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Reasonable doubt in law refers to the doubt of a juror about the guilt of a defendant that arises from a consideration of new evidence or lack thereof. This seed of doubt eventually grows and causes the cold and logical Juror Four to finally change his verdict to not guilty.

Eleven jurors vote guilty, and one juror, Juror Eight, votes not guilty. Jurors Three, Seven, and Twelve criticize him, but Juror Eight says that he does not know whether the man is guilty or not but that it is not easy for him to send a boy to his death without discussing it first.

The film tells the story of a jury of 12 men as they deliberate the conviction or acquittal of a teenager charged with murder on the basis of reasonable doubt; disagreement and conflict among them force the jurors to question their morals and values.

Characters and story The story begins after closing arguments have been presented in the homicide case, as the judge is giving his instructions to the jury. As in most American criminal cases, the twelve men must unanimously decide on a verdict of "guilty" or "not guilty".

The film came out in 1957 which was the same year that women were given the right to be on federal juries in the The Civil Rights Act of 1957. The script was written in 1954 and the setting of New York did not allow women on federal juries until 1968 so that is why all of the jurors are male.

The eventual conclusion of "Twelve Angry Men" is that Juror #8 is gradually able to persuade the 11 other jurors that there is reasonable doubt for each of the pieces of evidence used in the trial, leading to a final verdict of "Not Guilty!"

Why did Juror 5 change his vote in 12 Angry Men? Juror 5 changed his vote from "guilty" to "not guilty" when he realized there was a reasonable doubt as to the defendant's guilt.

“Twelve Angry Men” by Reginald Rose, is a play about twelve jury members who must deliberate and decide the fate of a man who is accused of murdering his father. These twelve men must unanimously agree on whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty without reasonable doubt.