Exam 2 - Textbook Terms Chapters 12 Flashcards
__________ - In an effort to break a deadlock that might result in a hung jury, the judge asks the jury “to reexamine your views and to seriously consider each other’s arguments with a disposition to be convinced.”
dynamite charge (or Allen charge or shotgun instruction)
__________ - A deliberation process in which juries postpone the first vote until after jurors have had a careful, systematic discussion of the evidence. This style appears to produce richer, more probing discussions than a verdict-driven style.
evidence-driven style
__________ - Witnesses who offer testimony based on specialized knowledge, training, or experience.
expert witnesses
__________ - Juries that cannot reach a unanimous verdict.
hung juries
__________ - Evidence intended to damage the credibility of a witness’s statements.
impeachment evidence
__________ - Information that might be prejudicial and is therefore not admitted into evidence by the judge in a trial.
inadmissible evidence
__________ - A process in which jurors change their opinions because other jurors make compelling arguments.
informational influence
__________ - Processes in which we make an effort not to think about something, often resulting in that thing’s dominating our thoughts, especially when we are under stress and much of our mental capacity is already in use.
ironic processes
__________ - In a criminal case, a phenomenon whereby the jury may base its verdict on reasoning that ignores, disregards, or goes beyond the law. In part, this result is permitted because juries are expected to represent the moral conscience of the community, which may lead them to a different conclusion than the law prescribes.
jury nullification
jury nullification - In a criminal case, a phenomenon whereby the jury may base its verdict on reasoning that ignores, disregards, or goes beyond the __________. In part, this result is permitted because juries are expected to represent the __________ conscience of the community, which may lead them to a different conclusion than the law prescribes.
- law
- moral
__________ - In evenly split juries, where roughly half the jurors favor “guilty” on the initial vote and the other half favor “not guilty,” it is much more likely that the final verdict will be “not guilty.”
leniency bias
leniency bias - In evenly split juries, where roughly half the jurors favor “guilty” on the initial vote and the other half favor “not guilty,” it is much more likely that the final verdict will be “__________.”
not guilty
__________ - A hypothesis predicting that in cases where the evidence is ambiguous or less than compelling, jurors will be “liberated” from the constraints of evidence and will base their decisions on factors such as prior beliefs, past experience, or even prejudice.
liberation hypothesis
liberation hypothesis - A hypothesis predicting that in cases where the evidence is ambiguous or less than compelling, jurors will be “__________” from the constraints of evidence and will base their decisions on factors such as prior beliefs, past experience, or even __________.
- liberated
- prejudice
__________ - In describing jurors’ decision-making processes, models in which pieces of evidence are mathematically weighted to explain how jurors decide between “guilty” and “not guilty.”
mathematical models
__________ - A process in which jurors change their votes (but not necessarily their private views) in response to group pressure.
normative influence
__________ - The second phase of the jury deliberation process, in which differences in opinion among members of the jury become apparent and coalitions may form between members of the group.
open conflict
open conflict - The second phase of the jury deliberation process, in which differences in opinion among members of the jury become apparent and __________ may form between members of the group.
coalitions
__________ - The first phase of the deliberation processes during which juries elect a foreperson, discuss procedures, and raise general issues.
orientation
__________ - A ruling by a judge that an attorney’s objection to testimony or evidence presented at trial is not valid.
overrule the objection
__________ - Instructions read to the jurors by the judge before a trial begins.
preinstructions
__________ - The theory that people are motivated to maintain their sense of freedom in the face of threats to that freedom. For example, jurors may perceive a judge’s admonition to ignore inadmissible evidence as a threat to their freedom to make a decision based on all the available evidence. Jurors may react to that threat by giving the inadmissible evidence greater weight than they would have otherwise.
reactance theory
reactance theory - The theory that people are motivated to maintain their sense of freedom in the face of __________ to that freedom. For example, jurors may perceive a judge’s admonition to ignore inadmissible evidence as a threat to their freedom to make a decision based on all the available evidence. Jurors may react to that threat by giving the inadmissible evidence greater weight than they would have otherwise.
threats
__________ - The final phase of the jury deliberation process, when jurors reach a common understanding and agreement, or when one faction capitulates. Attempts may be made to soothe hurt feelings and make everyone feel satisfied with the verdict.
reconciliation
