Effects of defendant ethnicity on juries' dispositions of felony cases

This research examined jury decisions in 317 noncapital felony cases in EI Paso, Texas, and assessed the impact of juror ethnicity on jury trial outco mes. Results revealed that. there was no relation between defendant ethnici ty and the probability of conviction. Angle American defendants, however, r eceived sentences that were approximately twice as severe as Hispanic defen dants. Sentences imposed by juries were significantly related to defendant ethnicity and type of crime for which they were tried. Sentences were also influenced by defendant ethnicity in interaction with jury ethnic compositi on. Important differences appeared when there was a critical mass of 6 or m ore Hispanics on juries. This study, using criminal court data, provides a unique opportunity to examine the utility of social psychological theories for understanding actual trial outcomes.