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Effects of prior juror experience on jury sentencing
Author(s) -
Himelein Melissa J.,
Nietzel Michael T.,
Dillehay Ronald C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2370090111
Subject(s) - jury , psychology , jury trial , set (abstract data type) , law , scale (ratio) , criminology , social psychology , political science , computer science , physics , quantum mechanics , programming language
The effect of prior juror service on jury sentencing was investigated in an archival study of 143 criminal trials resulting in convictions. Trials took place over two calendar years in a state circuit court requiring jurors to serve 30‐day terms. Jurors sentenced defendants in each case according to a set of guidelines determined by trial judges. The severity of the sentences imposed by jurors was rated by 101 subjects on a scale of 1 (least severe) to 100 (most severe). The results indicated that the more experienced juries gave significantly more severe sentences than did the less experienced juries. This finding was unchanged when civil court experience was considered in addition to criminal court experience. Possible interpretations of these results are discussed.