Questionnaire survey of a mock jury on their impressions of medical-legal illustrations aimed at reducing trauma and PTSD of jurors

Abstract

Gruesome graphic evidence such as autopsy photographs and damaged corpses in criminal cases may affect some individuals involved in the trial. Specifically, individuals may suffer from psychological health issues, such as secondary traumatic stress and PTSD, and they may also be susceptible to punitive verdict bias owing to graphic evidence that often elicits a negative emotional response. In this study, we adopt medical-legal illustrations as an alternative for graphic images. The illustrations differed in the amount of detail portrayed (Realistic and inclusive of main Characteristics) and colouring (black and white or colour). Mock jurors (n ¼ 37) were surveyed to determine which is the most suitable approach to describe graphic scenes in three cases. Emotions were assessed. In all three cases, mock jurors chose Characteristics illustrations as the most suitablea level of detail that exaggerated some details and simplified others. Specialist forensic doctors agreed with this conclusion. Schematics and Realistic (including background information) illustrations were chosen as the most unsuitable. Realistic (including background information) illustrations in particular generated a higher emotional score than the other types. ARTICLE HISTORY

Organizational support for the potentially traumatic impact of video evidence of violent crime in the criminal justice system: ‘We’re almost making more victims’

“…Effects of such exposure in police officers and other public safety personnel, for instance, include avoidance of situations that may result in further risk of psychological or physical harm, depersonalization, emotion dysregulation, and hostile, defensive, and enforcement-based approaches to the public (Hofer et al, 2021; Park et al, 2021). In addition, following the example of research on workplace empathy-based stress responses – such as secondary traumatic stress or vicarious traumatization – that arise from indirect exposure to others’ traumatic experiences among the helping and other professions (Brady, 2017; Branson, 2019; Molnar et al, 2020; Pirelli et al, 2020; Slack, 2020), a limited but growing body of research is examining indirect secondary traumatic stressors and their effects in professions or roles within the justice system, such as police officers (Brady, 2017), lawyers (Leclerc et al, 2020; Seamone, 2013; Zwisohn et al, 2018), judges (Edwards and Miller, 2019; Polak et al, 2019), and jurors (Haragi et al, 2020; Lonergan et al, 2016; McQuiston et al, 2019). To this end, the DSM -5 now includes in its criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma in the course of occupational duties, with specific mention of first responders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).…”

A multi-method assessment of 3D printed micromorphological osteological features

“…It may be possible to produce multicoloured 3D prints using photorealistic printing from photographs coupled with surface or volumetric scanning [ 31 ], however, this would only be an accurate colour representation if captured from dry or exposed human remains. Further, this photorealistic aspect could mean that the 3D printed replicas become too realistic or too disturbing, as with colour photographs [ 33 , 34 ]. It is therefore proposed that perhaps the loss of detail found with a monochrome 3D printed replica is an accepted loss that facilitates the use of the 3D print as a less-graphic, sanitised option for courtroom demonstrations.…”

Global illumination rendering versus volume rendering for the forensic evaluation of stab wounds using computed tomography

“…6 ). Lastly, post-traumatic stress disorder for persons attending the trial is one of the most important issue in miserable case because they are forced directly to look at gruesome photographs 20 , 21 . The postmortem 3D CT image which is adjusted color tone may be effective to spare PTSD for them.…”