ICPS
2019 International Convention of Psychological Science · 2019
Jury Decision Making: Pretrial Publicity Influences Jury Decisions and the Content of Jury Deliberations
- Stephanie Diaz Ortega
University of South Florida - Christine Ruva
University of South Florida - Lea Deweerd
University of South Florida - Sabrina Zabell
University of South Florida
Abstract
Mock-jury deliberations (N=30) were content analyzed to explore how pretrial publicity (PTP: negative-defendant, negative-victim, or no-PTP) influences them. PTP exposure influenced the valence (pro-defense vs. pro-prosecution) of trial evidence discussion, frequency of PTP discussion, and verdicts. Implications are that jury instructions and deliberations are not a panacea for PTP bias.
Forensic/Criminal Justice
