Research on Defense Attorneys and Guilty Plea Process
Jacqueline Lee, associate professor and interim research director in the School of Public Service, published a paper on the influence of defense attorney characteristics on the guilty plea process.
The study used artificial intelligence-generated photos of attorneys, which were shown to survey participants. They then rated the attorneys' appearance and quality through various measures.
Interestingly,
Black and female attorneys were rated more highly than white and male attorneys, contrary to the researchers' initial expectations. As a result, participants who were shown Black and female attorneys were more likely to accept a plea offer.
Author's summary: Exploring defense attorney influence on guilty pleas.