Basic Trope: In a high-profile case, a suspect is presumed by the public at large to be guilty, even though guilt has not been proven yet.
- Straight: Alice is found raped and murdered in a ditch on the side of the road. Bob is a suspect in the high-profile case, and everyone already thinks Bob is guilty as soon as the word gets out that police have made an arrest.
- Exaggerated:
- The case hasn't even gone to trial yet; heck, Bob hasn't actually even been arrested or charged with anything, only questioned!
- The case has gone to trial, and Bob is found not guilty after video and DNA evidence of someone else committing the crime are presented. Everyone still thinks Bob did it.
- Downplayed:
- The general public considers Bob to be a very likely suspect, but there's a couple of other people who also could have done it so opinion is divided.
- Bob is able to cleanup his image by winning a defamation case against his accusers, but some members of the public clings to there belief he was guilty.
- Justified:
- The news coverage of the case has been biased against Bob.
- Alice dumped Bob (who had been abusive to her), and Bob is angry with her, or he has some other motive.
- Bob has a record of committing violent crimes; nobody would be surprised if he'd also committed a rape-homicide.
- Bob's attorney may be able to the discredit the evidence that points to Bob's guilt, but ultimately can not come up with a solid alibi or alternative suspect. As for as the public is concerned, Bob managed to loophole his way out of prison.
- Inverted:
- It is shown that Bob is beyond-a-reasonable-doubt guilty, and yet no one thinks Bob could or would actually do such a thing.
- Controversy-Proof Image
- No Such Thing as Bad Publicity
- Subverted:
- DNA evidence shows that Bob is, indeed, guilty.
- A major smear campaign tries to paint Bob as the killer, but it doesn't really work.
- Double Subverted:
- ...however, it's eventually revealed the DNA evidence was falsified and that the actual perpetrator planted the evidence to frame Bob. The killer is arrested and Bob is released, yet many people still believe Bob did it.
- At least, not until Bob is interviewed by a malicious journalist.
- Parodied: Jaywalking Will Ruin Your Life.
- Zig Zagged: Many people think Bob is guilty the moment he's announced as a suspect, but others are convinced Dave had a much better motive, and as each new revelation comes out, public opinion sways from one suspect to another By the time the trial is over, half the people rolled believe that the wrong man was convicted, despite the evidence.
- Averted:
- The public does not rush to judgment as they watch the details of the case unfold.
- Bob is not accused of any crime.
- Enforced: Truth in Television.
- Lampshaded: "Bob's on the news! He did it!"
- Invoked: Bob is taken in for questioning about the case, because he was seen with Alice at a party two days before she was killed.
- Exploited: The real killer starts Malicious Slander of Bob so the public will be howling for his blood, and the police's attention will be distracted from tracking the killer.
- Defied:
- News reporters are not given details; it is not released to the public that Bob was questioned.
- After the trial, Bob's defense attorney confronts the protesters outside the court and gives them a scathing "The Reason You Suck" Speech. The protesters who were calling for Bob's head become ashamed of themselves for presuming guilt without evidence.
- Discussed: "Good grief, couldn't these people just give Bob the benefit of the doubt? Sure, there may be some evidence that he did it, especially after the break up, but give him a chance! Maybe he's not guilty after all."
- Conversed: "The Troperville residents on this show sure were quick to decide that Bob was guilty. I'm pretty sure it'll turn out he's innocent."
- Deconstructed: This can ruin Bob's life (as the public harasses him... or worse, tries to carry out vigilante justice), and may lead to bias in the courtroom. And while Bob is going through all this, the real criminal is still out there looking for his next target.
- Reconstructed: Coverage of the case is limited, not naming the suspect(s) until the suspect(s) is/are proven guilty.
- Played For Laughs:
- Kangaroo Court
- The work is a satire of Political Overcorrectness. In the setting, society has become so sensitive that anyone accused of any crime is presumed guilty and automatically sent to prison, simply because if the accusation is true then not believing the accuser might hurt their feelings. Questioning any accusation or wanting due process of law is seen as Victim-Blaming.
- Played For Drama: Bob is Driven to Suicide because of this—and then it's revealed that he didn't do it, leading to a mass Heel Realization by everyone who condemned him.
- Plotted a Good Waste: The prosecuting attorney is found to have falsified evidence to get Bob convicted. When confronted, he states that honestly, he stopped caring about guilt and innocence a long time ago. He claims that the facts don't matter: ultimately, the public thirsts to see 'justice' done, and a not guilty verdict wouldn't make a difference. If anything, it'll just make things worse. Considering Bob's been declared guilty in the court of public opinion and nothing will change their mind, he might as well give them what they want. Otherwise, there will just be Vigilante Justice and Bob will be just as screwed. The judge throws the book at him, and Bob is sentenced to death. The sequel shows Bob's son, Bob Jr., hunting down and extracting violent revenge on everyone involved in his father's conviction.
- Implied: Bob is introduced as a pariah because of murdering Alice, and he doesn't bother denying the allegation. But then evidence pops up suggesting he couldn't have done it.
Back to Convicted by Public Opinion, but you'd better leave by the side door—they don't seem to like you.
