12 Strangers: Putting Lives into Seemingly Unbiased Hands

You know that guy I saw on the street yesterday? Yeah, he was really attractive, though, he was being escorted by the police. And the girl next to him? Drop dead gorgeous. She was really sobbing while getting the handcuffs fastened around her hands. She even cries pretty! Either way, whatever they did couldn’t be that bad, right?

We all possess a bias for something. Or someone. Your cat, your parents, or someone you found attractive on the street.

We like to believe justice is oblivious. That people in higher powers only look at the facts, and not their status, wealth, or just their simple appearance. That all changes when you give power to ordinary people. The system relies on the human mind, which is shaped by personal experiences, places you’ve grown up in, and visual stimuli. In a court of law, you put your life into twelve random people’s hands that you’ve never met. They judge. Not the crime, but you. We don’t trust a pilot to be a surgeon, or a psychologist to manage the economy. Everyday people are normal. So, why do we trust those twelve people to decide the ultimate fate of a human life?

The Halo Effect

Psychology can give an answer to this question. The Halo Effect is a mental shortcut; if we see something positive in a person—for example, liking the color of their hair— our brain automatically thinks they have more positive traits, like being honest, incapable of inflicting harm, and innocence. Running back to what I said, this can influence how people sympathize for the person, giving lighter sentences simply because they look good.

As evidence, we can use Ted Bundy. To lure in his victims, he was vulnerable, additionally to the fact he was considered a good looking man. He used crutches or wore fake arm casts, would drop something, and ask young women for help. The facade of items made him look completely harmless. This would happen both in broad daylight and nighttime. You might see this and ask, “Why weren’t they at least a bit suspicious? Why would a guy ask you for help in the middle of the night? Yes, there was no one around, but this is the decade where serial killers were everywhere.”

You’d be completely right, my friend! This is a classic case of the halo effect. He was handsome and vulnerable. This made their minds fill in the gaps, already deeming him capable of no harm without even knowing him. The halo effect is dangerous this way. This is also the effect of the implicit bias, which is a subconscious judgement.

If Ted was a less attractive guy, no one would’ve helped him. But, their subconscious or implicit bias made them think a monster would be ugly, act sketchy, or look creepy. Bundy was everything but, making him able to succeed in using the way people think to trust him. This bias blinded them of the danger right under their nose.

In the Courtroom

This psychological blindness doesn’t only occur in the streets, but also in the courtroom. When Ted Bundy went on trial, he looked...normal. Someone you wouldn’t suspect of anything. He acted like his own lawyer. His appearance was used to manipulate the room, making people refuse to believe the obvious. He was guilty. And he knew what he was doing. The judge, Edward Cowart, was also under the spell of the halo effect and implicit bias. He told Ted his famous words.

- Judge Edward Cowart

Though the jury made the right decision and sentenced him to death, he still had an impact. People hesitate, doubt, and struggle to face the truth. Though he died, the bias didn’t disappear. The public coddled and felt sorry for him. If a judge can look past evidence because of charm, how can we trust twelve normal people in a jury box to be perfectly and morally objective?

In an imperfect world, you can’t. Not fully.