search for books and compare prices
cover image
The Origins of Reasonable Doubt: Theological Roots of the Criminal Trial
Price
Store
Arrives
Preparing
Shipping

Jump quickly to results on these stores:

The price is the lowest for any condition, which may be new or used; other conditions may also be available.
Jump down to see edition details for: Hardcover | Paperback
Bibliographic Detail
Publisher Yale Univ Pr
Publication date January 8, 2008
Pages 276
Binding Hardcover
Book category Adult Non-Fiction
ISBN-13 9780300116007
ISBN-10 0300116004
Dimensions 1 by 6.25 by 9.50 in.
Weight 1.20 lbs.
Original list price $50.00
Other format details university press
Summaries and Reviews
Amazon.com description: Product Description:

To be convicted of a crime in the United States, a person must be proven guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.” But what is reasonable doubt? Even sophisticated legal experts find this fundamental doctrine difficult to explain. In this accessible book, James Q. Whitman digs deep into the history of the law and discovers that we have lost sight of the original purpose of “reasonable doubt.” It was not originally a legal rule at all, he shows, but a theological one.

 

The rule as we understand it today is intended to protect the accused. But Whitman traces its history back through centuries of Christian theology and common-law history to reveal that the original concern was to protect the souls of jurors. In Christian tradition, a person who experienced doubt yet convicted an innocent defendant was guilty of a mortal sin. Jurors fearful for their own souls were reassured that they were safe, as long as their doubts were not “reasonable.” Today, the old rule of reasonable doubt survives, but it has been turned to different purposes. The result is confusion for jurors, and a serious moral challenge for our system of justice.

 



Editions
Hardcover
Book cover for 9780300116007
 
The price comparison is for this edition
from Yale Univ Pr (January 8, 2008)
9780300116007 | details & prices | 276 pages | 6.25 × 9.50 × 1.00 in. | 1.20 lbs | List price $50.00
About: To be convicted of a crime in the United States, a person must be proven guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.
Paperback
Book cover for 9780300219906
 
Reprint edition from Yale Univ Pr (February 23, 2016)
9780300219906 | details & prices | 276 pages | 6.00 × 9.00 × 0.75 in. | 0.95 lbs | List price $28.00

Pricing is shown for items sent to or within the U.S., excluding shipping and tax. Please consult the store to determine exact fees. No warranties are made express or implied about the accuracy, timeliness, merit, or value of the information provided. Information subject to change without notice. isbn.nu is not a bookseller, just an information source.