The influence of genetic information and crime-type on juror decision making
Journal: UTAS Research Repository
Year: 2019

The Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) gene, paired with a traumatic childhood background, can predispose an individual to behave impulsively and aggressively. Defence lawyers see this genetic link as a way to reduce a defendant's sentence. This study endeavoured to establish whether mock jurors see this evidence as grounds for reducing a sentence, or, as the literature indicates, likely to increase it, on the basis of dangerousness. The influence of genetic evidence on crime-type differences (i.e., ass