Tribunal Roles

As a grassroots effort to pursue justice and accountability beyond the constraints of official state institutions, this People's Tribunal relies on the participation of our community to gather evidence, share testimony, and deliberate on the verdict of the charges together. 

As such, every person has a role!

Specifically, the roles of the Western Massachusetts People's Tribunal are:

THE JOKER; like "the Joker" in a deck of playing cards, this character embodies mobility and multiplicity; in this technique, the Joker takes on different roles within varying contexts and combinations including director, facilitator, referee and workshop leader; actively breaks the 4th wall.

The PROSECUTION; individual(s) representing the people and is responsible for investigating, charging, and holding accountable the individuals and institutions accused of crimes, aiming at securing a conviction or appropriate penalties.

THE WITNESSES; individuals with first-hand experience or account of a given matter; someone who say or heard the crime take place or may have important information about the crime or the defendant.

THE DEFENSE; individual(s) representing the suspects or the accused -- in this case, our college's leadership, local war profiteers, and elected officials.

THE JUDGES; community leaders or elders whose responsibility is to ensure a fair tribunal process; offer integral perspectives or interpretations of the Jury's response.

THE JURY; the greater community (comprised of the audience (you!)) who listens to evidence, deliberates, and decides the facts of the case, ultimately determining guilt or innocence or liability.