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Jacqueline Lee, associate professor and interim research director in the School of Public Service, published a paper with two co-authors that explores how defense attorney characteristics (race, sex, and public or private) influence the guilty plea process.
In this study, a series of attorney photos generated by artificial intelligence were shown randomly to survey participants. The participants then rated their attorney’s appearance and quality through a variety of measures. Contrary to the researchers’ initial expectations, Black and female attorneys were rated more highly than white and male attorneys. In turn, participants randomized to Black and female attorneys were more likely to accept a plea offer.
These results suggest that individuals are making quick judgments about their attorneys, and that these judgments play a role in how influential their attorneys can be in the plea process. However, Lee and collaborators determined that the underlying mechanisms behind these judgments are unclear and are deserving of future research.