In an earlier post, we reported the reasons why jurors would not be willing to follow the court’s instruction to treat a corporation and an individual equally. In this one, we report the reasons why they are willing to following this instruction. We believe it is important to look at their reasons because they provide plaintiffs’ attorneys language that can rehabilitate jurors who are hesitant to follow this instruction.
When asked to explain why they would be willing to treat a corporation and an individual equally, four themes emerged:
- Trust the Courts, Follow Instructions, and Obey the Law
- Offer Fairness to Both Sides
- Keep an Open Mind at the Outset of Trial
- Value Civil Service and Duty as a Juror
*In 2017, we conducted an online survey with 300 jury-eligible California residents to explore answers to questions about Corporate Personhood and Corporate Responsibility as ascribed by criminal and civil jury instructions. We analyzed the data to identify the relationship between agreement and understanding of corporate personhood jury instructions and other attitudinal measures. For more information on our survey methodology and results, email us at info@br-tcr.com.