NCJ Number
101703
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 76 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1985) Pages: 490-511
Date Published
1985
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined 549 inactive or disposed misdemeanant cases from the district court in a suburban cases from the district court in a suburban Michigan community to determine whether a defendant's legal place of residence had any influence on sentence outcomes when a misdemeanor offense is involved.
Abstract
The cases studies were filed during a 1-year period beginning December 1979. Sociodemographic, criminal, and dispositional variables were analyzed. The results indicated that white defendants who resided farther away from the community in which the district court was located received harsher sentences, especially for crimes against persons. Defendants from outside the community also received larger fines and served more days on probation than defendants from inside the community. Black defendants, however, received harsher sentences than whites regardless of place of residence. The paper considers the implications of these findings for the equitable administration of criminal justice. Tables and 40 footnotes.