Juries Creatively Read the Law, Judges Give Little Guidance, New Study Shows

Authors

University of Dayton

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

3-24-1998

Abstract

In the first study of how juries translate legal language, a University of Dayton law professor has discovered that some juries may creatively interpret the law because judges tend to give little direction. "The typical jury instructions include how to find facts, how to evaluate eyewitness testimony and how to evaluate circumstantial evidence," said Darryl K. Brown, assistant professor of law. "There's little guidance given on how to interpret the law. And while there have been numerous studies about how judges interpret the law, no study has explored how juries do."

Recommended Citation

University of Dayton, "Juries Creatively Read the Law, Judges Give Little Guidance, New Study Shows" (1998). News Releases. 11896.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/news_rls/11896