NCJ Number
228074
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 36 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 923-934
Date Published
September 2009
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the influence of age of witness testifying, the witness's relationship to the crime, and type of identification decision made on juror's perceptions of witness credibility, accuracy of crime details testified about, and final verdict.
Abstract
The results of the study suggest that jurors were at least somewhat influenced by a witness's age, a witness's relationship to the crime, and an eyewitness's identification decision when determining the accuracy and credibility of a witness. The offender's physical description was perceived as more accurate with a positive versus foil identification. Child victims were perceived as credible as adult victims, but a child as a bystander was perceived as less credible than an adult bystander. More guilty verdicts were rendered with a positive identification versus non-identification. Jurors' perceptions of witness credibility and the evaluation of witness testimony were thought to be influenced by witness characteristics, such as the age of the witness (child versus adult), and the witness's relationship to the crime (victim versus bystander). Also, jurors' perceptions of accuracy of the eyewitness identification decision made by the witness were thought to potentially influence how accurate other details in their testimony were perceived and ultimately influenced the verdict. In this study, 363 mock jurors read a trial transcript summary and rated their perceptions of witness accuracy and credibility. References