NCJ Number
178521
Journal
Researching Law Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 1998 Pages: 4-5-10-11
Date Published
1998
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article suggests a novel way to describe how decision- makers evaluate DNA and other biological profile evidence, reports the results of a study to test the accuracy of this description, discusses implications of these findings for the legal system, and suggests directions for future research.
Abstract
Variables that were influential in jury decision-making include life experiences, community, public policy and statistical instructions. The article presents information in the following categories: (1) Measuring Jurors’ Evaluations of Scientific Evidence; (2) DNA as Probabilistic Evidence; (3) Aggregating Separate Probability Estimates; (4) Errors and Expectancies; (5) Underweighting Probabilistic Evidence; (6) The Expectancies Effect; (7) Can Errors Be Corrected? and (8) Policy Implications. References