Person knocking on a locked door.
Three labeled boxes: Civil Case / Criminal Case / Employment Law. prima facie script
ELLIOT (voice low) The public expects us to seek justice, Ms. Sullivan. Person knocking on a locked door
Convert the legal standard into plain English. Sullivan
: The script examines how the rules of evidence and cross-examination, which are designed to ensure a fair trial, can become instruments of trauma for victims of sexual violence.
In the courtroom, the prima facie script is a formal threshold. A prosecutor must present enough evidence to establish a prima facie case before a trial proceeds. But judges and juries are human; they often struggle to un-see the initial script once it is written. Wrongful convictions frequently arise when investigators lock onto a prima facie narrative too early—focusing on a single suspect, ignoring contradictory evidence, and interpreting all subsequent facts through the lens of the initial script.