“12 Angry Men”
Group Editorial Assignment
IMPORTANT!
This article will count as your FINAL EXAM grade!
You will have a choice between 2 prompts, as already
discussed before break.
If you choose to do BOTH essays, you will receive 10
points of extra credit for the second article.
You may choose to work with a partner on the
editorial, but remember, this is your final exam grade
AND if you want extra credit, you must turn in your
own extra credit article.
Prompt #1
You are a court reporter for the Los Angeles Times and
have been granted special access to the jury
deliberations of the “12 Angry Men.” Write an
editorial that:
Takes a position
Uses facts to support that position
Includes a counterargument and refutes it
Makes a call to action
Uses at least 3 vocabulary words
Topics you might consider: peer pressure, prejudice,
discrimination, ethics, the right to a fair trial, and/or
justice.
Prompt # 2
You are entertainment writers for the Los Angeles
Times who are responsible for writing editorials on
theater and film. You are given the task of writing a
review of the film “12 Angry Men” and comparing it to
the original play. You article must that:
Takes a position
Uses facts to support that position
Includes a counterargument and refutes it
Makes a call to action (Is it worth seeing?)
Uses at least 3 vocabulary words
What is the first step in
planning the editorial?
RESEARCH!
Building Your Understanding
Take out a piece of paper and answer
the following:
What does the following passage
mean to you?
How would you use the passage in
planning and writing your
editorial?
The 6th Amendment of the
US Constitution
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall
enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by
an impartial jury of the State and district
wherein the crime shall have been committed;
which district shall have been previously
ascertained by law, and to be informed of the
nature and cause of the accusation; to be
confronted with the witnesses against him; to
have compulsory process for obtaining
witnesses in his favor, and to have the
assistance of counsel for his defense.
What it means…
The Sixth Amendment further specifies the protections offered to
people accused of committing crimes. It allows the accused to have
their cases heard by an impartial jury made up of people from the
surrounding community who have no connection to the case. In
some instances when there has been a significant amount of news
coverage of the crime, jury members may be picked from outside
the place where the crime took place.
Without the Sixth Amendment’s right to a speedy trial, criminal
defendants could be held indefinitely, under a cloud of unproven
accusations. A speedy trial is also critical to a fair trial, because if a
trial takes too long to occur witnesses may die or leave the area,
their memories may fade, and physical evidence may be lost. The
public trial guarantee protects defendants from secret proceedings
that might encourage abuse of the judicial system. Criminal
defendants can voluntarily give up their right to a public
proceeding—such a renunciation is called a waiver— and judges
may limit public access to trials in certain circumstances, such as
to protect witnesses’ privacy or to keep order in the court.
A speedy, public trial heard by an impartial jury would be
meaningless if a defendant did not know what crime he or
she was being charged with and why. Criminal defendants
further have the right to face their accusers, which requires
that prosecutors put their witnesses on the stand to testify
under oath. The defendant’s counsel may then crossexamine the witnesses, which may reveal their testimony as
unreliable.
The Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the
right to have an attorney. That right does not depend on the
defendant’s ability to pay an attorney. If a defendant cannot
afford one, the government must provide one. The right to
an effective defense does not guarantee a successful defense.
A defendant can receive effective legal assistance and still be
convicted.
Legal Vocabulary
Legal Vocabulary
1. Allegation: A claim that someone has done something
wrong (often without proof)
2. Capital Offense: A crime, such as murder or betrayal
of one's country, that is treated so seriously that death
may be considered an appropriate punishment.
3. Circumstantial Evidence: is evidence that relies on an
inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact—like a
fingerprint at the scene of a crime.
Legal Vocabulary cont’
4. Indictment: a formal charge or accusation of a serious
crime.
5. Prosecute: to bring legal action against another party
for compensation or punishment of a crime or
violation of law.
6. Testimony: evidence that a witness gives to a court of
law. It may take the form of a written or oral statement
detailing what the witness has seen or knows about a
case.
Legal Vocabulary cont’
7. Verdict: The decision of a jury.
8. Voir Dire: Used to determine if any juror is biased
and/or cannot deal with the issues fairly, or if there is
cause not to allow a juror to serve (knowledge of the
facts; acquaintanceship with parties, witnesses or
attorneys; occupation which might lead to bias;
prejudice against the death penalty; or previous
experiences such as having been sued in a similar case).
One of the unspoken purposes of the voir dire is for
the attorneys to get a feel for the personalities and
views of the people on the jury panel.
Legal Vocabulary cont’
9. Impartial: Objective; not biased.
10. Litigant: A person involved in a lawsuit.
For the rest of the block:
You can work in pairs to write your editorials.
Decide on your prompt and begin outlining your
article.
If you choose Prompt #2, you might want to consider
researching the history of the play and the film:
How was the movie received?
What was the general response to the play/movie when
they were released?
Who directed it? Did the director want to stay true to
the play? What was the motivation to make the film?
DUE NEXT CLASS!
Typed or written NEATLY:
Your headline
Your position
Facts to support your position
A counterargument
How will you refute it?
What is your conclusion or call to action?
Do NOT write an article.
Simply do research and have the above guidelines
answered and ready to discuss for our next class
meeting.