Effects of juror gender and confession evidence on trial outcomes for juvenile defendants

What is it about?

When a teenager confesses to a crime, how jurors respond may depend not just on the facts—but also on who those jurors are. This study looked at whether women and men jurors react differently to juvenile confessions and how those reactions affect their decisions in court. The researchers explored how juror gender might influence feelings of empathy, belief in the confession, and support for punishment. They found that women jurors tended to show less empathy for the teen defendant than men did and, in turn, women were more likely to vote guilty when the teen had confessed voluntarily. However, women and men reported similar levels of empathy and convicted at similar rates when the teen had confessed under coercion or did not confess at all. This suggests that even voluntary confessions may introduce prejudice against a juvenile defendant depending on different social and contextual factors.

Featured Image

Photo by ALEJANDRO POHLENZ on Unsplash

Photo by ALEJANDRO POHLENZ on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study revealed that juror gender plays a role in how voluntary confession evidence is interpreted and how much empathy is shown toward juvenile defendants. These findings point to the importance of considering juror characteristics in trial outcomes and support further examination of emotional and social influences on legal decision-making.