SOME DATA ON JUROR ATTITUDES TOWARDS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

• NCJ Number: 2473
• Author(s): H ZEISEL
• Date Published: 1968
• Length: 51 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Chicago
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A SAMPLING OF JUROR ATTITUDES TOWARD CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Abstract

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER WAS TO PROVIDE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES CREATED BY THE DISQUALIFICATION FROM CAPITAL CASES OF JURORS WHO HAVE SCRUPLES AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY. THE ISSUES ALL CONVERGE ON THE GENERAL PROBLEM OF WHETHER THESE JURORS ARE SUFFICIENTLY DIFFERENT IN OTHER IMPORTANT RESPECTS, SO THAT THEIR ELIMINATION RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FAIRNESS OF THE JURY SELECTION IN CAPITAL CASES. DATA DID SHOW THAT THE JURORS WHO PROFESS SCRUPLES AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY ARE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE JURORS WHO HAVE NO SUCH SCRUPLES. THEY ARE DIFFERENT IN BACKGROUND, IN BASIC ATTITUDES, AND PROBABLY ALSO IN THEIR VOTING PROPENSITY ON THE ISSUE OF GUILT. THE SUMMARY REMOVAL OF THESE JURORS, THEREFORE, RAISES MAJOR QUESTIONS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)