LIMA, Alexandre Alves de Souza; NOIA, Mateus de Carvalho; SILVEIRA, Glaucio Batista da
Abstract:
This study analyzes the impact of the media on the jury trial process, a topic widely
debated due to the extensive reach and the ability of communication channels to shape
public perception. As Mirault (2020) points out, the media acts as a “fourth power,”
significantly influencing the formation of public opinion. Sensationalist coverage of
high-profile crimes can create a climate of pre-conviction, compromising the
impartiality of jurors and the observance of the constitutional principles of due process
of law and the presumption of innocence. The research investigates how the media,
through agenda-setting and framing techniques, constructs narratives that generate
cognitive biases and the so-called “illusion of truth” (Almeida et al., 2022), distancing
jurors from a strictly technical analysis of the evidence presented. Based on a
qualitative approach that examines emblematic cases such as those of Suzane von
Richthofen and goalkeeper Bruno, the study seeks to understand the effects of this
media influence on justice, weighing freedom of the press against the right to a fair trial.
Furthermore, it analyzes the effectiveness of legal instruments, such as the
exasperation (Reis Junior; Prado, 2020), in ensuring the impartiality of the jury.
