We've discussed what "beyond a reasonable doubt" means several times before, here and here. However, it's necessary in this case to show the connection between this idea and "innocent until proven guilty." If you recall from last week, this phrase means that the court needs to assume the innocence of the accused until the facts [...]
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Oct, 2019
WYSIATI and the Law
Behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman has done extensive work on the factors that shape human decision making. In his most famous book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, he distinguishes between two systems in the brain. System 1 consists of fast, automatic, intuitive thinking. We use it to solve simple math problems or understand simple sentences. On the [...]
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Jul, 2019Reasonable Doubt and New Jersey Law
Last week we covered “plausible deniability.” This week we’re covering a related topic: reasonable doubt. What does this mean? How does New Jersey law define it? How does the court apply it? These are important questions if you’re going to understand your own trial and how an effective attorney might handle your case. So, if [...]
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Jul, 2019What is Plausible Deniability?
Sometimes in the court of law, it’s not about proving that the defendant didn’t do something. Sometimes it’s about proving that no one can know whether the defendant did something or not. In our legal system, people are “innocent until proven guilty.” In other words, if someone comes against criminal accusations, the court has to [...]
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Nov, 2018What Does “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt” Mean?
“Innocent until proven guilty.” This principle forms the foundation for our criminal justice system. In any criminal trial, the burden of proof rests on the prosecution to demonstrate guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt." But what does that phrase mean? The following is a brief summary from Mark Catanzaro. Here he defines “beyond a reasonable doubt” [...]