NCJ Number
85363
Date Published
1982
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This summary of the final report of a study of criminal case disposition considers the study's theoretical approach; the research design and methodology; the nature of the issues addressed in describing the States and counties studied; and the outlines of the statistical description of key decisionmakers, defendants, court structures, and case outcomes.
Abstract
At the heart of the study's conceptual framework is the recognition that courts perform both mundane and important political tasks and are an integral part of the political process, such that they embody a variety of sometimes conflicting values. The research focused on nine criminal courts in three Northeastern States: Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The data collection involved openended interviews with judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys in the nine counties. Most of the 300 participants also completed an attitudinal and background survey, a personality scale, a questionnaire designed to tap local legal culture, and an evaluation of the operating traits of the occupants of other positions. Extensive case data was obtained on almost 7,500 felony defendants. The findings present a statistical portrait of participants, defendants, court structure, and case outcomes, and basic operating characteristics are presented for the nine courts and the three State judicial systems. Emerging themes bearing upon the development of a theory of criminal court operation concern (1) the nature and role of individual-level attributes, (2) the relation between jurisdiction size and trial courts' conceptual focus, (3) the concept of 'courthouse community,' and (4) environmental influences on courts. Two footnotes are provided.