The Law Flashcards
Exclusive Society
‘He said that the Ewells members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells. In certain circumstances the common fold judiciously allowed them certain privileges by the simple method of becoming blind to some of some of the Ewells’ activities.’
Hunger Pains
‘It’s against the law, all right… and it’s certainly bad, but when a man spends his relief cheques on green whisky his children have a way of crying from hunger pains.’
Equal
‘Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal.’
Sound
‘A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up.’
Doubt
‘The law says “reasonable doubt”, but I think a defendant’s entitled to the shadow of a doubt. There’s always the possibility, no matter how improbable, that he’s innocent.’
Reasoning Process
‘If you had been of that jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man…So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process.’
Word Against
‘In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.’
Resentment
‘The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any colour of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box.’
Secret Jury
‘A jury’s vote’s supposed to be secret. Serving on a jury forces a man to make up his own mind and declare himself about something. Men don’t like to do that. Sometimes it’s unpleasant.’
Secret Courts
‘Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case.’
