Customer Reviews

Hung Jury: The Diary of a Menendez Juror

In a way this book is a testament to the stress imposed on an ordinary, upbeat juror, because Ms Thornton began keeping a journal to deal with her own pressures. Yet she comes through as a cozy female figure. I was surprised to realize she's only thirty-six as her attitudes suggested someone in their forties or even fifties.

What comes through is that Ms Thornton admired Leslie Abramson (who's well worth admiring!) and was swayed by evidence of the brothers' abuse. Her description of the male comments are disheartening and I'm impressed with her ability to keep perspective.

Wrightsman's comments, as a legal psychologist, add depth and context to Thornton's account. However, like most researchers, he focuses on juries as instruments in the justice system. We still need research on the jury experience itself. For instance, everyone gets concerned about bias -- but a juror's reasoning process can be altered by mood and social environment. And we could use some research on what jury service does to a juror's life.