What is a death-qualified jury? What is the Supreme Court's position on death-qualified juries? What does the research show with regard to the relationship between death-qualified juries and the likelihood of conviction and capital sentencing?

What will be an ideal response?


A death-qualified jury is made up of people who do not have a problem with a conviction that may result in the imposition of the death penalty. In Lockhart v. McCree (1986) the Supreme Court upheld the use of such juries. More recently, and consistent with the Lockhart ruling, the Court ruled in Uttecht v. Brown (2007) that a potential juror could be excused for cause based on his/her expressed reservations about the death penalty during voir dire. Researchers find death-qualified juries are more likely to find capital defendants guilty as well as sentence them to death. This is likely because the individuals who are "death-qualified" are likely to be conservative, expose legal authoritarian beliefs, and place more weight on aggravating circumstances than mitigating circumstances, among other things.

Criminal Justice

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