Date of Award
1-1-2014
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School/Department
School of Criminal Justice
Content Description
1 online resource (ix, 235 pages) : color illustrations.
Dissertation/Thesis Chair
James R. Acker
Committee Members
James R Acker, Frankie Y Bailey, William J Bowers, Allison D Redlich
Keywords
Capital-Jurors, Death-Penalty, Decision-making, Intellectual-Disability, Mental, Mitigation, Jurors, Women jurors, Capital punishment, Mentally ill offenders, Offenders with mental disabilities, Jury, Verdicts
Subject Categories
Criminology | Law | Psychology
Abstract
This research presents aspects of juror receptivity to mitigating factors of mental, cognitive/intellectual and situational impairments in capital sentencing decisions. The study examined types of mental factors, as well as the gender of defendants, the aggravating nature of the crime and victim vulnerability. An exploratory cross-tabulation analysis evaluated the percentages and relationships between juror closed-ended CJP survey responses to mental sentencing factors and mental evidence presented at trial for 38 cases. While the sample size was too small in some cells for significance testing, the percentages demonstrated patterns. A detailed qualitative analysis of 12 cases with strong evidence of mental defenses compared juror open-ended responses to trial evidence. The results were organized into five salient themes: personality disorders, intellectual disability, drug addiction, female defendants, and child victims.
Recommended Citation
Jochnowitz, Leona Deborah, "Receptivity of capital jurors to mitigating factors of mental illness, intellectual disability, and situational impairments in death penalty decisions : the capital trial analyzed as a mitigating "weight and counterweight" to premature decisions and pro-death bias" (2014). Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024). 1154.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/legacy-etd/1154