Establishment Of Proof Research Articles

The Prosecution of Anti-Jewish Crimes in Bulgaria: Fashioning a Master Narrative of the Second World War (1944–1945)

Bulgaria was amongst the first states in Europe to hold trials with an exclusive focus on anti-Jewish persecutions during the Second World War. On 24 November 1944, a chamber solely dedicated to the prosecution of anti-Jewish crimes was established within the People’s Courts (1944–1945). This judicial action thus constitutes a unique experiment in the qualification of crimes, the use of material/testimonial evidence, the establishment of proof, and the devising of sentencing policy. Seen as a stage on which several contenders fought over the reading of the recent past and the present in the making, the Court also offers a lens on the complex interplay between the prosecution of war crimes and the crafting of revolutionary changes as well as on the relations between Jews and non-Jews at the end of the war. Drawing on a diversity of archival records (accusation files and protocols of the hearings among others), the article will underline two paradoxes. First, the chamber established to prosecute anti-Jewish crimes ended up building a master narrative of “collective innocence” centered on the “rescue of the Bulgarian Jews,” which has remained dominant in Bulgarian public discourse to this day. Second, the communist Jews who had fought for the recognition of Jewish suffering ultimately took part in the euphemization of Jewish experiences of the war. In resorting to justice, they hoped to convince the local Jewry to stay in Bulgaria and build socialism there. For that purpose, they had to prove that the wartime policies were the deeds of a handful of “fascists.” Henceforth, they embraced the official discourse of interethnic solidarity in combat and sorrow, thus downplaying the specificity of the Jewish predicament.

Learning from failure: inadequate value propositions in an innovative approach to patient safety using a hand washing compliance auditing system

This study examined how a hand washing compliance auditing system affects physician hand washing compliance and rates of hospital acquired infections. Ultimately, data collection was significantly impaired by low recruitment and compliance rates. To learn from this project's failure, medical residents were invited to participate in an interview to discuss the project, its merits and shortcomings. Beyond existing resistance to such surveillance, study procedures, confounding contextual variables and insufficient value propositions seem to account for the project's failure. Use of a hand washing compliance auditing system is likely to fail if it is not optimally integrated into existing clinical workflows and hospital infrastructure, or if auditing seems to take the form of surveillance. Beyond the establishment of proof of concept, proof of relevance and value for all stakeholder groups must be established to embed an innovation such as this hand washing compliance auditing system.

The impact of mail contact strategy on the effectiveness of driver license withdrawal

The California Department of Motor Vehicles currently uses first-class mail to notify drivers of a suspension or revocation of their driving privilege. The served drivers are instructed to sign and return the order and any driver's license to the department, thereby establishing proof of the driver's knowledge of the order. The establishment of proof is considered essential in the prosecution of drivers cited for operating a motor vehicle while under a suspension or revocation (California Vehicle Code Section 14601). However, past research indicates that a majority of drivers fail to comply with the order. In an attempt to increase proof rates, the present study developed and evaluated a number of mailing strategies for various categories of suspensions and revocations. Among the mailing factors evaluated were 1. (1) use of certified mail, 2. (2) use of a follow-up contact, 3. (3) use of a postage paid return envelope and 4. (4) masking the Department of Motor Vehicles return address of the certified mail action notice. The results indicate that there are significant differences between the type of mail contact employed as well as between the different categories of suspension or revocation reason. The most effective strategies (certified mail, return receipt requested) resulted in proof rates of approximately 60–70% compared to approximately 25% for the current first-class mailing procedure. An analysis of subsequent driving records indicated that certified mail also increased the percentage of convictions which were prosecuted as 14601 violations, while decreasing the total number of entries (convictions and accidents) accumulated during suspension or revocation.