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22 - Deciphering Directives

Juror Decision-Making Challenges with Understanding Judicial Instructions

from Part III - Trial Phase Decision-Making

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2024

By
Joel D. Lieberman
Edited by
Monica K. Miller ,
Logan A. Yelderman ,
Matthew T. Huss  and
Jason A. Cantone
Monica K. Miller
Affiliation:
University of Nevada, Reno
Logan A. Yelderman
Affiliation:
Prairie View A & M University, Texas
Matthew T. Huss
Affiliation:
Creighton University, Omaha
Jason A. Cantone
Affiliation:
George Mason University, Virginia
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Summary

In the United States, judges use “pattern instructions” to inform jurors of laws relevant to the case at hand, and for the procedures they are to use in order to carry out their duties. Although these instructions are written in a legally accurate manner, social science research has demonstrated that they are often not well understood by jurors, who consequently render decisions based on an incomplete, or inaccurate, understanding of the law. This chapter reviews factors that lead to comprehension problems associated with judicial instructions, including: the language and sentence structure typically used to write instructions, jurors’ education level and life experiences that contribute to preexisting beliefs about the law, and trial complexity. The chapter also reviews the effectiveness of solutions that have been proposed for improving jurors’ understanding of judicial instructions, so that more legally accurate decisions can be rendered.

Keywords

judicial instructionsjury instructionspattern instructionscomprehensionprocedural instructionssubstantive instructions
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Psychology and Legal Decision-Making , pp. 339 - 354
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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