| Participants (N = 283) were asked to act as mock jurors in the sentencing phase of a capital trial involving a defendant with a possible intellectual disability (ID). The story model theory of decision making proposes that jurors filter and interpret evidence based on their own backgrounds, experiences, and biases, developing a narrative that best fits the information presented in court. Mock jurors were randomly assigned to one of six conditions varying the defendant's physical presentation (stereotypical and non-stereotypical) and the presented elements of the ID definition (intelligence quotient [IQ]; adaptive functioning and age of onset; and IQ, age of onset, and adaptive functioning). Mock jurors were asked to determine whether the defendant had an ID and whether he should serve life in prison or receive the death penalty. Even though Atkins v. Virginia (2002) prohibits the execution of individuals with an ID, it was hypothesized that jurors would be less likely to identify an ID if the defendant did not fit a stereotypical presentation. It was also hypothesized IQ would be the main piece of diagnostic information that jurors used to make decisions. A MANCOVA was conducted. None of the hypotheses were supported; however, jurors' attitudes about the death penalty and the defendant's physical presentation did affect juror decisions. These results highlight the need for a refined and more comprehensive voir dire process to detect bias surrounding ID in capital cases. |
