Jury Decision Making: The State of the Science

Psychology and Crime Series

by Dennis J. Devine

While jury decision making has received considerable attention from social scientists, there have been few efforts to systematically pull together all the pieces of this research. In Jury Decision Making, Dennis J. Devine examines over 50 years of research on juries and offers a big picture overview of the field.


The volume summarizes existing theories of jury decision making and identifies what we have learned about jury behavior, including the effects of specific courtroom practices, the nature of the trial, the characteristics of the participants, and the evidence itself. Making use of those foundations, Devine offers a new integrated theory of jury decision making that addresses both individual jurors and juries as a whole and discusses its ramifications for the courts.


Providing a unique combination of broad scope, extensive coverage of the empirical research conducted over the last half century, and theory advancement, this accessible and engaging volume offers one-stop shopping for scholars, students, legal professionals, and those who simply wish to better understand how well the jury system works.

283 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[Ed Stapleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A needed summary.

A valuable summary of research and a helpful theory to bring it all together. I'd like more information on characteristics of jurors likely to acquit.