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- Title
Explaining Jury Verdicts: Is Leniency Bias for Real?
- Authors
Devine, Dennis J.; Olafson, Kristi M.; Jarvis, Larita L.; Bott, Jennifer P.; Clayton, Laura D.; Wolfe, Jami M. T.
- Abstract
Laboratory research suggests juries that begin deliberation with a strong majority (i.e., 2/3 or more) usually end up choosing the verdict favored by this majority; whereas those with- out a strong majority generally acquit or hang. We tested the robustness of these findings in the field by examining trial and deliberation correlates of jury verdicts using data from 79 criminal jury trials held in Indiana. As expected, several that characteristics and the first-vote preference distribution were related to jury verdicts. However, there was no evidence of leniency bias-75% of those juries without a 2/3 majority on the first deliberation vote ended up convicting. Contributions of the study, limitations, and alternative explanations for the observed severity bias are discussed.
- Subjects
INDIANA; UNITED States; VERDICTS; JUROR bias; JURY; LENIENCY (Law); JURY decision making; BIAS (Law); JURY trials
- Publication
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 2004, Vol 34, Issue 10, p2069
- ISSN
0021-9029
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02691.x