How Does the Courtroom Compare? Demographic Descriptions of the Courtroom Workgroup in Court Shows

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Crime show procedural dramas have been popular among viewers for years, though court procedural dramas are less renowned. Full seasons of several court dramas were coded for content and comparisons to crime shows procedurals. Key elements examined here include demographics (sex, race/ethnicity, age) of actors in the courtroom work group, the witnesses who testify, defendant, and petitioner. We will also examine other variables such as the defendant’s charges and the verdict of the case, to assess portrayals of the courtroom to the public through popular media as compared to demographic breakdown of real members of the courtroom workgroup.

Authors

• Cassidy Reeves, Austin Peay State University

• Megan R. Kienzle, Austin Peay State University