JURY VERDICTS - COMPARISON OF 6- VS 12-PERSON JURIES AND UNANIMOUS VS MAJORITY DECISION RULE IN A MURDER TRIAL

• NCJ Number: 45413
• Journal: BULLETIN OF THE PSYCHONOMIC SOCIETY Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: (1977) Pages: 175-178
• Author(s): R BUCKHOUT; S WEG; V REILLY; R FROHBOESE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 4 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: City University of New York
• Sale Source: Ctr for Responsive Psychology
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: AN EARLY REPORT OF THIS RESEARCH WAS PRESENTED TO THE EASTERN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK, APRIL 15, 1975

Annotation

RESULTS OF A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF JURY SIZE AND VERDICT DECISION RULE ON VERDICTS RENDERED ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

A TOTAL OF 180 JURORS FROM THE KINGS COUNTY, NEW YORK, JURY ASSEMBLY ROOM SERVED AS MOCK JURORS IN A MURDER TRIAL PRESENTED ON VIDEOTAPE. SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO CELLS OF A TWO BY TWO DESIGN WHICH VARIED JURY SIZE (6 VS. 12) AND VERDICT DECISION RULE (MAJORITY VS. UNANIMOUS). THAT IS, SUBJECTS WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THE FOUR FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: (1) 12-MEMBER JURIES, UNDER A UNANIMOUS DECISION RULE; (2) 12-MEMBER JURIES, UNDER A MAJORITY DECISION RULE; (3) 6-MEMBER JURIES, UNDER A UNANIMOUS DECISION RULE; OR (4) 6-MEMBER JURIES, UNDER A MAJORITY DECISION RULE. AN ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED THAT JURY VERDICTS BECAME MORE SEVERE AS A RESULT OF DELIBERATING IN THE SMALLER JURY AND UNDER MAJORITY RULE. THE MAJORITY DECISION RULE CLEARLY RESULTED IN MORE CONVICTIONS. EMPIRICAL SUPPORT FOR THE SMALLER SIZE JURY EFFECT WAS LIMITED, AS THE COURT WITHDREW PERMISSION FOR THE RESEARCH AFTER A TOTAL OF ONLY 20 JURIES WERE TESTED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED.)