Juror knowledge and attitudes regarding mental illness verdicts.
We begin with a brief overview of the Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) and Guilty but Mentally Ill (GBMI) verdicts in the United States and then report on a study of qualified jurors (n=96) in which we examined jurors' understanding and attitudes about mental illness verdicts and the disposition of mentally ill defendants. Results indicate that although the jury pool was highly educated, only 4.2 percent of jurors could correctly identify both the definitions and dispositions of defendants found NGRI and GBMI. Jurors with lower educational levels were less likely to identify the dispositional outcome of a GBMI verdict (p<.05). Eighty-four percent of respondents believed that juries should be informed of dispositional outcome before deciding a verdict. Also, 68.4 percent of jurors erroneously believed that a defendant found GBMI could not receive the death penalty. Among jurors who correctly identified the definition of GBMI, those with lower educational levels were more punitive in their attitudes toward disposition of the GBMI defendants, believing they should eventually be sent to prison (p<.05).
University of Maryland Medical School and Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, Jessup, USA.
Lisa M
LM
Sloat
Richard L
RL
Frierson
D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013022:South Carolina; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States