Is There Racism on Juries?

1051 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: victim impact statements essay

Method Participants

A total of 133 participants (57 males, 73 females; 2 unreported) participated in this study. Participants were recruited from two online databases (SocialSci and MechanicalTurk) and students from a private northeastern college. The data from 8 participants that reported being Non-United States citizens and data from 10 participants who took less than 10 minutes or more than 2 hours was removed. Thus, the results were based on the data from 115 participants (48 male, 66 female). The mean age was 31.12 years, and most participants identified as Caucasian/White (79%). The remaining participants identified with a mix of racial backgrounds (3.5% Latino/Hispanic, 7% Asian/Pacific Islander/South Asian, 5% African American and 5% Biracial/Mixed Race). All participants provided informed consent.

Design and Materials

For this study a 2 (Perspective Taking Prime: Perspective Taking vs No Perspective Taking) x 2 (Victim Impact Statements: High Emotionality vs. Neutral Emotionality) x 2 (Victim Race: Black vs. White) between-participants design was implemented. Perspective taking, victim impact statements, and race of the victim were the independent variables manipulated to test what effect they had on jury sentencing, who did the jury hold responsible, juror empathy towards the defendant, towards the victim and towards the victim’s significant others, also taking into account jury’s attitudes towards death row, and racial stereotyping. The participants read a transcript of a trial where the defendant was found guilty.

Perspective Taking Prime. Prior to reading the trial, participants completed a test that ostensibly measured their cognitive skills. This task was a sentence-unscrambling task where participants would ...

... middle of paper ...

...family. Half the participants were randomly assigned the summary with high emotionally charged victim impact statements by the victim’s family on the profound impact of the death of the victim. The other half read victim impact statements that were neutral in the emotional content.

After reading the trial materials including the victim impact statements, participants rendered a sentence of either life in prison or the death penalty. Participants then completed a series of questionnaires that measured their empathy towards the defendant and victim, their attitude towards death penalty and their implicit and explicit racial attitudes. Lastly, we assessed a few manipulation checks and the participant’s demographic information, such as gender, age, and ethnicity. Finally, after having completing the questionnaires, participants were thanked and debriefed online.

Show More
Related

  • Racial Discrimination in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

    1326 Words  | 3 Pages

    racial discrimination. This has the ability to divide a community, create unjust actions in a court of law, and have irreparable damage on the community. These effects are evident in the book. Using the unjust case of Tom Robinson, Lee displays how racism overtakes all things humane and causes a society to become vile towards an innocent man due to the

    Read More

  • Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Racism today is considered a terrible thing, but if we go back a few years to the 1930’s racism was considered normal. Racism is defined as “A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). One of the main themes in “To Kill a Mockingbird” is Racism: we see this in he way the whole community resents Atticus for defending Tom Robinson, in the outcome of Tom’s

    Read More

  • Prejudice And Racism In The 1930's

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.” (Parks). Racism was was a major problem in the 1930’s and was the main controversy at that time. Many people had different views and opinions on racism which in turn led to the civil rights movement in the later 1950’s and 1960’s that Rosa Parks was a major contender in. The justice system in the 1930’s was enormously corrupt by the racism and Jim Crow laws. In that

    Read More

  • A Time To Kill

    1907 Words  | 4 Pages

    of the case immediately, they decide that Carl Lee with plea not guilty by reason of insanity. The District Attorney, Rufus Buckley, begins to discuss the importance of keeping the case in this county in order to have a better chance of an all white jury, Jake files a change of venue for the opposite reason. Meanwhile, members of the Cobb and Willard family seek out the Ku-Klux-Klan to get even with Carl Lee and Jake, they begin a Klan chapter in their county, which immediately begins to terrorize

    Read More

  • Pena-Rodriguez V. Colorado Case Summary

    1632 Words  | 4 Pages

    retrial because of Rule 606(b), which, “prohibits introduction of evidence regarding statements made in jury deliberations,” and therefore Miguel Pena-Rodriguez could not use the racial comment from the jurors in this retrial (Ballotpedia). However, Miguel Pena-Rodriguez argues that this rule cannot apply to cases of racial biases because it impedes on his Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury (Ballotpedia). In Colorado, and in many states the Rule 606(b), otherwise known as the “no impeachment

    Read More

  • Moral Chaos in Harper Lee's Maycomb

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    existence of the social inequality that is white supremacy. Whether by following lead or by ignoring the problem altogether, it is the people alone who allow injustices to occur. In a public appeal for an era of tolerance, Harper Lee attacks Southern racism through Scout Finch's narration of her father's failure to correct a corrupt legal system dominated by prejudiced citizens seeking to rule the law by their own hands. Tom Robinson, the man falsely accused of raping the poor, white woman, Mayella

    Read More

  • Racial Biases In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    Micah Bodin Professor Name ENGL-1003-W01 27 March 2017 To Kill a Mockingbird: Racism and Morality Racism as an issue has been a matter of fact among the human societies since the end of the 19th century. Black people were predetermined throughout the history by the racist societies due to their skin color.(Rezazade). To Kill a Mockingbird, is set in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, 1930’s. The story involves the court case of Tom Robinson, an innocent black man that has been accused of beating

    Read More

  • The Critical Race Theory: Examination of Minority Involvement in the Canadian Criminal Justice Sys

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    In many cases, a jury will be selected and will consist of all Caucasian members. This is not proportional to the number of minority members of any given community, town or city. Specifically, five cases are cited to show that after a white police officer shoots an individual criminal charges are generally dismissed. However, the fact remains that visible minorities are likely to be shot more often, and to be killed more often by white police officers. Further, at each trial no jury memb... ... middle

    Read More

  • Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    children are like sponges; they will take in any and all words and apply them to their own life even if they have no knowledge of what it means. This metaphor is especially prevalent in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird where it is displayed that racism is something that is learned, not something natural through the use of setting and contrasting opinions. Lee stresses racism’s reliance on being taught through the use of contradicting

    Read More

  • America’s Racist Society Exposed in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    Depression, racism was a common practice in the southern states of the US. Negros and those who opposed the intolerance were often discriminated by the rest of the bias and ignorant society, who believed in white supremacy and superiority over the other races. Maycomb, a racist town, exemplify this discrimination, imperiously judging others they view as being dissimilar from themselves. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, the author, weaves a brilliant story of prejudice, discrimination, and racism shown

    Read More

  • Picking Cotton: Racism, And Ronald Cotton

    1325 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Forgiveness" and "racism" are two words that usually do not go together. Surprisingly enough Picking Cotton tells the story of how Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton showed the upmost forgiveness for a wrongful conviction that in part was caused due to the racism. Racism was surely present in the South in the early 1900 's, but historically one does not think racism was a major issue in the 80 's. In one man 's opinion, Ronald Cotton, the Burlington police had racist views that contributed to him

    Read More

  • The Characters Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    shows how racism is like darkness and hate and love and light are the only way to drive racism out. The story takes place at the time of the great depression. Scout lives in a very racist and judgement city in the south. A black male is accused of raping a white woman. Scouts dad Atticus gets appointed to be the defendant's lawyer. Racism is an antagonist in To Kill A Mockingbird because the white people of Maycomb discriminate the blacks and make them feel lesser. The theme racism can be harmful

    Read More

  • Tom Robinson's Trial

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, racism is a pervasive force that affects everybody who crosses its path. Racism presents itself in many ways in the town of Maycomb. Some are blatant and open, but others are more subtle. The most obvious way racism presents itself in Maycomb is the outcome of Tom Robinson’s trial, but it also affects Atticus, who chooses to put all his effort into defending Tom Robinson. Racism even found its way into the lives of Jem and Scout when Atticus is appointed

    Read More

  • How Is Atticus Wrong In To Kill A Mockingbird

    585 Words  | 2 Pages

    people and groups. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, racism is a major problem throughout the entire novel. Dividing the town and making them choose between what's right and wrong. Atticus is chosen to be a lawyer for a black man that was accused of raping a white girl in a small town. Most white people in the town think hes doing something wrong. The black people see him as hero and show respect to him. After the trial the jury says Tom Robinson is guilty after clear evidence shows he is

    Read More

  • Race and the American Criminal Justice System: The O.J. Simpson Case

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    Race and the American Criminal Justice System: The O.J. Simpson Case Historically racism has pervaded the administration of justice in America and Canada. Racial biases against blacks are still apparent today through the many different arenas of the criminal justice system. Black Americans argue that they are treated unequally and more brutally than whites at all levels in the criminal justice system. As a result of this unequal treatment blacks are more likely to be arrested, charged, convicted

    Read More

More about Is There Racism on Juries?

Open Document