Older Juries More Likely to Convict

An analysis of 700 felony trials in Florida from 2000 to 2010 shows that prosecutors prefer older jurors and are more likely to use their peremptory challenges to exclude younger people from a jury. Defense attorneys like younger jurors and are more likely to use their challenges to exclude older people from a jury. That's because older jurors are more likely to convict--even after controlling for race and gender, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research study.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, A Fair and Impartial Jury? The Role of Age in Jury Selection and Trial Outcomes, Working Paper #17887, $5