criminal psychology-第98章

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　excellently　meant；　we　still　must　grant　that　a　conviction　on　false　grounds；　even　when　unconsciously　arrived　at；　so　suffuses　a　mind　that　the　event　in　itself　can　no　longer　be　honestly　observed。　To　have　no　prejudices　indicates　a　healthy；　vigorous　mind　in　no　sense。　That　is　indicated　by　the　power　to　set　aside　prejudices　as　soon　as　their　invalidity　is　demonstrated。　Now　this　demonstration　is　difficult；　for　when　a　thing　is　recognized　as　a　prejudice；　it　is　one　no　longer。　I　have　elsewhere；＇1＇　under　the　heading　‘‘anticipatory　opinion；''　indicated　the　danger　to　which　the　examining　justice　is　subject　thereby；　and　have　sought　to　show　how　even　a　false　idea　of　location　may　lead　to　a　prepossession　in　favor　of　a　certain　view；　how　vigorous　the　influence　of　the　first　witness　is；　inasmuch　as　we　easily　permit　ourselves　to　be　taken　in　by　the　earliest　information；　and　later　on　lack　time　to　convince　ourselves　that　the　matter　may　not　be　as　our　earliest　advice　paints　it。　Hence；　false　information　necessarily　conceals　a　danger；　and　it　always　is　a　matter　of　effort　to　see　that　the　crime　is　a　fictitious　one；　or　that　something　which　has　been　called　accident　may　conceal　a　crime。　The　average　man　knows　　this　well；　and　after　a　brawl；　after　contradictory　testimony；　etc。；　both　parties　hurry　to　be　beforehand　in　laying　the　information。　Whoever　lays　the　information　first　has　the　advantage。　His　story　effects　a　prepossession　in　favor　of　his　view；　and　it　requires　effort　to　accustom　oneself　to　the　opposite　view。　And　later　it　is　difficult　to　reverse　the　rles　of　witness　and　defendant。


＇1＇　Manual。


But　we　have　to　deal　with　prepossession　in　others　besides　ourself；　in　witnesses；　accused；　experts；　jury；　colleagues；　subordinates；　etc。　The　more　we　know；　the　newer　new　things　seem。　Where；　however；　the　apperceptive　mass　is　hard　and　compact；　the　inner　reconstruction　ceases；　and　therewith　the　capacity　for　new　experiences；　and　hence；　we　get　those　judges　who　can　learn　nothing　and　forget　nothing。　Indefiniteness　in　the　apperceptive　masses　results　in　the　even　movement　of　apperception。　Minds　with　confused　ideational　complexes　hit　little　upon　the　particular　characteristic　of　presented　fact；　and　find　everywhere　only　what　they　have　in　mind。

The　one…sidedness　of　apperception　frequently　contains　an　error　in　conception。　In　most　cases；　the　effective　influence　is　egoism；　which　inclines　men　to　presuppose　their　own　experiences；　views；　and　principles　in　others；　and　to　build　according　to　them　a　system　of　prepossessions　and　prejudices　to　apply　to　the　new　case。　Especially　dangerous　are　the　_*similar_　experiences；　for　these　tend　to　lead　to　the　firm　conviction　that　the　present　case　can　in　no　sense　be　different　from　former　ones。　If　anybody　has　been　at　work　on　such　earlier；　similar　cases；　he　tends　to　behave　now　as　then。　His　behavior　at　that　time　sets　the　standard　for　the　present；　and　whatever　differs　from　it　he　calls　false；　even　though　the　similarity　between　the　two　cases　is　only　external　and　apparent。

It　is　characteristic　of　egoism　that　it　causes　people　to　permit　themselves　to　be　bribed　by　being　met　half…way。　The　inclination　and　favor　of　most　men　is　won　by　nothing　so　easily　and　completely　as　by　real　or　apparent　devotion　and　interest。　If　this　is　done　at　all　cleverly；　few　can　resist　it；　and　the　prepossession　in　their　favor　is　complete。　How　many　are　free　of　prejudice　against　ugly；　deformed；　red…haired；　stuttering；　individuals；　and　who　has　no　prejudice　in　favor　of　handsome；　lovable　people？　Even　the　most　just　must　make　an　effort　so　to　meet　his　neighbor　as　to　be　without　prejudice　for　or　against　him；　because　of　his　natural　endowment。

Behavior　and　little　pleasantnesses　are　almost　as　important。　Suppose　that　a　criminalist　has　worked　hard　all　morning。　It　is　long　past　the　time　at　which　he　had；　for　one　reason　or　another；　hoped　to　　get　home；　and　just　as　he　is　putting　his　hat　on　his　head；　along　comes　a　man　who　wants　to　lay　information　concerning　some　ancient　apparent　perjury。　The　man　had　let　it　go　for　years；　here　he　is　with　it　again　at　just　this　inconvenient　moment。　He　has　come　a　long　distance　he　can　not　be　sent　away。　His　case；　moreover；　seems　improbable　and　the　man　expresses　himself　with　difficulty。　Finally；　when　the　protocol　is　made；　it　appears　that　he　has　not　been　properly　understood；　and　moreover；　that　he　has　added　many　irrelevant　thingsin　short；　he　strains　one's　patience　to　the　limit。　Now；　I　should　like　to　know　the　criminalist　who　would　not　acquire　a　vigorous　prejudice　against　this　complainant？　It　would　be　so　natural　that　nobody　would　blame　one　for　such　a　prejudice。　At　the　same　time　it　is　proper　to　require　that　it　shall　be　only　transitive；　and　that　later；　when　the　feeling　has　calmed；　everything　shall　be　handled　with　scrupulous　conscientiousness　so　as　to　repair　whatever　in　the　first　instance　might　have　been　harmed。

It　is　neither　necessary　nor　possible　to　discuss　all　the　particular　forms　of　prepossession。　There　is　the　unconditional　necessity　of　merely　making　a　thoroughly　careful　search　for　their　presence　if　any　indication　whatever；　even　the　remotest；　shows　its　likelihood。　Of　the　extremest　limit　of　possible　prejudice；　names　may　serve　as　examples。　It　sounds　funny　to　say　that　a　man　may　be　prejudiced　for　or　against　an　individual　by　the　sound　of　his　name；　but　it　is　true。　Who　will　deny　that　he　has　been　inclined　to　favor　people　because　they　bore　a　beloved　name；　and　who　has　not　heard　remarks　like；　‘‘The　very　name　of　that　fellow　makes　me　sick。''　I　remember　clearly　two　cases。　In　one；　Patriz　Sevenpounder　and　Emmerenzia　Hinterkofler　were　accused　of　swindling；　and　my　first　notion　was　that　such　honorable　names　could　not　possibly　belong　to　people　guilty　of　swindling。　The　opposite　case　was　one　in　which　a　deposition　concerning　some　attack　upon　him　was　signed　by　Arthur　Filgr