Priming the jury by asking for Donations: An empirical and experimental study

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2019
Volume: 160
Issue: C
Pages: 158-167

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

In 1995, Texas passed a law requiring that jurors be provided an opportunity to donate jury pay to a crime victims fund. In practice, courts present this opportunity before jury selection begins, priming the jurors about the needs of crime victims, which could bias jury decision-making. We report correlational evidence that conviction rates increased after this policy was imposed. To explore a causal link, we ran a laboratory experiment, finding that male jurors are more likely to convict a defendant after being given the opportunity to donate, while female jurors are less likely to convict.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:160:y:2019:i:c:p:158-167
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-24