| Jury selection in child sex abuse trials: a case analysis |
| Cramer RJ, Adams DD, Brodsky SL. J. Child Sex. Abuse 2009; 18(2): 190-205. |
| Affiliation: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. |
| DOI: 10.1080/10538710902743974 |
| PMID: 19306206 |
| (Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group) |
| Child sex abuse cases have been the target of considerable psycho-legal research. The present paper offers an analysis of psychological constructs for jury selection in child sex abuse cases from the defense perspective. The authors specifically delineate general and case-specific jury selection variables. General variables include authoritarianism, dogmatism, need for cognition, pretrial knowledge, and race/socioeconomic status. Case-specific variables include sexual attitudes, homonegativity, juror abuse history, and beliefs about children. The paper also provides a factual background of a representative case, incorporates relevant case law, identifies sources for voir dire and juror questionnaire items, and discusses lessons from the primary author's first experience as a trial consultant for the defense. Language: Eng |