Running head: DEFENDANT AND JUROR SOCIAL CLASS AND AGE 1 Defendant and Juror Social Class and Age: Effects on Jurors’ Perceptions of a Crime by

The presence of a jury is intended to keep criminal trials fair and objective, but sometimes jurors’ perceptions, biases, and beliefs in stereotypes affect verdicts. Defendant and juror characteristics such as social class and age, often lead to differing judgments and perceptions, but limited research has been done on the interaction between these characteristics. This study examines the effects defendant and juror social class and age have on perceptions of defendants. Results reveal that more people perceived defendants to be guilty than expected when defendants were of lower social class; lower social class defendants were perceived to be more likely to be falsely accused; younger defendants were seen as more blameworthy when they were rich; younger and wealthier jurors perceived defendants to be the most guilty; and when there is congruence between defendant and juror age and social class, jurors saw defendants as less blameworthy, more remorseful, and less likely to reoffend in the future. This research is important for future work as jurors’ verdicts can have a huge impact on the life of defendants, so knowledge about the biasing effects of certain demographic characteristics can further the judicial system’s goal of fairness and objectivity.