NCJ Number
16123
Journal
Criminology Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1974) Pages: 127-128
Date Published
1974
Length
2 pages
Annotation
A STUDY INDICATING THAT SOCIOECONOMIC AND OCCUPATIONAL DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN A DEFENDANT AND A JURY CORRELATE WITH GUILTY VERDICTS.
Abstract
FIFTY NOT-GUILTY DEFENDANTS WERE SELECTED FROM A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD, ALONG WITH FIFTY GUILTY DEFENDANTS CHOSEN TO MATCH INDIVIDUALLY WITH THE NOT-GUITY GROUP. CRITERIA FOR THE MATCHING PROCESS WERE AGE, SEX, RACE, AND OFFENSE. THE NORC PRESTIGE SCALE WAS USED TO SCORE THE OCCUPATIONS OF EACH OF THE HUNDRED DEFENDANTS. INDIVIDUAL JURORS WERE SCORED BY THIS SAME DEVICE, AND A MEAN SCORE WAS COMPUTED FOR EACH OF THE HUNDRED JURIES. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE EXISTED IN SCORE VALUES BETWEEN MATCHING GUILTY AND NOT-GUILTY DEFENDANTS. JURIES FINDING DEFENDANTS GUILTY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON THE PRESTIGE SCALE THAN THOSE FINDING DEFENDANTS NOT-GUILTY. IN 41 OF THE 50 MATCHES, THERE WAS A GREATER SOCIOECONOMIC DISCREPANCY BETWEEN A DEFENDANT FOUND GUILTY AND HIS JURY THAN BETWEEN A DEFENDANT FOUND NOTGUILTY AND HIS JURY.