Research
This section provides comprehensive supporting research for the thesis, including case studies, historical analysis, and academic literature review.
When the Verdict Doesn't Clear Your Name
Analysis of nine high-profile cases (2015-2025) documenting how legal exoneration arrives too late and too quietly to repair reputational damage, with systematic examination of media coverage disparities between accusations and acquittals.
When Innocence Isn't Enough
Empirical analysis demonstrating that 60-80% of the public continues believing defendants guilty despite acquittals, social media amplifies accusations 350-3,900% more than exonerations, and the contrast between Snoop Dogg's 1990s rehabilitation and Armie Hammer's 2020s exile.
From Roman Courts to American Constitution
The 2,000-year journey of "innocent until proven guilty" from Emperor Antoninus Pius (138 CE) through Julius Paulus, medieval canon law, Blackstone's Commentaries, to constitutional embodiment in the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.
Media Coverage Effects on Criminal Trials
Comprehensive review of 15 peer-reviewed studies (2015-2025) documenting how pretrial publicity biases verdicts, with meta-analyses showing effect sizes of r=.16 for individuals and r=.35 for deliberating juries, and 100% of exposed juries mentioning publicity despite judicial instructions.
The Legitimacy Crisis
Documentation of historic collapse in legal institution trust, with American judicial system confidence falling from 59% (2020) to 35% (2024), Supreme Court approval dropping 22 points post-Dobbs, and 28-point racial gaps in police confidence driving rejection of legal outcomes.