Benefit of the doubt
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="I">I</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="benefit">benefit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span>.” <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> “<span word="benefit">benefit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span>” <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Okay">Okay</span>, <span word="let">let</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="see">see</span>.</p><p><span word="Let">Let</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="say">say</span> “<span word="he">he</span>” <span word="did">did</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="upset">upset</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="angry">angry</span>.</p><p><span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="making">making</span> <span word="excuses">excuses</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="alibis">alibis</span>, <span word="whatever">whatever</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="fully">fully</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="him">him</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span>, <span word="didn">didn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="prove">prove</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="true">true</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="not">not</span>.</p><p><span word="So">So</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> “<span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="benefit">benefit</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span>” <span word="and">and</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="go">go</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="chose">chose</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="forgive">forgive</span> <span word="him">him</span> – <span word="for">for</span> <span word="now">now</span>.</p><p><span word="Later">Later</span> <span word="on">on</span>, <span word="should">should</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="sources">sources</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="what">what</span> “<span word="he">he</span>” <span word="said">said</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="true">true</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="upset">upset</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="angry">angry</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="again">again</span>, <span word="more">more</span> <span word="upset">upset</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="angry">angry</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="moment">moment</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="chose">chose</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="go">go</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="benefit">benefit</span>” <span word="of">of</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="receiving">receiving</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="wrath">wrath</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="punishments">punishments</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="so">so</span>-<span word="called">called</span> <span word="benefit">benefit</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="favorable">favorable</span> <span word="treatment">treatment</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="uncertainty">uncertainty</span> <span word="involved">involved</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="draw">draw</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reasonable">reasonable</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fair">fair</span>-<span word="minded">minded</span> <span word="person">person</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fair">fair</span> <span word="spirit">spirit</span>. <span word="They">They</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="heart">heart</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="choose">choose</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="treat">treat</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="speaker">speaker</span> <span word="kindly">kindly</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="harshly">harshly</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="they">they</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="doubtful">doubtful</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="way">way</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="approach">approach</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="judge">judge</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="irrefutable">irrefutable</span> <span word="evidence">evidence</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="crime">crime</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="committed">committed</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="evidence">evidence</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="produced">produced</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="prove">prove</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="accused">accused</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wrongdoing">wrongdoing</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="way">way</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="beyond">beyond</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="reasonable">reasonable</span> <span word="doubt">doubt</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="judge">judge</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="innocent">innocent</span> <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="guilty">guilty</span> <span word="verdict">verdict</span>.</p>
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