Measuring Jurors’ Trust in Legal Authorities: Comparing Scaled Responses and Qualitative Explanations

• In Event: Extra-Legal Influences on Judicial Decisions

Abstract

This research compares jurors’ scaled responses and qualitative explanations concerning their trust in legal authorities at the beginning of their jury service. Most research on individuals’ levels of trust in legal authorities relies on scaled measurements. In one frequently used scale, respondents are asked to rate how much trust they have in police or courts, typically on a scale of 1 (no trust) to 7 (a great deal of trust). In this research, individuals at the beginning of jury service are asked to rate their levels of trust in their local police officers and their local courts and to describe their views of these legal authorities. Respondents are 540 jurors in one courthouse in the Southeastern United States whose data include both scaled and qualitative responses on key variables. The analysis focuses on patterns between scaled answers and qualitative explanations concerning jurors’ trust in police and trust in courts.

Authors

• Liana Pennington, Saint Anselm College

• Matthew Dolliver, University of Alabama