problem is that jurors, witnesses and attorneys are not prohibited
from writing books after a case ends, and this could substantially impact the outcome. Some suggest that witnesses might taint their stories in order to achieve their fifteen minutes of
fame and actually gain some notoriety. The media coverage of the Scott Peterson case did likely alter the outcome. Media was focused on the case from the days
when Laci went missing to the statements that Scott made on television to the revelations of an affair. As this story unfolded, it seems that Scott Peterson, who had since
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