On the selection of capital juries

Death qualification may bias capital juries not only because it alters the composition of the group “qualified” to sit, but also because it exposes them to an unusual and suggestive legal process. This study examined some of the effects of that process. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two conditions in which they were exposed to standard criminalvoir dire that either included death qualification or did not. Subjects who were exposed to death qualification were significantly more conviction prone, more likely to believe that other trial participants thought the defendant was guilty, were more likely to sentence him to death, and believed that the law disapproves of death penalty opposition. Several psychological features of the death-qualification process are suggested to account for the biasing effects.