Legal Decision-Making in an Adult Rape Case Involving DNA Evidence-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Legal Decision-Making in an Adult Rape Case Involving DNA Evidence

Published:2024-04-25 Issue: Volume: Page:
ISSN:1077-8012
Container-title:Violence Against Women
language:en
Short-container-title:Violence Against Women

Author:

Mecikalski Alexa A.¹^ORCID,Golding Jonathan M.²,Burke Kelly C.³,Neuschatz Jeffrey S.¹

Affiliation:

1. Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, USA

2. Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

3. Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA

Abstract

This study investigated how jurors use deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence in an adult rape trial with a female victim and a male stranger defendant. Community members read a trial summary and then made case judgments (e.g., verdict). Results showed: (a) DNA evidence led to more pro-victim judgments (e.g., more guilty verdicts) than those who did not receive DNA evidence; (b) women were more pro-victim than men; (c) pro-victim judgments indirectly affected the presence of DNA evidence and verdict; and (d) the reason for a guilty verdict when DNA evidence was present typically noted a focus on the victim and DNA evidence.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Link

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10778012241247199

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