HIST 10605 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Henry Fonda, Institute For Operations Research And The Management Sciences, Conscience Vote
Document Summary
16:45 tells the story of a jury made up of 12 men as they deliberate the guilt or acquittal of a defendant on the basis of reasonable doubt. 12 angry men explores many techniques of consensus-building, and the difficulties encountered in the process, among a group of men whose range of personalities adds intensity and conflict. The story begins in a new york city courthouse, where an 18-year-old boy from a slum is on trial for allegedly stabbing his father to death. Final closing arguments having been presented, a visibly tired judge instructs the jury to decide whether the boy is guilty of murder. He further argues that he cannot in good conscience vote guilty when he feels there is reasonable doubt of the boy"s guilt. Jurors 5, 6 and 8 question whether this is true, as the witness in question had had a stroke, limiting his ability to walk.
