The influence of defendant body size and defendant gender on mock juror decision-making

Objectives: These studies were designed to extend the limited psycho-legal literature on weight bias in juror decision-making. Methods: In two studies, students (N = 208) and online community participants (N = 199) read a fabricated theft trial transcript in which we varied the defendant’s weight (overweight, average weight, underweight) and gender (man, woman). Participants then made verdict decisions and completed a measure of positive attitudes toward obesity. Results: In Study 1, the overweight condition featured a fairly even verdict split, while the underweight and average weight conditions featured a higher proportion of guilty verdicts than not guilty verdicts. In Study 2, among those with more positive attitudes toward obesity, the average weight condition yielded a greater likelihood of a guilty verdict as compared to the underweight condition. Thus, Study 1 revealed relative leniency toward a defendant who was overweight, whereas Study 2 revealed more lenient decisions for a defendant who was underweight (as a function of attitudes). There were no significant gender effects. Conclusions: Findings are inconsistent with bias against obesity shown in the extant literature, which might be attributable to idiosyncrasies of the case material used. In general, results indicate that defendant weight is a source of bias among mock jurors. Future researchers examining weight bias in the courtroom should consider the potential effects of crime congruency by exploring defendant weight in different types of criminal cases

A critique of models and measures of treatment readiness in offenders

Assessing offender readiness for treatment has major implications in terms of determining program referrals, dropout rates and, hence, program efficiency and efficacy. To be treatment ready means that the offender is motivated, finds programming relevant and meaningful, and has the capacity to successfully engage in and complete treatment. The objective of this paper is to systematically review the current methods of defining and measuring the construct of offender treatment readiness. A review of 11 measures assessing treatment readiness is described. Commonalities and differences between the measures are discussed, as well as their psychometric properties and different theoretical models. This paper concludes that there is a lack of consensus regarding the construct of treatment readiness and highlights the need for its standardized assessment. While there are various instruments developed to examine treatment readiness, there have been few efforts in validating the variables and elements encompassed by this construct. The need for a solid theoretical model is identified. Implications regarding best practices are described, as well as future directions on how to develop a psychometrically sound measure

Defendant mental illness and juror decision-making: A comparison of sample types

Two studies were conducted with separate student and community samples to explore the effect of sample types and the influence of defendant mental illness on juror decision-making. Following the completion of a pre-trial questionnaire in which jurors' attitudes towards mental illness were assessed, participants were provided with a robbery trial transcript, wherein the mental illness of the defendant was manipulated. Participants then answered a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of the scenario, their verdict, verdict confidence, and sentencing decision. Limited relationships were found between the variables in both Study 1 and Study 2. Neither attitude ratings nor mental illness type had a significant effect on juror decisions. Samples differed in terms of the paths through which juror decisions were achieved. Findings suggest that sample type may be particularly relevant for this topic of study, and that future research is required on legal proceedings for cases involving a defendant with a mental illness

Juror decision making in not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder trials: Effects of defendant gender and mental illness type

This study sought to examine the potential impact of defendant gender and mental illness type on Canadian juror decision making by manipulating the gender (man, woman) and mental illness (substance abuse disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar, depression) of the defendant in a second-degree murder case involving an insanity plea. Participants read a trial transcript that included definitions of second-degree murder and the not criminally on account of mental disorder (NCRMD) defense. Participants then provided a verdict (guilty or NCRMD) and completed various scales measuring attributional judgments, perceptions of the defendant, and perceived dangerousness. Contrary to expectations, NCRMD was chosen over a guilty verdict in the majority of cases. Findings also indicated that participant decisions and perceptions regarding defendants diagnosed with substance abuse disorder differed from the other mental illness groups. The gender of the defendant had an influence on partic

Racial Composition of Couples in Battered Spouse Syndrome Cases: A Look at Juror Perceptions and Decisions

This study manipulated the race of the defendant (wife) and the victim (husband)—White/White, White/Black, Black/Black, and Black/White—in a murder case involving a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) to examine the potential prejudicial impact of race on juror decision-making. A total of 244 jury-eligible American community members read a trial transcript of a murder case in which the defendant claimed self-defense using evidence of battered spouse syndrome. Participants provided a verdict, responsibility attributions, and their perceptions of the scenario. Findings revealed that the Black defendant (wife) was more likely to be found not guilty by reason of self-defense, and female jurors were overall more likely to acquit the defendant (wife) than were men. These results contribute to the scarce literature on the influence of race on perceptions of legal proceedings involving IPV