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NCJRS Abstract

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NCJ Number:	168646

Title:	Case of Everyday Justice: Free Press v. Fair Trial in a Burglary Case

Journal:	Journal of Crime and Justice Volume:20 Issue:1 Dated:(1997) Pages:1-22

Author(s):	J L Miller; G Simons

Date Published:	1997

Page Count:	22

Type:	Report (Study/Research)

Format:	Article

Language:	English

Country:	United States of America

Annotation:	This study investigates how the social structure of an everyday case affects adjudication and sentencing.

Abstract:	The study, informed by Black's sociological jurisprudence, examined the pretrial media coverage of a local burglary case and how media reports influenced the attribution of guilt by individuals qualified for jury duty. The study used three research methods: a legal analysis of case documents, a qualitative content analysis of court and news media documents and a sample survey of persons qualified for jury duty. This research suggests that qualified jurors who consume media coverage of a local case come to court with a story that represents or resembles the state's case against the criminal defendant. Qualified jurors who remember a criminal suspect by name or status as a drug addict are likely to attribute guilt. The study provided strong empirical support for Black's theory of sociological jurisprudence: the social structure of the case, represented by adversary, lawyer and third-party characteristics, affected how a criminal defendant was processed through the court system. Notes, references, cases cited

Main Term(s):	Courts

Index Term(s):	Fair trial-free press; Jurisprudence; Juror characteristics; Media coverage; Pretrial publicity; Public Opinion of Crime; Sentencing factors; Trials; Voir dire



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NCJRS Abstract

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