A STUDY of jurors has found that more than half favoured a more lenient sentence than the judge imposed in their case.
The Australian Institute of Criminology study of 698 jurors from 138 trials revealed that 52 per cent of jurors selected a less severe sentence than the judge.
This was most likely the case for culpable driving and property offences. In sex, drugs and violence offences, the responses were more evenly split between jurors who would have picked more severe and those who would have picked less severe sentences.
The study of Tasmanian jurors, released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, found that 90 per cent of jurors surveyed thought that the sentence imposed in their case was appropriate.
And, 83 per cent also believed that judges were in touch with public opinion.
Here is a link to the report. Tom
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