LANGUAGE VARIATION AND SUCCESS IN THE SYSTEM OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

• NCJ Number: 49058
• Author(s): M G Parkinson
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 125 pages
• Grant Number(s): 77-NI-99-0057
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

SPEECH CHARACTERISTICS OF PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, AND DEFENDANTS ARE IDENTIFIED AND CORRELATED WITH TRIAL OUTCOMES.

Abstract

SPEECH STYLES USED BY ATTORNEYS AND THE ACCUSED ARE IDENTIFIED AND LABELED IN LIGHT OF THE METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH. SPEECH STYLES OF PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, AND ACCUSED ARE THEN IDENTIFIED IN ACTUAL TRIAL TRANSCRIPTS AND CORRELATED WITH THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF TRIAL OUTCOMES. THE STUDY IDENTIFIED CERTAIN SPEECH STYLES ASSOCIATED WITH SUCCESS AND FAILURE OUTCOMES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE COMMUNICATIVE ROLES OF THE DEFENSE AND PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS AND THE ACCUSED. GUIDELINES ARE OFFERED RELATING TO SUCCESSFUL RURAL AND URBAN COURTROOM SPEECH. WHEN COMPARED WITH UNSUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION SPEECH STYLES, THE STYLISTIC COMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION SPEECH WERE FOUND TO HAVE VERBAL ASSERTIVENESS. THE STYLISTIC COMPONENTS OF UNSUCCESSFUL DEFENSE SPEECH WERE FOUND TO SUGGEST GREATER SPECIFICITY AND MORE ABSTRACTION. TWO CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL ACCUSED SPEECH, DEMONSTRATIVES AND SPACE RELATIONSHIPS, SUGGEST THAT SPECIFICITY WORKS TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE ACCUSED. THE STUDY FURTHER SUGGESTS THAT SUCCESSFUL URBAN TRIAL SPEECH IS MORE ABSTRACT AND LESS SPECIFIC THAN ITS RURAL COUNTERPART. ALL DATA USED IN THE STUDY ARE INCLUDED, ALONG WITH A BIBLIOGRAPHY. (RCB)