Jurors Respond Negatively to Police Overreactions to Black Americans
As law enforcement’s use of body-worn cameras and dash cams has increased in the U.S., the growth of attorneys’ introduction of video evidence in court, including jury trials, has followed. Psychology and criminal justice researchers are now trying to determine the various influences of this footage, such as its impact on trial outcomes. One such study, which is published in the journal Behavioral Sciences and the Law, suggests both eyewitness race and available body-worn camera footage influence jurors’ judgments.
To examine the matter, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Lakehead University ran a “mock trial” study using evidence from an actual case where an officer used controversial force in an altercation with a Black motorist who was charged with resisting arrest. “High-profile police-involved deaths of African American citizens have fueled public interest in police accountability and body-worn cameras,” said Bette L. Bottoms, UIC professor of psychology and co-author of the study.