NCJ Number
60938
Journal
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 1-12
Date Published
1979
Length
12 pages
Annotation
CHARACTERISTICS OF 171 POTENTIAL JURORS IN 6 NEGLIGENCE CASES IN TEXAS WERE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE IF JURORS SELECTED BY ATTORNEYS DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM JURORS CHOSEN RANDOMLY.
Abstract
CHARACTERISTICS STUDIED WERE AGE, SEX, OCCUPATION, AND ETHNIC GROUP MEMBERSHIP. FOUR OF THE SIX CASES WERE MINOR MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION INJURY CASES; TWO CASES WERE WRONGFUL DEATH CASES, ONE FROM MALPRACTICE AND ONE FROM MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION. POTENTIAL JURORS UNDER 41 WERE SELECTED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OFTEN THAN THOSE OVER 40 (P LESS THAN .05). THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ATTORNEY SELECTION AND RANDOM SELECTION IN 15 OF THE 32 PATTERNS OF CHARACTERISTICS (P LESS THAN .05). CAUCASIAN PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS, HOUSEWIVES, UNEMPLOYED CAUCASIAN MALES, AND CAUCASIAN CLERICAL WORKERS HAD AN OVERALL BETTER PROBABILITY OF SELECTION THAN OTHER CATEGORIES FOR THOSE UNDER AGE 40. NO JURORS HAD OCCUPATIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF THE PARTIES IN A CASE. TECHNICALLY ORIENTED PEOPLE OR THOSE WORKING IN ISOLATION WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE SELECTED BY PLAINTIFF ATTORNEYS. THE GROUP WITH THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF BEING CHOSEN WAS HOUSEWIVES. FURTHER RESEARCH ON JUROR SELECTION IN CIVIL CASES, AND IN OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES, AND VOTING PATTERNS OF DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS, IS RECOMMENDED. TABLES AND A REFERENCE LIST ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)