What is the role of a jury in a criminal trial, and what factors are considered when selecting jurors?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Role of a Jury in a Criminal Trial and Factors Considered in Juror Selection
In the criminal justice system, the role of a jury is of utmost importance. A jury is responsible for determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant based on the evidence presented during a trial. Their impartiality and ability to carefully evaluate the facts are crucial in ensuring a fair and just outcome. Let us explore the role of a jury in a criminal trial and the factors considered when selecting jurors.
Role of a Jury:
Fact-Finding: The primary role of a jury is to determine the facts of a case. They listen to witness testimonies, examine physical evidence, and evaluate the credibility of the evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defense. Based on this assessment, they establish what actually occurred and make a decision accordingly.
Fairness and Impartiality: Jurors are expected to be impartial and unbiased. They should set aside any preconceived notions or personal opinions and make their decisions solely based on the evidence presented in court. Their duty is to ensure that the defendant receives a fair trial and is not convicted unless guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Application of Law: Jurors must consider the instructions provided by the judge regarding the applicable laws. They analyze how the evidence aligns with those laws and determine whether the defendant has violated them. In this regard, jurors play a vital role in upholding the principles of justice and ensuring that the law is applied fairly.
Deliberation: After hearing all the evidence and receiving instructions from the judge, jurors deliberate to reach a unanimous or majority decision, depending on the jurisdiction. During this process, they engage in discussions, exchange viewpoints, and weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments presented. Deliberation allows for a comprehensive examination of the case before a final verdict is reached.
Factors Considered in Juror Selection:
Random Selection: To ensure fairness, jurors are typically selected at random from a pool of eligible individuals within the community. This random selection aims to provide a diverse representation that reflects different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
Qualifications: Jurors must meet certain qualifications, such as being a citizen of the jurisdiction, being of legal age, and possessing the mental and physical capacity to serve on a jury. These qualifications help ensure that jurors can fulfill their responsibilities effectively.
Exclusionary Factors: Certain factors may disqualify individuals from serving on a jury. These can include personal relationships with parties involved in the case, conflicts of interest, or prior knowledge that could affect impartiality. Additionally, individuals with biases or prejudices that may impact their ability to be fair and impartial may also be excluded.
Voir Dire Process: During voir dire, attorneys from both sides question potential jurors to identify any potential biases or prejudices that may influence their ability to be impartial. Attorneys may also seek jurors who possess specific qualities that align with their case strategy.
Challenges: Attorneys have limited opportunities to challenge potential jurors through peremptory challenges or challenges for cause. Peremptory challenges allow attorneys to dismiss potential jurors without providing a specific reason, while challenges for cause require demonstrating a valid reason why a juror may be unable to remain impartial.
By carefully considering these factors during jury selection, courts aim to create an unbiased and representative body that can objectively assess the evidence presented during a criminal trial.
In conclusion, juries play a critical role in criminal trials by evaluating evidence, applying the law, and delivering verdicts based on their findings. Their impartiality and commitment to fairness are essential in upholding justice. Through random selection, qualification criteria, exclusionary factors, and careful questioning during voir dire, courts strive to assemble juries that are diverse, unbiased, and capable of fulfilling their responsibilities in delivering a just verdict.
