PSYC 2400 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Voir Dire, Peremptory Challenge, Note-Taking
25 May 2018
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Unit 6: Juries: Fact Finders
• Justitia (Lady Justice)
o She holds a sword in her hand to melt out punishment
o Hold scales of justice (balance & weigh evidence)
o Blindfolded (justice should be blind)
Section 1: Characteristics of Juries
How do Judicial Systems Differ?
• Judicial Systems
o Adversarial
▪ Judge not really involved
▪ Judge makes decision based on evidence presented to them
o Inquisitorial
▪ Investigation
▪ Judges more involved
• Juries
o Primarily used in criminal cases
▪ Rare, only 20%
▪ Only when perpetrator pleads not guilty, most plea barging/guilty
o Consist of 12 people
o Final verdict must be unanimous
Jury Selection
• Representativeness
o ju of oes pees
o Randomly selected from community
• Impartial
o Juror needs to set aside on biases or prejudices
• Jury selection occurs in 2 stage
o Venire
▪ Receive summons
▪ Requirements to participate
o Voir dire
▪ speak the tuth
▪ lawyers question jurors
Type of Prejudices
• Interest prejudice
o Personal connection
• Specific prejudice
o i.e., seual assault ase & oue epeieed soethig siila
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Generic prejudice
o Racial or religious
• Normative prejudice
o High profile case; whole community has bias
What can be done if jurors are not impartial?
• Adjournment
o Delay trial
o Problem – itess eo ot e as good
• Change of venue
o Move trial to a different city
• Peremptory challenge
o Disiss potetial juo ased o laes disetio
• Challenge for cause
o Dismiss potential juror based on bias/prejudice
o Other jurors decide
A Biased Juror: R. v. Guess (1998)
• Gillian Guess: juror in a murder trial
• Peter Gill: defendant charged with 2 counts of 1st degree murder (out on bail)
• Gill: found not guilty
• Both convicted of obstruction of justice
• Guess: I hae ee convicted for falling in love and nothing more. I have not committed
a ie
Legal Function of Juries
• 2 legal functions
o to decide the facts from the trial evidence
o to decide on a verdict
• Burden of proof: beyond reasonable doubt
• Sentencing is not a function of Canadian juries (except recommending parole eligibility
in 2nd degree murder)
Section 2: Jury Selection Methods
Jury Selection: General Attitudes
• Personality traits – Authoritarianism
o “oeoe hos e igid, eall espets authoit, eliee i the la
o Legal attitudes scale
▪ too a oiousl guilt pesos esape puishet eause of legal
tehialities
▪ upstadig itizes hae othig to fea fo polie
o prosecutors would wat juos to hae this tait, & defese ot
• Bias
o Pro-prosecution or pro-defense
o Juror Bias Scale
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Justitia (lady justice: she holds a sword in her hand to melt out punishment, hold scales of justice (balance & weigh evidence, blindfolded (justice should be blind) Judge makes decision based on evidence presented to them. Juries: primarily used in criminal cases, rare, only 20, only when perpetrator pleads not guilty, most plea barging/guilty, consist of 12 people, final verdict must be unanimous. Jury selection: representativeness, (cid:862)ju(cid:396)(cid:455) of o(cid:374)e(cid:859)s pee(cid:396)s(cid:863, randomly selected from community. Impartial: juror needs to set aside on biases or prejudices. Jury selection occurs in 2 stage: venire, receive summons, requirements to participate, voir dire, (cid:862)speak the t(cid:396)uth(cid:863) Interest prejudice: personal connection, specific prejudice i. e. , se(cid:454)ual assault (cid:272)ase & (cid:455)ou(cid:859)(cid:448)e e(cid:454)pe(cid:396)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)ed so(cid:373)ethi(cid:374)g si(cid:373)ila(cid:396, generic prejudice, racial or religious, normative prejudice, high profile case; whole community has bias. Ide(cid:374)tif(cid:455) the (cid:272)ha(cid:396)a(cid:272)te(cid:396)isti(cid:272)s of the (cid:862)ideal(cid:863) ju(cid:396)o(cid:396) to ha(cid:448)e o(cid:396) to a(cid:448)oid: conduct surveys, set up focus groups, conduct mock trials, not in canada.
