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Originally posted by MysticCat81
I agree. I think Delt's attitude is the natural human attitude. Meaning that of course the jury pool, as a whole, is forming and re-forming opinions as the "story" develops.
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By 'attitude' I meant that Delt was 'writing off' his willingness to assume guilt before charges have even been filed, not that he actually formed an opinion on the case - I agree that it's human nature to use information to form an opinion in this sort of situation (in fact, I'd love to quote Hastie & Pennington right here, but there's no need to nerd up this thread - it turns out you've identified the fundamental pathway through which 'jurors' make decisions).
Quote:
Originally posted by MysticCat81
You're right that the task of the DA and the defense attorneys is to find jurors with an open mind. And it also points up why the DA should have been keeping public comments to a mimimum.
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Since most research shows that pre-trial publicity will help the DA win the case, and since most people feel (incorrectly) that the DA's job is to win the case, it's easy to see why such comments are made - it's disingenuous and damaging to the ideals of the system, but easy to understand . . .