What is the primary method used to study jurors?

Mock jurors, case studies, post-trial interviews, and field experiments.

What does pre-trial publicity represent?

A conflict between the right to a fair trial and freedom of the press.

What bias is indicated by research on pre-trial media reports?

A slant in favor of the prosecution.

What effect does negative pre-trial publicity have on juror decisions?

Participants exposed to negative PTP are more likely to judge the defendant guilty.

What factors increase the effects of pre-trial publicity?

Murder or sexual abuse cases, multiple negative points in PTP, longer time between PTP and trial, emotional PTP, and PTP from TV.

What is the judge's power regarding jurors and pre-trial publicity?

To instruct jurors to disregard prejudicial pre-trial publicity.

Why might instructions to disregard be ineffective?

Due to the Theory of Ironic Processes and Reactance Theory.

What is the Story Model in juror decision-making?

Jurors construct a story based on evidence, personal knowledge, and expectations of a complete story.

What criteria do jurors use to evaluate their constructed story?

Coverage, uniqueness, coherence, completeness, consistency, and plausibility.

What is pre-decisional distortion in juror decision-making?

The tendency for jurors to accept or reject new evidence based on how it conforms to their initial story.

How does defendant attractiveness influence juror decisions?

Attractive defendants are perceived as less likely to be guilty and receive less severe punishments.

What was the finding of Efran's study regarding jurors' perceptions of attractiveness?

77% of jurors believed character and history should influence decisions, but only 7% thought attractiveness should.

What was the outcome of the simulated jury experiment involving defendant attractiveness?

Attractive defendants were rated as less guilty and received lighter punishments compared to unattractive defendants.

What is the exception to the influence of attractiveness on juror decisions?

Attractiveness may help a person commit a crime.

What is the role of emotional pre-trial publicity?

It leads to increased guilty verdicts compared to factual pre-trial publicity.

What is the significance of the New Zealand Law Commission's statement on juror instructions?

It highlights the belief that such instructions should safeguard against juror bias.

What does the meta-analysis by Steblay et al. (1999) reveal about juror decisions?

Participants exposed to negative PTP were more likely to judge the defendant guilty.

What is the implication of the Theory of Ironic Processes for jurors?

Efforts to not think about something can cause it to dominate their thoughts.

What does Reactance Theory suggest about juror behavior?

Jurors are motivated to maintain their freedom and may resist instructions.

What is the relationship between the length of time between PTP and trial and juror decisions?

Increased length leads to greater influence of negative PTP on guilty verdicts.

What are the two types of models of decision-making in jurors?

Mathematical models and cognitive/explanation-based models.

What effect do shared attributes between a juror and a defendant have?

They may increase affinity, resulting in increased leniency.

What is the relationship between defendant attractiveness and juror convictions?

Guilty convictions increase as defendant attractiveness decreases.

How does juror attractiveness affect punishment severity?

Attractive jurors impose harsher punishments as defendant attractiveness decreases.

What did Darby & Jeffers (1988) study in relation to jurors?

They evaluated how defendant attractiveness influenced judgments of guilt and punishment.

What is a notable quote regarding jury selection?

"Never forget, almost every case has been won or lost when the jury is sworn."

According to Spence, how do women jurors compare to men in terms of punitiveness?

Women are more punitive than men by a score of about five to one.

What is the general success rate of lawyers in selecting jurors for favorable verdicts?

Lawyers are not much better than chance at selecting jurors who will return the 'right' verdict.

What individual characteristics are often searched for in juror selection?

Race, gender, class, attitudes, or personality.

What did Ziesel & Diamond (1978) examine regarding dismissed jurors?

They studied whether dismissed jurors were more or less likely to convict.

What is the role of a foreperson in jury deliberation?

The foreperson often participates more than other jurors, accounting for 25 to 35% of speaking time.

What are the two deliberation styles identified in jury processes?

Verdict-driven and evidence-driven.

What is the preference of juries regarding deliberation style?

Juries tend to prefer a verdict-driven approach.

What is the Group Polarisation Hypothesis?

The average postgroup response will be more extreme in the same direction as the average pregroup response.

What is leniency bias in criminal trials?

Juries are often more lenient than judges when there is disagreement on the verdict.

What did Devine et al. (2001) find about juror opinions at the start of deliberations?

If 7 or fewer jurors favor conviction, the jury will probably acquit.

What does it indicate if 10 or more jurors favor conviction at the beginning of deliberations?

The jury will probably convict.

What is the outcome if 8 or 9 jurors favor conviction?

The final verdict is basically a toss-up.

What is the primary goal of incapacitation in the context of incarceration?

To reduce criminal conduct by imprisoning offenders or isolating them from society.

What are the two types of incapacitation?

Collective incapacitation and selective incapacitation.

What is collective incapacitation?

Crime prevention accomplished through sentencing laws specific to the crime committed.

What is selective incapacitation?

Prevention of crime through the physical restraint of individuals likely to commit offenses.

What motivates retributive justice?

The theory of 'just deserts' and moral outrage, focusing on punishment fitting the crime.

How does deterrent sentencing aim to prevent future offenses?

By punishing offenders to discourage them and others from committing crimes.

What is specific deterrence?

Aims to discourage a particular offender from committing further crimes.

What is general deterrence?

Aims to discourage potential offenders from committing crimes.

What is the empirical uncertainty regarding deterrent sentencing?

It is unclear how effectively punishment prevents future offending.

What is the focus of rehabilitation in the criminal justice system?

To change the behavior of criminals for the benefit of both the community and the individual.

What is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the context of rehabilitation?

A therapy that addresses the interaction between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.

What are some successful components of CBT-based rehabilitation programs?

Problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, social learning, and communication skills.

What is the aim of restorative justice?

To re-establish victims, offenders, and communities following an offense.

What are sentencing circles?

A restorative justice practice aimed at involving the community in the sentencing process.

What is the role of plea-bargaining in sentencing decisions?

It is used in approximately 90% of cases in the US and 30% in Australia to decide sentences.

What biases can judges exhibit in sentencing?

Judges may show biases based on the gender and race of offenders.

What is the death penalty and in how many states is it applied in the US?

Capital punishment for aggravated murder is applied in 27 states.

What is the concern regarding the death penalty as a deterrent?

Conflicting evidence exists about its effectiveness as a collective deterrent.

What is 'death qualification' in juror selection?

A rigorous questioning process for potential jurors when the death penalty is an option.

What did Fitzgerald and Ellsworth (1984) find regarding jurors' views on the death penalty?

64% supported it, while 17% could never impose it.

What did Cowan et al. (1984) discover about jury composition and conviction rates?

Juries of all death qualified jurors were more likely to convict than mixed juries.

What challenges do jurors face with instructions in capital cases?

Complex instructions are often not well understood, leading to reliance on biases.

What was the finding of Lynch & Haney (2000) regarding race and juror comprehension?

When jurors understood instructions, race had no impact on death penalty recommendations.

What happens when jurors have low comprehension of instructions in capital cases?

Racial biases significantly influence decision-making, particularly against black defendants.