ABSTRACT
Communication has existed within the American justice system since the founding and originating of the nation. Since its earliest court system, communication has pervaded the legal system of the United States. One of the earliest U.S. Supreme Court cases, West vs. Barnes, was argued on August 2, 1791 (U.S. Supreme Court, 2006). This case is significant because it represented the very first decision rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court (Miller, 2012). From the perspective of communication, this initial case is also significant because it was the first instance of oral argumentation that occurred before the U.S. Supreme Court (John Jay, 2013). Since then, numerous instances of oral communications have pervaded court environments across the nation.
