Partisan Bias in Juror Decision-Making

How does partisan identity shape perceptions of guilt? In this paper, we examine whether a hypothetical defendant’s perceived political party identification influences jurors’ beliefs about guilt. Among both Democrats and Republicans, we find a striking pattern of bias in favor of copartisan defendants and against out-partisan defendants, with the greatest effects among those that are most affectively polarized. In explaining their decisions, both Democrat and Republican respondents utilize similar themes, but employ them differently by the perceived partisanship of the defendant. Our results shed new light on the significance of partisan bias in American society, demonstrating how partisan allegiances distort jurors’ evaluations of guilt and innocence.