NCJ Number
108306
Journal
Public Opinion Quarterly Volume: 50 Dated: (1986) Pages: 143-159
Date Published
1986
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Data from prosecutions in Milwaukee County (Wisc.) showed that the amount of space newspapers give to stories about homicide cases predicts more strongly than any other variable whether the prosecutor would engage in plea bargaining.
Abstract
Study data came from police and court records as well as news stories about every nonvehicular homicide case presented to the district attorney's office for possible prosecution between January 1981 and June 1982. Newspaper coverage was measured in terms of the average story length in terms of paragraphs. Plea bargaining was measured by whether the prosecutor actually used plea negotiations rather than by whether a case was settled this way. Ninety homicide cases were examined using discriminant analysis. Story length was the most significant predictor of the prosecutor's likelihood of negotiating. Other significant factors were whether the victim and defendant knew one another, the defendant's prior record, the seriousness of the initial charge, and whether the defendant faced multiple charges. The strength of the evidence against a defendant also influenced whether a prosecutor negotiated a case. Research suggestions, table, and 58 references.