Organisation et accountability des échanges langagiers lors d'auditions judiciaires

Abstract

This article presents an ethnomethodological study of speech exchanges during pre-trial judicial hearings. It describes the organization of talk between the prosecutor and the suspect. By talking in turns, interlocutors produce a conversation that is accountable, i.e. observable and reportable, in a specific way. A set of activities outlines general dynamics of display, alignment, opposition and attribution of orientations on "what happened". The conversation and the written statement of the suspect emerge in parallel through the alternation and interweaving of these activities, the prosecutor playing a leading role in the organization of the interaction. The combination of lines of action endows the interaction with an accountability that is transparent, changing and equivocal, in relation to the ambiguous legal definition of the hearing.