Strength of Evidence,Extraevidentiary Influence,and the Liberation Hypothesis: Data from the Field

To examine relationships between strength of evidence (SOE) and extraevidentiary variables in the context of Kalven and Zeisel’s (The American Jury, 1966) liberation hypothesis, post-trial questionnaire data were collected from judges, attorneys, and jurors associated with 179 criminal jury trials. SOE ratings were strongly correlated with jury verdicts on the three most serious charges against the defendant, and several extraevidentiary variables (i.e., pretrial publicity, trial complexity, charge severity, and foreperson demographics) were moderately correlated with verdicts. Extraevidentiary-verdict relationships remained significant when SOE was controlled, although extraevidentiary variables yielded only modest improvement in classification accuracy beyond SOE. In partial support of the liberation hypothesis, several case-related extraevidentiary variables were significantly related to jury verdicts only when the prosecution’s evidence was rated as moderately strong.     

Renovating Democracy and Salvaging Globalization

The worst fears of the American Founding fathers were realized in the 2016 presidential election when the democratic ballot box unleashed some of the darkest forces in the body politic . While it remains to be seen what his administration accomplishes , Donald Trump showed that a campaign of outright lies and invective against the world outside and perceived enemies within delivered over the latest direct access technology —Twitter—was the path to the top of the world's most powerful nation .     

At Shibuya Station

Having Just Strolled Down the Incline from Fumikho Maki's Serene Hillside Terrace Complex of Apartments and Shops, Architecture was on My Mind. Looking for a Place to Sit and Read the Morning Papers, I Followed the Aroma to a Caffesemlpreddo Near the Bustling Entrance of a Substation on the Shibuya Line. It must be the Attention to Detail, the High-Tech Machines or Perhaps the Quality of the Beans and Water, But I've Always Found the Best Coffee Outside of Italy in Japan.