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Ðmust€rely€on€their€background€knowledge€in€fulfilling€their€adjudicative€function.€€AsÐ Ô/p)4 ÐDavid€M.€Paciocco€and€Lee€Stuesser€write€in€their€book€ò òThe€Law€of€Evidenceó ó€(1996),Ð d Ðat€p.€277:Ý ƒ Ñý 9 ݌Рü ˜ ÐŒÝ ÝÓ „ ÓÓ ÓÌÌò òIn€general,€the€trier€of€fact€is€entitled€simply€to€apply€common€sense€andÐ , È Ðhuman€experience€in€determining€whether€evidence€is€credible€and€inÐ ø ” Ðdeciding€what€use,€if€any,€to€make€of€it€in€coming€to€its€finding€of€fact.ó óÐ Ä ` Ð[Emphasis€in€original.]Ð , ÐÓ ÓÌÓ „ ü ÓÝ ‚ Ñýÿ ÝÝ ÝÝ ‚ Ñý Ýà „ àÚ ƒ z Ú40Ú ÚÛ € z ( Ûà Ü àÝ Ýà œ àAt€the€same€time,€where€the€matter€is€one€of€identifying€and€applying€theÐ ô Ðlaw€to€the€findings€of€fact,€it€must€be€the€law€that€governs€and€not€a€judgeð ðs€individualÐ Œ ( Ðbeliefs€that€may€conflict€with€the€law.€€Further,€notwithstanding€that€their€ownÐ $ À Ðinsights€into€human€nature€will€properly€play€a€role€in€making€findings€of€credibilityÐ ¼ X Ðor€factual€determinations,€judges€must€make€those€determinations€only€after€beingÐ T ð Ðequally€open€to,€and€considering€the€views€of,€all€parties€before€them.€€The€reasonableÐ ì ˆ Ðperson,€through€whose€eyes€the€apprehension€of€bias€is€assessed,€expects€judges€toÐ „ Ðundertake€an€open„minded,€carefully€considered,€and€dispassionately€deliberateÐ ¸ Ðinvestigation€of€the€complicated€reality€of€each€case€before€them.Ý ƒ Ñý ª ݌Р´ P ÐŒÝ ÝÌÝ ‚ Ñýÿ ÝÝ ÝÝ ‚ ÑýÖ Ýà „ àÚ ƒ z Ú41Ú ÚÛ € z ) Ûà Ü àÝ Ýà œ àIt€is€axiomatic€that€all€cases€litigated€before€judges€are,€to€a€greater€orÐ ä € Ðlesser€degree,€complex.€€There€is€more€to€a€case€than€who€did€what€to€whom,€and€theÐ |! " Ðquestions€of€fact€and€law€to€be€determined€in€any€given€case€do€not€arise€in€a€vacuum.€Ð #° $ ÐRather,€they€are€the€consequence€of€numerous€factors,€influenced€by€the€innumerableÐ ¬$H & Ðforces€which€impact€on€them€in€a€particular€context.€€Judges,€acting€as€finders€of€fact,Ð D&à ( Ðmust€inquire€into€those€forces.€€In€short,€they€must€be€aware€of€the€context€in€whichÐ Ü'x!* Ðthe€alleged€crime€occurred.Ý ƒ ÑýÖ ñ ݌Рt) #, ÐŒÝ ÝÌÝ ‚ Ñýÿ ÝÝ ÝÝ ‚ Ñý. Ýà „ àÚ ƒ z Ú42Ú ÚÛ € z * Ûà Ü àÝ Ýà œ àJudicial€inquiry€into€the€factual,€social€and€psychological€context€withinÐ ¤,@&0 Ðwhich€litigation€arises€is€not€unusual.€€Rather,€a€conscious,€contextual€inquiry€hasÐ
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