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Psychology of the American Jury

NCJ Number
112054
Author(s)
J T Frederick
Date Published
1987
Length
336 pages
Annotation
Drawing on theory and research on persuasion and jury behavior and attitudes, this text addresses issues and suggests techniques to aid attorneys in overcoming problems encountered in jury trials.
Abstract
Lack of representativeness in the jury pool and bias in the trial jurisdiction resulting from pretrial publicity are examined in terms of legal issues and social science research. Methods for determining the merits of compositional challenges also are presented, and the use of pretrial background investigations of jurors and large scale surveys in jury selection is discussed. Court approaches to jury selection are described that involve assessment of juror authoritarianism and equity beliefs and the evaluation of nonverbal behaviors associated with anxiety and deception. A comprehensive analysis of persuasion in trials focuses on the source, message, medium, and receiver components in the process. Specific recommendations are made for increasing persuasive impact during each stage of the trial process. A general review of jury research covers such topics as the impact of defendant and victim characteristics, the effects of jury instructions, eyewitness testimony, and the deliberation and decisionmaking process. Focus group and trial simulation techniques are described for assessing case strengths and weaknesses and the effectiveness of the trial strategy. Trial observation and surrogate jury techniques for assessing juror perceptions of the case also are detailed. Index, chapter notes, and figures.