The Veteran Defendant: How Combat Experience and Type of Crime Impact Juror Decision-Making.

Veteran defendants are vastly underrepresented in the research literature, yet at least 8% of the United States' incarcerated population is comprised of military veterans. The purpose of this research is to expand the literature on this vulnerable population by examining mock jurors' perceptions of male military veterans in the criminal justice system. Results reveal that for a "violent" veteran defendant, it made no difference for mock jurors when making their guilt decision as to whether the defendant engaged in combat during their time in the military. However, when the veteran defendant engaged in a non-violent crime, combat history made a significant difference for the mock jurors. Specifically, participants were more likely to choose a less severe sentence when the defendants had a history of being in combat. Future research should further examine the perceptions of veteran defendants as they are perceived and treated within the criminal justice system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]