The author takes the position that communication is an essential, but often overlooked component of law and justice; furthermore, some of the current problems in the area of law and justice are basically communication problems. The author traces the early development of communication and law as closely related disciplines, with emphasis on the…

In order to examine jury deliberations, researchers simulated and videotaped court proceedings and jury deliberations based upon an actual civil court case. Special care was taken to make the simulated trial as authentic as the original trial. College students and the general public provided the jurors, which were then divided into twelve separate…

Rhetorical critics generally base their comments on the assumption that a communicator has all the reasons, persuasive devices, and approaches available in the rhetorical situation, and that he can make choices of what should be utilized. The lawyer-persuader, however, does not have unlimited choice since he is bound by legal rules and…

The authors offer proposals for studies of human behavior in the courtroom, with respect to communications interaction among jurors and source credibility of attorneys. They refer to innovations in videotaping procedures, which make it possible to examine communications principles and dynamics in the courtroom situation. The first proposed study…

The effect of lawyer credibility and juror perception on trial verdicts was tested through the use of a videotaped, reenacted genuine court case. The reactions of two groups of test subjects composed, first, college students enrolled in speech communication courses and, second, persons who had served on a real jury within four years, provided data…