Justice is served, but more so after lunch: how food-breaks sway the decisions of judges

Discovery Discussion

{The original article} shows that the odds that prisoners will be successfully paroled start off fairly high at around 65% and quickly plummet to nothing over a few hours (although, see footnote). After the judges have returned from their breaks, the odds abruptly climb back up to 65%, before resuming their downward slide. A prisoner’s fate could hinge upon the point in the day when their case is heard. 

• Extraneous factors in judicial decisions (abstract). PNAS (Danziger, Leva and Avnaim-Pesso. 2011.)
• Supporting evidence