In Search of the Missing Link: Examining Contextual Variation in Federal Charge Bargains across U.S. District Courts
In Search of the Missing Link: Examining Contextual Variation in Federal Charge Bargains across U.S. District Courts
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寻找缺失的环节：检查美国地方法院联邦指控谈判中的背景差异
作者：
B. Johnson
摘要刑罚学者承认检控自由裁量权和刑罚管辖权变动的根本重要性；然而，人们对不同法院背景下的收费做法有多大差异知之甚少。在联邦刑事司法系统中尤其如此。本研究通过将美国法院行政办公室（AOUSC）四年的收费数据与美国量刑委员会（USSC）的相应数据相关联来调查这一问题。它结合了来自各种来源的关于地区法院背景的独特信息，以调查管辖权在减少收费方面的差异。调查结果提供的证据表明，不同地区法院的联邦收费做法各不相同。特别是，法院的几个结构特征与处境相似的被告减刑的可能性有重大关系。本研究的结果通过法院社区的当代法律视角进行解释，并为刑事起诉的社会背景的进一步研究提出了几个富有成效的方向。
Abstract Punishment scholars acknowledge the fundamental importance of both prosecutorial discretion and jurisdictional variation in punishment; yet, little is known about the extent to which charging practices vary across court contexts. This is especially true in the federal criminal justice system. This research investigates this issue by linking four years of charging data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) to corresponding data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC). It incorporates unique information on district court contexts from a variety of sources to investigate jurisdictional variation in charge reductions. Findings provide evidence that federal charging practices vary across district courts. In particular, several structural court characteristics are significantly related to the likelihood of charge reduction for similarly-situated defendants. Results from this study are interpreted through the lens of contemporary legal perspectives on court communities and suggest several fruitful directions for additional research on the social contexts of criminal prosecution.