The Effects of Race on Plea Bargaining and Charge Reductions

open_access
Open Access
Author:
John, Catherine
Area of Honors:
Criminology
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Jeffrey Todd Ulmer, Thesis Supervisor
Gary J Adler, Jr., Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Race
Plea Bargain
Charge Reduction
Guilty Plea
Victim
Defendant
Homicide
Abstract:
The interaction between race and the justice system is one that is troubling in nature. For this study, I analyzed the relationship between both defendant and victim race, plea bargaining, and charge reductions. To do so, I utilized data compiled by students and faculty at The Pennsylvania State University comprising all Pennsylvania homicide cases between the years 2012 to 2016. The major findings of this study are that the odds of Black defendants pleading guilty are less than those of white defendants, which aligns with previous literature. Additionally, the odds of cases with Hispanic defendants having a first degree to third degree murder charge reduction are greater than those of white defendants. This study calls for further qualitative research to gain a deeper understanding of the causes behind these results.