Extra Legal Factors: Do They Threaten Jury Impartiality?

• In Event: Jurors, Evidence, and Court Decisions

Abstract

Although the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution affords the right to an impartial jury, there is ample evidence that extra-legal factors may affect the impartiality of juries and jury decision-making. The present study examined the sex, age, race, education, media influence, science reservations, and personal understanding of forensic processes to determine if these extra-legal factors play a role in the perceived strength of cases and thus effect trial outcome. Mock jurors (N = 360) read a trial summary depicting a murder case, and then completed a questionnaire regarding various aspects of the trial. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was used to determine the impact that legal and extralegal variables had on perceived overall case strength. Belief in forensic evidence was the strongest and only significant predictor in the model (t = 21.148, p < .0001). This finding suggests that extralegal factors may not be as worrisome as some prior research has suggested.

Author

• Shavonne Arthurs, Indiana University of Pennsylvania