The Psychology of Juries

Catalog description

The jury is praised by some as an important symbol of democracy, yet sharply criticized by others as incompetent and biased. This course uses a psychological perspective to evaluate claims about the strengths and limitations of the contemporary jury. This course explores the work of legal scholars, psychologists, and other social scientists who have studied the jury in depth. Questions that will be addressed include: What are barriers to jury service? Do juries represent all segments of their communities? Can lawyers stack a jury in their favor? How do jurors use trial evidence and legal rules to decide verdicts or which defendants should be sentenced to death? Are jurors influenced by the "CSI effect"? What should judges do about jurors' use of the internet and social media? The course focuses on how psychological theories and research can shed light on these issues, how the legal system can be informed by the results of research, and how to design future research to address remaining questions. Theories and methods from many subdisciplines of psychology will be featured. Prerequisite(s): declared criminal justice majors only; R CRJ 201, R CRJ/A SOC 203, and junior or senior standing.