HOW DO JURORS REACH A VERDICT? - A FIELD EXPERIMENT

• NCJ Number: 61996
• Author(s): K P TAYLOR; R W BUCHANAN; B PRYOR; D U STRAWN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE CONVENTION OF THE SPEECH COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, NOVEMBER, 1979

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE IMPACT OF PROCESS INFORMATION IN A JUDICIAL ENVIRONMENT--THE JURY DELIBERATION ROOM.

Abstract

STUDY DATA WERE COLLECTED AT A FLORIDA COURTROOM AND 10, 6-PERSON JURIES WERE SELECTED USING VOIR DIRE PROCEDURES. FIVE JURIES RECEIVED FLORIDA'S STANDARD JURY INSTRUCTION AS USUALLY DELIVERED IN A BURGLARY TRIAL. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE BASIC AND UNIFORM IN NATURE AND SERVE AS ACCURATE INSTRUCTION MODELS IN CRIMINAL CASES IN THE STATE. THE REMAINING FIVE JURIES WERE INSTRUCTED BY THE PRESIDING JUDGE USING PROCESS INSTRUCTIONS DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR THE TEST TRIAL. IN CONTRAST TO THE STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS, THESE PROVIDE A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS FOR THE JURY TO FOLLOW IN THEIR DELIBERATION. AN ANALYSIS OF THE KINDS TO STATEMENTS THE JURORS MADE AS THEY DELIBERATED A VERDICT IN A CRIMINAL TRIAL, AND COMPARISONS OF THE TWO SETS OF INSTRUCTIONS, INDICATED THAT PROCESS INSTRUCTIONS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE TIME REQUIRED TO REACH A VERDICT. A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF JUROR STATEMENTS REVEALED THAT JURORS RECEIVING STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS EXPRESSED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE STATEMENTS OF OPINION THAN JURORS IN THE SECOND GROUP. THE TWO GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER IN 14 OTHER CONTENT AREAS. REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (MJW)