Neuroscience in the Courtroom

Project Summary

Neuroscience evidence (e.g., brain scans, mental-illness diagnosis, etc.) is increasingly being used in criminal cases to explain criminal behavior and lessen responsibility. A team of students led by researchers within the Science, Law, and Policy Lab aim to explore a national set of criminal cases in which neuroscience evidence is used to see what aspects of the criminal trial (i.e., offense, age of offender, etc.) may predict the outcome of future cases. Additionally, with the use of our comprehensive 10-year judicial opinion data set (2005-2015), the team will collaborate on creating a computer algorithm to assist in locating and coding online judicial opinions to build upon our comprehensive list of opinions. This tool will provide a strong foundation in the work of understanding neuroscience’s role within a criminal court setting.
 

Research Team