THE EFFECT OF PRETRIAL PUBLICITY ON JUDGES’ DECISION MAKING AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF A DEFENDANT

THE EFFECT OF PRETRIAL PUBLICITY ON JUDGES’ DECISION MAKING AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF A DEFENDANT

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of pretrial publicity on judges decision making and public perception of a defendant. Two hundred undergraduate students of university of Ado-Ekiti,

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Nigeria participated in the study. They are 100 males and 100 females. Data was collected via responses elicited from respondent using the questionnaire method. Result of the independent t-test analysis showed that pretrial publicity do not significantly influence judges decision making and public perception of a defendant. [t (198) =1.14, P>.05]. Also, results from data analysis showed that males and females exposed to pretrial publicity on criminal case do not differ in their perception of defendant’s culpability. [t(198)=1.05;P>.05]. Also result showed that old judges do not differ significantly in their judgment than their younger counterpart in decision making and perception of defendant’s culpability. [t(198) =0.96; P>.05]

The implication of the findings of the study was discussed in the light of available literature.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page

Certification

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Abstract

Table of content

CHAPTER ONE

1.1            Background to the study

1.2            Statement of the problem

1.3            Purpose of study

1.4            Relevance of study

CHAPTER TWO

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1            Social impact of theory

2.2            Reinforcement theory

2.3            Theory of cognitive dissonance

2.4            Literature Review

2.5            Statement of Hypothesis

CHAPTER THREE

3.0            Methodology

3.1            Setting

3.2            Research participants

3.3            Data Collection Procedure

3.4            Measures

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion

Conclusion

Recommendation

Reference

Questionnaire

Raw data

Calculation

CHAPTER ONE

1.1            Background to the study

Every legal system is designed to yield objective and unbiased decision based on a set of designated rules and procedures. Research findings in forensic psychology has shown that human beings do not always find themselves going to realistic ways to the principle set by legal system (Henry, 1991). Mullin and Dorothy (1996) indicated that the human participants i