SOCIOLINGUISTIC ASPECTS OF THE DEFENDANT'S BEHAVIOR IN COURT

The judicial process is a capacious and complex process, the purpose of which is to determine the guilt of the defendant.The article examines the sociolinguistic aspects of the defendant's behavior in the context of the trial, reflecting the interaction of linguistic, cultural and social factors in the official and institutional discourse.The research aims to identify the relationship between the defendant's speech strategies and tactics and his social status, level of education, professional experience, ethnic and cultural affiliation, as well as his psychological state in a situation of judicial stress.Special attention is paid to the analysis of verbal and non-verbal means of communicationintonation, tempo and rhythm of speech, pauses, gestures, facial expressions -and their interpretation by the participants in the trial.The paper examines the influence of linguistic variability (dialect features, jargonisms, speech style) on the perception of reliability and persuasiveness of testimony, as well as the role of communicative strategies (avoiding direct answers, using legally significant terms, appealing to emotions) in shaping the image of the defendant.The methodological basis of the research includes the provisions of sociolinguistics (U.Labov, P. Tridgill), forensic linguistics (M.Coulthard, D. Gibbons) and forensic psycholinguistics, based on the analysis of transcripts and audio recordings of real court sessions.The findings are of practical importance for lawyers, prosecutors, forensic experts and psychologists, as they allow for a deeper understanding of the defendant's communicative behavior and take it into account when developing a line of defense or prosecution.