Genres of Proof in the Firearms Debate

Jennifer Tucker • Wesleyan University

October 27th @ 5pm • Room 100 of The Frank Center for Public Affairs

Most legal cases revolve around individual events that can have a powerful resonance with the public. But how do standards of proof in an individual civil or criminal case relate to science and social science evidence that deals with large numbers of cases and outcomes that are a result of deeper structures? This talk takes up this question in relation to the US firearms debate over whether or not regulation of individual or/and industry behavior is needed to reduce gun violence (homicides, accidents, and suicides). It discusses the "weaponization" of history in the contemporary firearms debate following the originalist turn by the Supreme Court, reviews recent cases of recently exploded myths in law, history, public health, and popular culture- and suggests why the myths may remain compelling. It highlights the role of academic historians in legal deliberations and describes some current projects that use evidence to inform the U.S. gun debate and global public health. It also examines how new evidentiary tools - such as algorithmic gunshot detection, ballistics databases, and social media data - are reshaping arguments around manufacturer liability, user responsibility, and law enforcement accountability beyond the United States.

Genres of Proof
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