Defendant Remorse and Publicity in Capital Trials: Is Seeing Truly Believing?

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2015

Journal / Book Title

Criminal Justice and Behavior

Abstract

Exposure to negative pre-trial publicity (PTP) can bias jurors, but the role of PTP in capital sentencing remains unclear. The goal of this study was to examine how variations in PTP concerning a defendant’s emotions prior to sentencing and variations in the defendant’s emotions during sentencing influenced sentencing decisions. One hundred death-qualified community members served as mock jurors in a 2 (pre-sentencing publicity [PSP]: emotional vs. unemotional) × 2 (defendant’s behavior at sentencing: emotional vs. unemotional) between groups factorial design. Participants were exposed to PSP approximately 1 week before viewing a DVD of a simulated sentencing hearing in which we manipulated the defendant’s behavior. Appearing emotional during sentencing decreased the likelihood of a death sentence and improved evaluations of the defendant, but PSP exerted no effect on decision making. Attitudes toward the death penalty directly affected sentencing decisions and moderated the effects of both publicity and sentencing behavior.

DOI

10.1177/0093854815602500

Published Citation

Tallon, J. A., Daftary-Kapur, T., & Penrod, S. (2015). Defendant Remorse and Publicity in Capital Trials: Is Seeing Truly Believing? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 42(12), 1282-1302. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854815602500

This document is currently not available here.

Link to Publisher
Link at MSU

Share

COinS