12 Angry Men

counsel

a lawyer or attorney

defendant

a person, company, etc., who is accused of something and taken to courtprosecution

prosecution

the legal team who presents the case in a criminal trial against an individual suspect of breaking the law (the defendant)

testimony

the statement or declaration of a witness under oath

burden of proof

the obligation to establish a fact by proof; this is the prosecutor’s responsibility; the obligation to offer evidence that the court or jury could reasonably believe

motive

something that causes a person to act in a certain way or do a certain thing; ex: revenge, jealousy, anger

alibi

an excused, defense, or explanation or the defendant’s whereabouts at the time of the crime

circumstantial evidence

evidence in which an inference is required to connect it to a conclusion or a fact

premeditated homicide/murder

a murder that was done on purpose (not accidental) or one that was planned in advance; first-degree murder

foreman

head juror; role is to ask questions on behalf of the jury, facilitate any jury discussions, and sometimes to read the verdict of the jury

reasonable doubt

the level of certainty a juror must have to find the defendant guilt crime; there must be no reasonable doubt in the mind of a juror that the defendant is guilty; reasonable means sensible not foolish

deliberate

to consider carefully; 12 Angry Men takes place in this point in the trial

verdict

the jury’s final decision; either not guilty or guilty

acquitted

declared not guilty

hung jury

a jury that can’t come to an agreement on a verdict

double jeopardy

the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution states that no person shall “be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb”; means that no one can be punished more than once for the same crime.

foreman

juror 1

male, small, short, formal, dogged, easily swayed, patient, petty

juror 2

male, glasses, hesitant, meek, easily influenced, dependent, nervous, timid, father

juror 3

male, stocky build, easily aggravated, opinionated, direct, impatient, manipulative, strong, forceful, sadist

juror 4

male, well-spoken, knowledgeable, factual, neat, well-dressed

juror 5

male, young, nervous, scared, naive, timid, passive, easily swayed, from the slums, traumatized-looking, smoked pipes, introverted, keeps to himself

juror 6

male, honest, dull-witted, careful, pessimistic

juror 7

male, stubborn, loud, bully, coward, uninterested, concise, proper, impulsive, racist

juror 8

male, quiet, understanding, thoughtful, indecisive, compassionate, persistent, middle-aged, patient, logical, reasonable

juror 9

old, male, easily influenced, follower, indecisive, experienced, frail, compassionate,

juror 10

male, sick, bitter, racist, bigot, easily angered

juror 11

male, accent, European, humble, refugee/immigrant, considerate, caring

juror 12

male, bright, slick, snob, uninterested, superficial

First vote

11 G - 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 : 1 NG - 8

Second vote

10 G - 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,10,11,12 : 1 NG - 9 ; 8 didn’t vote

Third vote

6 G -1,3,4,7,10,12 : 6 NG - 2,5,6,8,9,11

Fourth vote

3 G - 3,4,10 : 9 NG - 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,11,12 

Description of 1 actions

doesn’t feel strongly about any evidence, switches because he sees everyone else switching, tries to keep the peace and keep order

Description of 2 actions

main concern is something being off about how the kid stabbed his father and the knife that was used, switched vote because of 8 when he reenacted the old man

Description of 3 actions

believed kid was guilty, did not believe people use sarcasm and that they always mean what they say, wants the kid to be convicted, all of the evidence was true, he wishes he himself could push the button and kill the boy, in last vote is only one to vote guilty, at the end of the play he falls to peer pressure and votes not guilty

Description of 4 actions

man of wealth, believes he is better than the other jurors, does not think the lady across the street would have had time to put her glasses on, he switched his vote because there was reasonable doubt in the eyewitness testimony

Description of 5 actions

doesn’t tolerate discrimination because of someone’s background, speaks up against stereotypes, changed vote because of the old man lying, relates to the kid being from the slums, takes stand when he realizes the knife positioning was off because he saw lots of knife fights and knows nobody uses a switchblade and stabs overhand, it is personal that he is from the slums

Description of 6 actions

switches vote because of the reenactment of the old man’s timing and the women not wearing her glasses

Description of 7 actions

worried about leaving as quickly as possible, stereotypes about the kid’s record, never had a real reason to vote guilty, changed his vote without much reason

Description of 8 actions

protagonist, showed loyalty to what he strongly believed in, didn’t vote in the 2nd vote,never thinks the boy is guilty, refutes the rare knife evidence by buying an identical one, refutes the old man’s evidence by reenacting the scene and proving it would take 31 seconds instead of 15, point of tension when 3 fake stabs 8 to reenact the stabbing because 3 said he was going to kill 8, protagonist

Description of 9 actions

persuaded by 8’s stubbornness and not willing to give up on the boy, admired 8’s bravery and ability to stand alone, felt passionate about the old man lying because he relates to the Old man and therefore believes he would do it for attention, first to switch sides and join juror 8, when the jurors blame 5 for switching the vote he admits it was him

Description of 10 actions

has a cold at the start of the play, votes guilty because he is prejudice against the boy, doesn’t care for the evidence, unwavering mind, prejudice against those from a lesser background than him, rants about how he thinks the boy is guilty just because of his person and background-not because of evidence-pure racism, notes the testimony of the woman across the street, makes comment about 5 being from the slum, lots of racist comments

Description of 11 actions

man of little words, considerate of others opinions, isn’t biased, feels strongly that there should always be justice, thinks the secret ballot should not be shared, believes men have the right to disagree, believes the old man reenactment is important, believes everyone should do what is right not just what the majority does, believes in democracy, thinks that it should not be personal and it is their job to seek a fair trial

Description of 12 actions

no true understanding of people, tries to act like a good person, adamant on the idea that the boy was guilty, feels that the woman across the street’s testimony is good evidence to say the kid is guilty, rarely makes comments, has no reason to change vote, hesitant to change vote and ends up following what the other jurors do, possibly swayed by the positioning of the knife

Who is the first juror to vote not guilty?

8

Who grew up in the slums?

5

Who is the refugee?

11

Who makes assumptions about people from the slum?

10

Who admits he identifies with the old man?

9

How many seconds was the old man supposed to take to reach the door?

15

How many seconds did it actually take the old man supposed to reach the door in the reenactment? 

31

What is the defendant charged with?

premeditated murder

Who says “It’s not so easy for me to raise my hand and send a boy off to die without talking about it first”

8

Who says “You couldn’t change my mind if you talked for a hundred years”

7

Who says “Oh. Well… I just think he’s guilty. I thought it was obvious. I mean nobody proved otherwise” 

2

What is the boy’s alibi?

at the movies

What is the boy’s flaw in his alibi?

couldn’t remember what movie he saw

Who says “Now, please. I don’t want any fights in here”

1

Who says “I know they did—but I don’t go along with it. The boy is five feet eight inches tall. His father was six two. That’s a difference of six inches. It’s a very awkward thing to stab down into the chest of someone who’s half a foot taller than you are” 

2

Who says “I don’t care whether I’m alone or not! I have a right”

3

Who says “Well, you’re not going to intimidate me! I’m entitled to my opinion! It’s gonna be a hung jury! That’s it!

3

Who says “You come in here and you vote guilty and then this slick preacher starts to tear your heart out with stories about a poor little kid who just couldn’t help becoming a murderer. So you change your vote. If that isn’t the most sickening..”

3

Who says “The boy claims that on the way home the knife must have fallen through a hole in his coat pocket, that he never saw gain)

4

Who says “I’ve had enough. If you open your mouth again, I’m going to split your skull”

4

Who says “I still believe the boy is guilty of murder. I’ll tell you why. To me, the most damning evidence was given by the women across the street who claimed she actually saw the murder committed.”

4

Who says “I’d like to change my vote to not guilty”

5

Who says “Lawyers can’t think of everything”

5

Who says “I’ve lived in a slum all my life...There is something personal!”

5

Who says “Maybe it wouldn't hurt us to take a few tips from people who come running here! Maybe they learned something we don't know. We're not so perfect!”

5

Who says “Anyone who’s ever used a switch knife would never have stabbed downward”

5

Who says“Look, stop me if I'm wrong. This woman wouldn't wear her eyeglasses to bed, would”

6

Who says “Didn’t they say something about an argument between the father and the boy around seven o'clock that night? I mean, I can be wrong”(Page

6

Who says “Listen, I'll tell you something. I'm a little sick of this whole thing already. We're getting nowhere fast. Let's break it up and go home. I'm changing my vote to not guilty”

7

Who says “Right. This better be fast. ‘I've got tickets to The Seven Years Itch tonight. I must be the only guy in the whole world who hasn't seen it yet.”

7

Who says “What do you mean I don't understand it? Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? (To all) How do you like this guy? He comes over here running for his life, and before he can even take a big breath he's telling us how to run the show. The arrogance of him!”

7

Who says “It’s not so easy for me to raise my hand and send a boy off to die without

talking about it first.”

8

Who says “Does anyone think there still is not a reasonable doubt?”

8

Who says “You want to see this boy die because you personally want it–not because of the facts.”

8

Who says “Thank you. (Pointing at NO. 8) This gentleman chose to stand alone against us. That's his right. It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone even if you believe in something very strongly. He left the verdict up to us. He gambled for support, and I gave it to him. I want to hear more. The vote is ten to two.”

9

Who says “Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This is an important thing to remember”

9

Who says “Attention maybe”

9

Who says “You're not going to tell us that we're supposed to believe him, knowing what he is. I've lived among 'em all my life. You can't believe a word they say. You know that.”

10

Who says “Most of them; it's like they have no feelings. They can do anything.”

10

Who says “I think it was eight o’clock. Not seven.”

11

Who says “That we are notified by mail to come down to this place and decide on the guilt or innocence of a man we have not known.”

11

Who says “I may have an idea here. I'm just thinking out loud now but it seems to me that it's up to us to convince this gentleman (indicating NO. 8) that we're right and he's wrong. Maybe if we each took a minute or two, you know, if we sort of try it on for size.”

12

Who says “Look, gentlemen, we can spitball all night here.”

12

Who says “That's right. And let's not forget the woman across the street. She looked into the open window and saw the boy stab his father. She saw it. Now if that's not enough for you....”

12

Who says “There’s nothing for him to tell you. He didn’t change his vote. I did. Maybe you’d like to know why”

9

Who says “He’s an old man. You saw him. Half the time he was confused. How could he be positive about anything?”

3

Who says “You’re right. It’s the kids. The way they are—you know? They don’t liste. I’ve got a kid. When he was eight years old, he ran away from a fight. I saw him. I was so ashamed, I told him right out, ‘I’m gonna make a man out of you or I’m gonna bust you up into little pieces trying.’ When he was fifteen he hit me in the face. He’s big, you know. I haven’t seem him in three years. Rotten kid! You work your heart out….”

3

Who says “I don't understand you people. How can you believe this kid is innocent? Look, you know how those people lie. l don't have to tell you. They don't know what the truth is. And lemme tell you, they don't need any real big reason to kill someone either. You know, they get drunk, and bang, someone's lying in the gutter. Nobody's blaming them. That's how they are. You know what I mean? Violent!”

10

Who says “I'm speaking my piece, and you listen to me! They're no good. There's not a one of ‘em who's any good. We better watch out. Take it from me. This kid on trial....”

10

Who says “AII right. Now, you gentlemen can handle this any way you want to. I mean, I'm not going to make any rules. If we want to discuss it first and then vote, that's one way. Or we can vote right now to see how we stand.”

1

What is the first piece of evidence?

Old man on the floor underneath the room heard a fight around 12:10am, the kid say “I’m gonna kill you”, a body fall, and sw the kid running out.

How is the evidence about the old man refuted?

What is the second piece of evidence?

A woman across the street saw the b

How is evidence about the woman across the street refuted?

What is the third piece of evidence?

The people across the hall heard an argument between the father and the boy at 8; heard father hit the boy twice and saw boy walk out angrily