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This study explores and compares the viewpoints of law enforcement and non-law enforcement/student populations regarding terrorist profiling. The research reveals that law enforcement subjects are more likely than non-law enforcement subjects to support the usefulness of terrorist profiling and to be more suspicious of Middle Eastern males in regard to terrorist acts similar to September 11. No significant difference is found between their beliefs regarding racial or terrorist profiling being required to effectively combat terrorism. To explain the results, the article provides the historical background of criminal, racial, and terrorist profiling. The findings provide knowledge useful for enhancing the understanding needed for more effective community policing in a homeland security era.

Research supports the finding that jurors' decisions are affected by many variables other than the evidence presented during trial. Most of this research has focused on jury decision making during the guilt determining phase of the trial, while very little study has been devoted to the sentencing phase. As victims of crime have demanded more attention in the criminal justice system over the past decade, more cases and research have focused on the “rights” of victims and how they may have an impact on the outcome of a criminal trial. This article examines the research regarding the variables which affect jury decision making during the guilt and penalty phases of a criminal case while emphasizing the need for further research in the area of how victim impact evidence affects the jury's decision.

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