Identifying Factors that Shape Capital Jurors' Impressions of Attorneys

Abstract

Research has explored how jurors perceive a wide range of stimuli in capital cases. Studies have measured capital jurors' perceptions of evidence, arguments, witnesses, defendants, punishments, and aggravating and mitigating factors. There is, however, relatively little empirical evidence regarding how capital jurors perceive attorneys in these cases. This research attempts to fill this gap by and describing capital jurors' impressions of trial attorneys. The data derive from transcripts of interviews conducted by the Capital Jury Project with 1,198 former capital jurors. Thematic analysis was used to identify the factors that form the basis of capital jurors' impressions of attorneys. Findings show that eleven factors exert a powerful influence on how jurors in capital cases come to perceive defense and prosecuting attorneys.