AC 2.4- assess key influences affecting the outcome of
criminal cases. [10 marks
Media
The outcomes of criminal cases are significantly influenced by media. They are
under no responsibility to provide news honestly or embellish details in order
to increase user engagement or revenue. Additionally, because crime has a
human-interest component, it attracts extensive and frequently inaccurate
media coverage. They have the potential to stir up moral panics that call for
severe penalties for certain offences. The media cam also have a significant
impact on an individual level on how that offence turns out. The accused must
be given a fair trial without bias and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
They can only be held liable using the evidence that was given to the jury or
the magistrates. However, prior to the trial, the jury may be driven by media
coverage of the accused’s conduct. Newspapers frequently tend to exaggerate
news about the accused, making it hard for a fair trial to take place. Because
news is available around-the-clock, jurors will have preconceived views prior to
the trial, which effectively means that the accused has been judged guilty
before trial.
This was evident in the response to the riots in London 2011. Compared to
similar offences of past times, offenders received heavy sentences. The rioters
were portrayed in the media as “savages and unpleasant violent youths”. 2158
people in total were convicted, and they received sentences totalling more
than 1800 years in prison. Because of the push for “tough justice”, several first-
time offenders were put behind bars for the most of trivial of offences.
Joanna Yeats was strangled to death and her body was found 3 miles from her
home on Christmas day 2010. The prime suspect was Christopher Jeffries, the
landlord of Joanna’s flat, was arrested on 30th December. He was held for 96
hours and then released on bail. However, the bail was not dropped until the
4th of March 2011. No evidence was ever found of the suspect to the crime.
The actual killer, Vincent Tabak was eventually charged on the 22nd of January
2011. The police held Jeffries for 5 weeks even though the real killer had been
found long before. The police may have decided to detain Jeffries for an
additional 5 weeks because they were convinced he was the killer. Their
decision was heavily influenced by the media, which depicted Jeffries as
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