Juries and Decision Making

Question 1

What is a jury, when are they used?

Answer 1

Minority of cases use jury (District and Supreme Court)
Criminal trials = 12 jurors
Civil trials = 6 jurors
Only 4% finalised in Supreme Court
Vast majority plead guilty so jury not needed

Question 2

Selecting jury

Answer 2

Randomly selected from a panel
Potential jurors can automatically be excluded (occupation, criminal history)
Juries should be representative (NOT THE CASE)

Question 3

What is scientific jury selection?

Answer 3

Using social science/research methods to select juries
Used in US (Harrisburg Seven = 1st case
Predict verdict based on stereotypes
Jurors seem to render verdicts based on evidence
Research in general on juries is limited due to methodological reasons

Question 4

Factors affecting jury deliberation

Answer 4

Physical attractiveness 
Social attractiveness 
Attitudinal attractiveness 
Criminal history (not allowed in Qld)
Courtroom behaviour of defendant (Lindy Chamberlain)

Question 5

Deliberation styles of jurors Verdict-driven

Evidence-driven

Answer 5

Verdict-driven: reach a verdict ASAP, majority-decision juries tend to be verdict-driven
Evidence-driven: focus on discussion and evaluation before taking a vote, deliberate longer, consider evidence and more satisfied, unanimous-decision juries are evidence druven

Question 6

Timing of ballots - group processes

Answer 6

Significant relationship btw first ballot and final jury verdict
Timing influences how jurors will change their initial verdict difference (even 5mins makes a verdict)

Question 7

Individual characteristics of jurors

Answer 7

Ability to attend to, interpret and remember evidence
Heuristics (guides/indicators) - expectations about how people are supposed to act and inferences dream from witness and victim behaviour

Question 8

Group processes

Answer 8

Men talk more than women
Interactions and discussions btw 2+ jurors (creates bond and influence)
Length of deliberation- minority move to majority over time (Asch’s experiment)
Timing of ballots (foreperson influence)
Jury size (larger juries and unanimous decisions = more hung juries)