Gender, Generations, and Guilt: Defendant Gender and Age Affect Jurors' Decisions and Perceptions in an Intimate Partner Homicide Trial.

This study examined how defendant gender and age influence mock jurors’ verdicts, sentencing, and perceptions of culpability and credibility in an intimate partner homicide (IPH) trial. Using a 2 (male vs. female defendant) × 3 (defendant age: 25, 45, or 65 years) design with 513 jury-eligible U.S. adults, results showed that male defendants were more likely to be found guilty, received longer sentences, and elicited greater juror anger and culpability ratings than female defendants. Younger defendants were found guilty more often and rated as less credible and more culpable than older defendants, with defendant credibility mediating the age effect on verdicts, while juror anger mediated the gender effect. The findings highlight that juror biases based on extra-legal factors such as age and gender operate through different psychological mechanisms, underscoring challenges to ensuring fair trials in cases involving intimate partner violence.