Final answer:
Presumptions and inferences in criminal prosecutions can present challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
In criminal prosecutions, use of presumptions and inferences can present challenges.
Presumptions are assumptions made by the court regarding a fact or a situation. Inferences are logical conclusions drawn based on available evidence. These tools can be useful in criminal trials to establish guilt or innocence, but they can also create problems.
For example, a presumption of guilt can arise if an accused individual has been subjected to massive unfavorable media attention prior to or during a trial. This can lead jurors, who are supposed to be impartial, to already assume guilt before hearing the evidence presented in court.