Legal System, Forensic Psychology, and Lie Detection Techniques

Adversarial system

The US legal system where two opposing sides (prosecution vs defense) argue their cases, and a neutral judge/jury decides who wins.

Brief

A written legal argument submitted to a court explaining why one side should win using laws and past cases.

Amicus curiae brief

(friend of the court) A brief written by someone not directly involved in the case (like a psychology organization) to give the court extra information or expertise.

Brandeis Brief

A special type of brief that relies heavily on social science research and data (psychology, sociology) instead of just legal cases.

Trier of fact

The person who decides what actually happened in a case, usually the jury or sometimes the judge.

Gatekeepers

Judges acting as filters who decide which expert testimony is allowed into court.

Precedents

Past court decisions that help guide how current cases should be decided.

Stare decisis

(let the decision stand) Courts should follow precedents unless there's a strong reason not to.

Legal realism

The idea that judges' decisions are influenced by real-world factors (beliefs, values, social context, not just strict legal rules).

Daubert trilogy

Three supreme cases that set rules for when scientific expert testimony is allowed.

Code of professional responsibility

Ethical rules that guide lawyers' behavior, including honesty, competence, and loyalty to clients.

Suborning perjury

Knowingly encouraging or allowing someone to lie under oath (illegal and unethical).

Forensic Psychology

An application of psychological science to legal issues, including courtroom decision-making, criminal investigations, jury behavior, eyewitness memory, competency & insanity evaluations, and risk assessment.

Roles of Forensic Psychologists

Clinical competency evaluations, insanity assessments, risk assessment, treatment, experimental research on memory, false confessions, jury decision-making, and consulting trial consulting, jury selection, witness preparation.

Law vs. Psychology

Psychology and law work together, but the relationship is uneasy because they operate with different goals, methods, and assumptions.