LEGLST 1230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Marion Merrell Dow, Eyewitness Testimony, Risk Assessment
Document Summary
Psychology and criminal justice major for bachelor"s. Transferred out of law school after first year: boring. Mitigation specialist (a non-legal person to convince a jury to not sentence someone to the death penalty) Psychology and law is applying psychological research and principles to inform and/or improve the legal system. The amicus brief: brandeis brief; brown v. board of education, based on research, it helps jurors make a more informed decision. The expert witness: daubert vs. merrell dow pharmaceuticals, clinical and non-clinical testimony. Historically, psychologists were rarely used in the legal system. Today, psychology is more often utilized by the courts i. e. eyewitness testimony, child custody: but not always. Logical application of case facts to legal rules. Objective and systematic search for truth via research. Lawyers present the best case for their client: goal: to win the case by depicting their client and/or the evidence as favorably as possible.