out of character

Name
Lecturer
Course
Date
The use of ‘Out of Character’ in the Criminal Justice System
In simple terms, ‘Out of character’ refers to conduct that is unusual and inconsistent with the behaviors of an individual. A human being, as we know, is a very complex creature that portrays different kinds of behaviors. While some conducts can be known by the public, others are hidden and can only be revealed when a criminal offense is committed. However, as Doris John exclaims in ‘Out of Character: On the Psychology of Excuses in the Criminal Law,’ all offenders are justified to have an excuse for the criminal offenses they are accused of committing. Reasonably, it might be unfair to subject a criminal offender to punishment while denying them an opportunity to use an excuse to defend themselves.
Nonetheless, I would like to argue there is no such thing as ‘out-out of character.’ The concept of ‘out of character’ is not sufficient to be used in the court of law as the justification of crime. Although all accused persons should granted an opportunity to defend themselves, they do not necessarily need to rely on ‘out of character’ as a means of beating the judicial system. Even if one commits a particular crime for the very first time, they should not be acquitted based on that. There are certain acts of crime that are very rare, but can be committed if an opportunity arises. So, even if this happens, no one should be freed on the ground that the act was inc…