Impact of Victim Assessment on Prosecutors' Screening Decisions - The Case of the New York County District Attorney's Office

• NCJ Number: 83052
• Journal: Law and Society Review Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (1981-1982) Pages: 225-239
• Author(s): E A Stanko
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This is a revised version of a paper delivered at the Northeastern Political Science Association Annual Meeting, 1980.

Annotation

This paper examines the discretionary judgments of the prosecutor during the screening of felony arrests.

Abstract

In particular, I emphasize the significance of the victim on the prosecutor's definition of serious crime and criminal activity. Descriptive accounts of felony screening illustrate how prosecutors rely on stereotyped characteristics to assess victim credibility. (Publisher abstract)