Pretrial Publicity
Definition of Pretrial Publicity
Note: See a more comprehensive approach to the Pretrial Publicity legal concept in the American Law Encyclopedia
Information about a particular case disseminated through the media. The basic problem with pretrial publicity in criminal cases is that it may impair a defendant's right to an impartial jury. If publicity is pervasive enough, it may lead citizens toward at least tentative judgments about guilt or innocence. In such cases, the publicity is said to be prejudicial. Given the current reach of the media, especially the broadcast media, virtually an entire community can be influenced by information untested by accepted rules of procedure and evidence. The famous case involving Dr. Sam Sheppard portrays prejudicial consequences at their worst.
See Also
Voir Dire (Law of the United States).
Resources
Pretrial Publicity Related Resources
- Pretrial Publicity in the United States Legal Encyclopedia
- Criminal Judicial Process Keywords in the United States Legal Encyclopedia
- Criminal Process Keywords in the International Legal Dictionary
Notes
- “Pretrial Publicity”, The American Law Dictionary, 1991, California
Leave a Reply