“Runway Jury” by Gary Fleder: a study on group psychological manipulation

Abstract

This contribution uses Gary Fleder's film adaptation of The Runaway Jury (2003), based on John Grisham's novel of the same name (1996), to illustrate how certain artistic narratives can help us understand the origins and dynamics of real crimes, from the perspective of criminological narratology. The choice of the film, rather than the book, is motivated by its effectiveness in explaining the mechanisms of influence and induction that may be present in a particular type of social group: that of a US court jury, a central element in Common Law trials. From this perspective, the content and plot of the story highlight how and why a member of such a body may be able to manipulate the other jurors to the point of subverting the final verdict. As such, this film not only allows for an analysis of the American judicial system, with particular reference to issues relating to the formation and functioning of juries, but also provides an opportunity for comparison with the Italian judicial system, where the presence of so-called lay judges is provided for.