The role of death qualification in venirepersons’ susceptibility to victim impact statements

Abstract

Two hundred venirepersons (prospective Jurors) from the 12th Judicial Circuit in Sarasota, Florida completed the following booklet of stimulus materials: (1) one question that measured their attitudes toward the death penalty; (2) one question that categorized their death-qualification status; (3) a summary of the guilt phase and penalty phases of a capital case in which victim impact statements were either absent or present; (4) 26 questions that measured their susceptibility to victim impact statements (VIS); and (5) standard demographic questions. Both death-qualification status and the presence of victim impact statements were significantly related to attitudes toward the victim, the victim's survivors, and the defendant. Legal implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• Death qualification
• victim impact statements
• jurors
• capital punishment
• death penalty

This research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco, CA, August, 2007

This research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco, CA, August, 2007

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Rhia Krell, Deidre McCoy, and Jennifer Smith for their assistance with data collection. This manuscript was supported, in part, by the University of South Florida Internal Awards Program under Grant #R044056. This research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco, CA, August, 2007.

Notes

This research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in San Francisco, CA, August, 2007