Jury Dynamics

Abstract

In most cases, jury verdicts are related to the strength of the evidence; whichever side has the more compelling evidence is likely to prevail. In addition, judges tend to agree with the verdict that a jury returns. These two empirical findings suggest that jury verdicts are usually defensible and reasonable. On occasion, though, jurors' decisions are influenced by personal biases and predilections, and jurors can have difficulty in understanding complicated evidence and applying abstract legal concepts. Various reforms of trial procedures, such as giving pretrial instructions, allowing jurors to take notes, and presenting jury instructions in simpler language, enhance jurors' abilities to return fair and predictable verdicts.