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The Impact of Graphic Photographic Evidence on Mock Jurors’ Decisions in a Murder Trial: Probative or Prejudicial?

The Impact of Graphic Photographic Evidence on Mock Jurors’ Decisions in a Murder Trial:... Although courts in the United States and Canada regularly admit graphic photographs into evidence, little research exists on whether such evidence prejudices the decisions of jurors. Mock jurors (N = 120) read a detailed trial transcript of a murder trial, and were either presented with color, black and white, or no photographs of an actual murder victim. The proportion of guilty verdicts in the color and the black and white photograph conditions was approximately double that in the control condition. Both groups were more likely than the control condition to report emotional distress and physical reactions in response to viewing the photographs. By contrast, there were few differences between groups concerning the extent to which participants felt that the photographs influenced verdicts. Participants in all conditions equally felt that they had acted fairly. Implications surrounding the admissibility of graphic photographic evidence, and the seeming inability of participants to recognize that their judgments were biased, are discussed. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Law and Human Behavior American Psychological Association

The Impact of Graphic Photographic Evidence on Mock Jurors’ Decisions in a Murder Trial: Probative or Prejudicial?

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References (25)

Publisher
American Psychological Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 American Psychological Association
ISSN
0147-7307
eISSN
1573-661X
DOI
10.1023/A:1024823706560
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Although courts in the United States and Canada regularly admit graphic photographs into evidence, little research exists on whether such evidence prejudices the decisions of jurors. Mock jurors (N = 120) read a detailed trial transcript of a murder trial, and were either presented with color, black and white, or no photographs of an actual murder victim. The proportion of guilty verdicts in the color and the black and white photograph conditions was approximately double that in the control condition. Both groups were more likely than the control condition to report emotional distress and physical reactions in response to viewing the photographs. By contrast, there were few differences between groups concerning the extent to which participants felt that the photographs influenced verdicts. Participants in all conditions equally felt that they had acted fairly. Implications surrounding the admissibility of graphic photographic evidence, and the seeming inability of participants to recognize that their judgments were biased, are discussed.

Journal

Law and Human BehaviorAmerican Psychological Association

Published: Oct 1, 1997

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