PREVIOUS JURY SERVICE AS A MODERATING INFLUENCE ON JURORS' BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES

• NCJ Number: 58168
• Journal: Psychological Reports Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 567-572
• Author(s): R M DURAND; W O BEARDEN; A W GUSTAFSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 6 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Alabama Perm Study Comm. on the Judicial System
• Corporate Author: Psychological Reports
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TO ASCERTAIN THE EFFECT OF PRIOR JURY SERVICE ON JUROR BELIEF AND OVERALL ATTITUDES TOWARD SERVICE, 136 RANDOMLY SELECTED PERSONS WHO HAD BEEN SUMMONED FOR JURY DUTY WERE STUDIED.

Abstract

SUBJECTS CAME FROM A LARGE SOUTHERN STATE; OF 166 SUBJECTS, 30 WERE REMOVED FROM ANALYSIS BECAUSE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE IMPROPERLY COMPLETED. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED AFTER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS IN THE COURTROOM AND ROLL CALL BY THE JUDGE ON THE FIRST DAY OF JURY SERVICE. DATA WERE GATHERED DURING TWO PERIODS, DECEMBER 1976 AND JANUARY 1977, TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE AND REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE. BELIEFS CONCERNING JURY DUTY WERE SELECTED FOR ANALYSIS, INCLUDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, FINANCIAL COMPENSATION, TREATMENT BY COURT PERSONNEL, TIME UTILIZATION, PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS, INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, AND LENGTH OF SERVICE. THESE BELIEFS WERE OPERATIONALLY MEASURED BY ASKING PROSPECTIVE JURORS TO RESPOND TO BELIEF STATEMENTS. MULTIPLE REGRESSION TECHNIQUES WERE EMPLOYED TO EXAMINE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN JUROR BELIEFS ABOUT SERVICE AND THEIR ATTITUDES. OF THE 136 RESPONDENTS, 82 HAD NO PRIOR SERVICE WHILE 51 REPORTED SOME PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BELIEFS TOWARD JURY SERVICE AND OVERALL ATTITUDES WAS NOT EQUIVALENT FOR THE TWO GROUPS (THOSE WITH EXPERIENCE AND THOSE WITH NO EXPERIENCE). FOR BOTH GROUPS, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS WAS POSITIVELY RELATED TO ATTITUDES. THE BELIEF IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WAS SIGNIFICANT ONLY FOR PERSONS WHO HAD ALREADY SERVED. PERSONS WITH PRIOR EXPERIENCE RECOGNIZED THAT THEY MAY NOT BE KEPT WELL-INFORMED BUT STILL HAD A POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF JURY SERVICE. THE STUDY RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONTENTION THAT MAJOR DIFFERENCES EXIST BETWEEN PROSPECTIVE JURORS WHO HAVE HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN JURY SERVICE AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT. THESE DIFFERENCES INDICATE THAT ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT POTENTIAL SEGMENTS OF JURORS BY COURT MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL. INFORMATIONAL AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR JURORS REPORTING PRIOR SERVICE SHOULD EMPHASIZE THAT SERVICE IS A WORTHWHILE CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE DISSEMINATED, AND THAT PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS ARE ADEQUATE. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)