| Jurors may be asked to decide verdicts that include that of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, however many are not provided instructions regarding the consequences of a verdict of NGRI. This study proposed to look at individuals' verdict choice when provided these instructions. Also tested was whether attitude towards the insanity plea would have an effect on the verdict chosen by the participant. Participants were given a case in which the offender was entering a plea of insanity in an Aggravated Battery case. After reading the case, participants were then asked to choose a verdict, and then complete a questionnaire measuring confidence in their verdict choice and understanding of the instructions. Receiving or not receiving dispositional instructions had no significant effect on verdict choice; however, those individuals who received dispositional instructions were more likely to choose a verdict of NGRI than those individuals who did not receive dispositional instructions, but to a non-significant degree. Attitude towards the use of the insanity plea was found to have a significant effect on verdict choice, with those individuals who rated themselves as having a more positive attitude towards the insanity plea being more likely to choose a verdict of NGRI. |
