Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Cornell Law Review
Publication Date
2013
ISSN
0010-8847
Page Number
1189
Keywords
apologizing, judges, law
Disciplines
Judges | Law
Abstract
Apologies usually help to repair social relationships and appease aggrieved parties. Previous research has demonstrated that in legal settings, apologies influence how litigants and juries evaluate both civil and criminal defendants. Judges, however, routinely encounter apologies offered for instrumental reasons, such as to reduce a civil damage award or fine, or to shorten a criminal sentence. Frequent exposure to insincere apologies might make judges suspicious of or impervious to apologies. In a series of experimental studies with judges as research participants, we find that in some criminal settings, apologies can induce judges to be more lenient, but overall, apologizing to a judge is often unhelpful and can even be harmful
Recommended Citation
Chris Guthrie,
Contrition in the Courtroom: Do Apologies Affect Adjudication?, 98 Cornell Law Review. 1189
(2013)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications/818