Blind Justice? Attractive Get Breaks with Juries

(CBS)  Justice may not be blind after all.

According to a Cornell University study, unattractive defendants are 22 percent more likely to be convicted than good-looking ones. And the unattractive also get slapped with harsher sentences - an average of 22 months longer in prison.

The study, "When Emotionality Trumps Reason," was authored by Cornell graduate Justin Gunnell and Stephen Ceci, a professor of developmental psychology. It examines how some jurors make decisions rationally, based on facts and logic, while others reason emotionally, taking into consideration factors unrelated to the case - attractiveness being one of them.

The study consisted of 169 Cornell psychology undergraduates, who were classified as either rational or emotional decision-makers through an online survey. They were then given case studies of defendants, complete with a photograph and profile, were read jury instructions and listened to the cases' closing arguments.

In serious cases with strong evidence, there was little difference in the conviction rate between attractive and unattractive defendants. But in more minor cases, with ambiguous evidence, jurors were more biased toward the good-looking.

Gunnell, who works as a litigator in New York City, said the findings could impact how attorneys select juries.

"Every person is capable of reasoning via either system and likely uses each system to some degree depending on context," Gunnell said. "The degree to which one system predominates the other is a factor that varies, depending on the individual's natural preference and style."

[ToolMangler1]

If you want to even this thing out, have two jurys. One that can see the proceedings and one that cannot but can hear it. Then you let both give a verdict. One guilty and one not guilty mean a hung jury.

[Lizzz33333]

Couldn't one also argue that if you don't care enough to were a nice outfit to court this could also played into the fact that you didn't care enough about the law not decided to break it? Not caring about how you dress also equals not caring about the law. I.E. standards don't apply to these people as they don't want to conform to society? I know people who think like this.

[formrusmcsgt]

Increase you chances of acquittal by getting tats from head to toe and sticking a spike through your nose...lol.

[barbaram99]

Yer mean sighten not blind..As a legally blind I so find that the seeing base what they see..They lady's looks over the truth..So the girl so pretty is favoured as she is sexy..The plain jane is not..Maybe it be best they blind fold the ones hearing the cases,,They have to go on the voices,,

[I_am_me1953]

Simply said:


It sucks to be ugly.

[AtLasOn1Kl733]

It doesn't suck to be ugly. It only hurts as they end up becoming boss and having to fire the good looking ones because they only rely on looks alone and not brain power. Sad to say but the tears that runs down their face tastes good too.

[rock0223]

Always was, always will be.

[mtcolquitt]

Yep, we all witnessed it with that pretty young school teacher in Fl?
They said she was "to pretty to go to jail".
Sad, but true!

[martin9p2]

Appearancce affects EVERYthing, like ability to get a job, sell products, even have a relationship ... so it should be no surprise that it affects conviction rate on minor crimes.

[generey]

Not just juries, "Judges" too. In a perfectly identical parking ticket case on two different dates the "judge" fined me yet dismissed the one on my sister-in-law. Same "judge", identical circumstances at "defense" at the same location. Bigger boobs I guess. Thats why I now have zero respect for "judges", and always will.