NCJ Number
62489
Date Published
1979
Length
12 pages
Annotation
AN EXAMINATION OF THE DECISION PROCESSES OF JURIES IN RAPE TRIALS USING A SAMPLING OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS PRESENTED; FINDINGS SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT LEGAL TRUISMS SHOULD BE SUBJECTED TO EMPIRICAL TESTING.
Abstract
THE MOCK JURORS IN THIS STUDY WERE 95 OTTAWA RESIDENTS. THE 51 WOMEN AND 44 MEN RANGED IN AGE FROM 17 TO 68. POTENTIAL SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE AS JURORS IN A CARLTON UNIVERSITY STUDY. SUBJECTS WERE INFORMED THAT THE WORK WOULD INVOLVE WATCHING A FILM OF A CRIMINAL TRIAL, DELIBERATING THE CASE, AND FILLING OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE. THEY BELIEVED THAT COURTROOM HANDLING OF CERTAIN CASES, NOT INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDE WAS THE FOCUS OF THE PROJECT. MOCK JURORS COMPLETED PERSONAL INFORMATION SHEETS AND ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRES FOR THE STUDY. THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE STUDY CASE; ALL VARIATIONS INVOLVED DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS ABOUT PAST SEXUAL BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF THE WOMAN INVOLVED. THE FINDINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE THREE VERSIONS OF THE CASE WERE CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE CRITICAL FACTORS IN THE CASE LIE SOMEWHERE ELSE THAN IN THE VICTIM'S SEXUAL HISTORY. IN AADDITION, A HIGHER PROPORTION OF MEN DECIDED TO ACQUIT THE DEFENDANT. OTHER FINDINGS IN THE STUDY PERTAIN TO SOCIAL BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS AND SEX-ROLE ATTITUDES IN RELATION TO TRIAL VERDICTS. THE MAIN FINDINGS HAS BEEN AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SEX-ROLE ATTITUDES AND VERDICTS AMONG FEMALE JURORS. THE MORE EGALITARIAN FEMALE JURORS WERE LESS LIKELY TO FIND THE DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY THAN THOSE WHO WERE LESS EGALITARIAN. HOWEVER, AMONG MALE JURORS THERE WAS NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DECISIONS AND SEX-ROLE ATTITUDES. NOTES, REFERENCES, AND TABULAR INFORMATION ARE PROVIDED IN THE CHAPTER. (LWM)