Juries are used in criminal trials to determine an individual's guilt or innocence. Juries can be influenced by factors other than the evidence presented.
On 14th November 2023 at a Crown Court in England, two trials were proceeding.
The first was of a 23-year-old female ballet dancer.
The other was of a 55-year-old male nightclub bouncer.
They have both been accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH) during a street altercation.
Assess how characteristics of these defendants may affect the judgements of the juries during these two criminal trials. You must make reference to the context in your answer.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Content with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 1,059 questions covering Biological explanations of crime, Social explanations of crime, Cognitive and ethical interview techniques, Psychological formulation of offending, Cognitive-behavioural treatment for offenders, Biological treatment for offenders, Factors influencing eye-witness testimony, Factors influencing jury decision-making, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
