Rhetoric Techniques Used In A Criminal Court Case

The film does an effective job in accurately portraying the events that occur in a criminal court case, which consist of “choosing a jury, opening statements, witness testimony and cross-examination, closing arguments, jury deliberation and verdict” according to FindLaw.com. To begin, Dawson and Downey are charged before the trial can take place, with the murder of Private William Santiago. This demonstrates the pre-trial step of arraignment or initial sentencing. Although the process of selecting a jury is omitted, it is briefly referenced. Kaffee does in fact mention that the jury will be made up of other Marines and officials qualified to preside over the case. Opening statements are the first official court procedure, and both Daniel Kaffee

Logos, or logic and reason, is used multiple times in the trial. Both Daniel Kaffee and Jack Ross reference the Marine codes as well as those of the Guantanamo Bay base in order to emphasize how Dawson and Downey either did or did not follow orders. In Kaffee’s case, he uses the code books to explain how Marines follow the books and regulations like one would the Bible. Ross, providing a counterclaim, uses ethos to argue that there is nothing in the books that is referenced directly at the base in Guantanamo Bay, and therefore displays its irrelevance. Ethos, in both examples, is effective in supporting the arguments of both sides of the case. It displays how regulations can cause individuals to act a certain way, via the logic of the case. Ethos, or ethics and credibility, is used quite often by either side as well. When Colonel Jessup is called in by Kaffee, it is a direct reference to his credibility. Considering that he eventually admitted to ordering the code red, his position in the navy and on the base justifies anything he claimed to have done. Lastly, pathos, an appeal to emotion, is used in the case to portray how Downey and Dawson were only following orders when the code red was issued. Kaffee, in questioning Downey, utilizes pathos in order to display how Dawson and Downey felt like it was their duty to follow the code red issued by Jessup. This illustrated how emotionally, Dawson and Downey needed to serve their country in order to fulfill their purpose and duty to their country. If they had not followed the order of their superior officer, they knew that they would be facing punishment. In order to avoid such punishment, they followed the code red and served their country by punishing Santiago. Although they did not mean to kill him, it was a part of following orders for the Marines.