Lee Publishes on Defense Attorneys and the Guilty Plea Process
Jacqueline Lee, associate professor and interim research director in the School of Public Service, published a paper that explores how defense attorney characteristics influence the guilty plea process.
The study used a series of attorney photos generated by artificial intelligence, shown randomly to survey participants, who then rated their attorney’s appearance and quality.
- Participants rated Black and female attorneys more highly than white and male attorneys.
- Participants randomized to Black and female attorneys were more likely to accept a plea offer.
Contrary to the researchers’ initial expectations, Black and female attorneys were rated more highly than white and male attorneys.
Author's summary: Lee's study examines the impact of defense attorney characteristics on the guilty plea process.