Public Trials

[dude58677]

Can't they be an oppression instead of a way to protect freedom? First the media sells a story where the defendent is guilty for ratings. They might cite the prosecutors case but then they might misrepresent statements made by the defendent. We have seen this kind of defamation for election campaigns. Then after the prosecution gets the last word, even if they find the defendent not guilty, the public influenced by the media will assume the defendent is guilty. The reputation of the defendent will be tarnished forever even if they are innocent.

[Yieu]

I feel the same way. Even if you are innocent and given a Not Guilty verdict, if you were accused of something controversial then you are defamed for the rest of your life, and that could negatively impact your ability to seek employment. It's a double edged sword though; if trials were held in secret you could also be oppressed by a court that believes it can get away with more.