RT Article
T1 Victim-offender race and support for capital punishment: A factorial design approach
JF American journal of criminal justice
VO 18
IS 1
SP 95
OP 115
A1 Applegate, Brandon K.
A2 Wright, John P.
A2 Dunaway, R. Gregory
A2 Cullen, Francis T.
A2 Wooldredge, John D.
LA English
YR 1994
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1764274547
AB Existing research suggests that juries are more likely to condemn murderers to death when offenders are black victims are white. It remains to be seen, however, whether these decisions reflect broader racial prejudices in society that are imported into the jury room. If they do, then insuring equity in capital sentencing may be beyond reach. Accordingly, this study uses factorial design methodology to examine whether members of the general public are more supportive of capital punishment when asked to rate a vignette describing a murder involving a white victim and black offender as opposed to other victim-offender racial combinations. Our analyses suggest that the race of the offender, but not the victim, has a significant influence on support for capital punishment. Thus, procedural safeguards alone may be unable to eliminate racial bias in capital sentencing.
K1 Capital Case
K1 Racial Bias
K1 Death Sentence
K1 Racial Disparity
K1 Death Penalty
DO 10.1007/BF02887641