NCJ Number
94783
Date Published
1980
Length
158 pages
Annotation
Research conducted from 1950 to the present on juries and how they function is compiled, analyzed, and organized to develop conclusions on jury independence and impartiality.
Abstract
Basic issues are the influence of demographic and social characteristics on juror selection and performance, the rationality of jury deliberations and verdicts, jury size and decision rule, the impact of pretrial publicity on the jury, and the American jury as a possible instrument of public prejudice and conformity. Among overall findings of the major research projects reviewed were that there are merely slight differences in the verdicts of jurors of different class, ethnic, and sexual characteristics. Juries tend to reach rational decisions and are attentive to the nuances of the legal system. Research on the effects of jury size revealed very little uncontested evidence. For the most part juries are able to put aside extraneous information and base their decisions on the evidence. Thus, juries are seen to perform their duty in a consistently responsible manner. References accompany chapters.