Tinkering with the Machinery of Death: An Analysis of Juror Decision-Making in Texas Death Penalty Trials During Two Statutory Eras

摘要: The Texas death penalty statute originally approved by the United States Supreme Court in Jurek v. (1976) was legislatively amended as a result of Court’s decision Penry Lynaugh (1989). changes were intended to focus on increasing jurors’ ability give mitigating effect evidence sentencing. Using data from Capital Jury Project, we compared juror comprehension sentencing guidelines, punishment responsibility, and deliberations among sample 123 jurors who deliberated under statutes. In each area, found that failed guide capital decision-making intended.