A Critical Review of the Research into the Effects of Defendant Attractiveness,Inadmissible Evidence and Restriction of Verdict Alternatives on Jury Decisions

Abstract

Social science research has explored the effects of many variables on jury decision-making. This paper reviews research on three of those variables: defendant attractiveness, inadmissible evidence, and restriction of verdict alternatives. It attempts to synthesize the results of studies in each area, while critically evaluating both the individual studies and the general methodologies employed in jury research. Suggestions are made for improving future research in these areas.

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