The effect of race on prospective jurors’ trust in courtroom participants: A research note

Abstract

Recent controversial trials have again raised questions about the composition of juries and jury members' attitudes. This study explores the effect of a prospective juror's race on the amount of trust ascribed to major courtroom participants. Based on a survey of individuals eligible for jury duty, we find that race demonstrates an independent effect on trust levels. African-American prospective jurors were least likely to ascribe trust to prosecution actors (authorities) and most likely to ascribe trust to defense actors, but these attitudinal positions resulted in an essentially neutral position. Hispanics demonstrated levels of trust between African-Americans and Whites. Whites provided the greatest attitudinal difference between trust of prosecution and defense, with the lowest defense trust scores and the highest prosecution trust scores.