Abstract
Juries and judges play a vital role in any trial as their decisions influence the results and, in some cases, the individuals’ lives. For this reason, the process of jury decision-making acquires the top priority as one of the central aspects of the modern legal system. The following paper discusses the methods used by juries, the peculiarities of making decisions, and factors that might affect their thinking and perspectives. The mathematical and story models are discussed, as well as the influence of evidence and defendant characteristics. At the same time, this information is applied to the legal and psychological perspective to understand the importance and relevance of the acquired information. The Christian worldview is also utilized to discuss the theme. In the end, the conclusion summarizing the information is given.
Introduction
A jury is a body of people responsible for making specific decisions in the court. They use available evidence related to a legal case and give a verdict. The importance of the task and its responsibility imply a critical need for improved and effective decision-making. It will help to avoid mistakes and ensure the fair nature of sentences. For this reason, juries and judges use specific models to minimize the risk of erroneous judgments and guarantee the appropriate punishment for specific offenses. Mathematical and story models are used to assist in making decisions. Furthermore, the evidence and characteristics of defendants might also be used. For this reason, these elements are analyzed regarding the legal sphere and psychology.
Synthesis of the Topic
Any trial can be viewed as a set of decisions made by judges or juries regarding existing evidence. For this reason, jurors might use various models to assist them and attain better results. For instance, Costanzo and Krauss (2018) outline that mathematical approaches are one of the common methods to make conclusions. Pieces of evidence are represented as numerical weights that can be updated during the process (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). It helps to create an accurate and relevant vision of any situation and ensures that the analysis will rest on credible findings and statistics. However, too complex mathematical models cannot be applied because they do not match up with the cognitive process of individuals (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). However, the method can guarantee clear outcomes and is used by jurors.
The story model is another possible approach to decision-making used by jurors. It means that judges can create stories supported by evidence to follow specific logic and a causal chain of events (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). In such a way, by observing the whole way made by a person, it is possible to see the goals, motifs, and actions and conclude about their nature (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). It also becomes an essential approach to viewing every case as a unique phenomenon and focusing on analyzing all aspects linked to it. Under these conditions, the story model assists jurors during their cognitive processes.
At the same time, it is vital to consider that evidence has always been viewed as the strongest factor influencing decision-making. Costanzo and Krauss (2018) assume that a jury’s verdict can be predicted regarding the credibility of evidence, its analysis, and conclusions linked to it. However, it also does not mean that only evidence matters. On the contrary, jurors have to consider numerous factors linked to every case to guarantee they remain objective and do not use biased attitudes or facts (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). In such a way, the power of evidence is one of the strongest issues influencing the decision-making process and verdicts formulated by juries.
At the same time, it is vital to consider the effects of biasing information and how they might influence decisions. For instance, defendant characteristics play a vital role during the trial. Judges are human beings, implying they might have their own preferences or subjective attitudes (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). Moreover, in some cases, race or culture might also serve as a reason for a severer or milder sentence (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). At the same time, stereotype-consistent information requires more attention from judges and stipulates the focus on details (Costanzo & Krauss, 2018). Under these conditions, numerous factors influence juries’ decision-making process and the results of any trial.
How the Topic Applies to Psychology and the Legal System
The topic of juries’ decision-making is closely linked to psychology and the legal system. Thus, the first field delves into factors and aspects influencing people’s behaviors and actions. From the psychological perspective, decision-making depends on past experiences, cognitive biases, an individual’s status, and background knowledge (Posavac et al., 2022). It correlates with the idea that a jury’s verdict rests on evidence and their analysis as they help to generate knowledge and improve outcomes. Additionally, the psychological state of a person can affect his/her thinking and behaviors (Posavac et al., 2022). For this reason, the effectiveness of models used by juries depends on the psychological aspect of their functioning and well-being.
From the legal system perspective, judges are required to provide fair verdicts, which is viewed as the basis for the work of the whole legal system. Under these conditions, decision-making models acquire the top priority as the tools helping to avoid subjective findings and guarantee that only credible evidence will be used when the case is considered (Baez et al., 2020). Jurors are also required to disregard factors that might distract them or corrupt results, such as personal feelings or characteristics (Sharpe, 2018). From the legal perspective, it guarantees that fair punishment will be provided and that parties will remain satisfied. In such a way,
Analysis of a Topic from a Christian Perspective
From the Christian perspective, judging is necessary; however, it should be fair and not affect innocent people. At the same time, the Bible says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (The Holy Bible, new international version, 1984, Matthew 7:2). It means that people responsible for making decisions should use clear and just criteria to support the work of the legal system; otherwise, they will create the precedent leading to the growth of injustice, and they will suffer from it.
Conclusion
Altogether, juries and judges are decision-makers influencing trials and verdicts. It means they have to accept the increased responsibility associated with their work. To avoid mistakes, jurors might use mathematics or story models to process evidence and make conclusions. Moreover, the existing facts should be processed to avoid misunderstandings or false ideas. From a legal and psychological perspective, the process of making a decision is also critical. First, it depends on a state of a person, his/her background knowledge, and available information. At the same time, jurors’ decisions are fundamental for the work of the whole system, meaning it is critical to ensure they are fair and objective.
References
Baez, S., Patiño-Sáenz, M., MartĂnez-Cotrina, J., Aponte, D., Caicedo, J., Santamaria-Garcia, H., Pastor, D., Gonzalez-Gaeda, M., Haissner, M., Garcia, A., & Ibanez, A. (2020). The impact of legal expertise on moral decision-making biases. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7, 103.
Costanzo, M., & Krauss, D. (2018). Forensic and legal psychology: Psychological science applied to law (4th ed.). Worth Publishers.
The Holy Bible, new international version. (1984). Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Posavac, S. S., Kardes, F. R., Posavac, H. D., & Gaffney, D. R. (2022). The utility of clinical psychology concepts for judgment and decision-making research: The case of histrionic features. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 48(1), 65–77.
Sharpe, R. (2018). Good judgment: Making judicial decisions. University of Toronto Press.