About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

14 J. Gender Race & Just. 41 (2010-2011)
Sentencing in Federal Drug Trafficking/Manufacturing Cases: A Multilevel Analysis of Extra-Legal Defendant Characteristics, Guidelines Departures, and Continuity of Culture

handle is hein.journals/jgrj14 and id is 43 raw text is: Sentencing in Federal Drug Trafficking/Manufacturing Cases: A Multilevel Analysis of Extra-Legal Defendant Characteristics, Guidelines Departures, and Continuity of Culture Celesta A. Albonetti* & Robert D. Baller** I. INTRODUCTION In the past three decades, researchers have conducted numerous sociological studies and legal analyses on the impact, if any, of extra-legal variables on outcomes in the legal system. Within this broadly defined area of study, a significant and growing body of scholarly research is focusing on examining outcome disparity in criminal adjudication in federal courts. The central question this research addresses is whether a defendant's race/ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status significantly affect the decision to prosecute,' bail decisions,2 the route of case disposition (guilty * Ph.D. (1984), Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; M.A. (1975), B.A. (1973), University of Missouri-St. Louis; Professor of Sociology, University of Iowa. ** Ph.D. (2000), Department of Sociology, State University of New York, Albany; M.A. (1995), University of Oregon; B.A. (1993), Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne; Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Iowa. 1. See JOAN E. JACOBY, THE AMERICAN PROSECUTOR: A SEARCH FOR IDENTITY (1980) (defining differences in prosecutorial roles); Celesta A. Albonetti, Charge Reduction: An Analysis of Prosecutorial Discretion in Burglary and Robbery Cases, 8 J. QUANTITATIVE CRIMINOLOGY 317 (1992) (examining direct and interaction effects of suspect's gender and race on prosecutor's decision to reduce charges); Celesta A. Albonetti, Criminality, Prosecutorial Screening, and Uncertainty: Toward a Theory of Discretionary Decision Making in Felony Case Processings, 24 CRIMINOLOGY 623 (1986) (examining the effect of defendant's race/ethnicity and gender on prosecutorial discretion); Celesta A. Albonetti, Prosecutorial Discretion: The Effects of Uncertainty, 21 LAW & SOC'Y REV. 291 (1987) (examining the influence of defendant's gender and race/ethnicity on the decision to prosecute in D.C. Superior Court); Julie Gyurci, Note, Prosecutorial Discretion to Bring a Substantial Assistance Motion Pursuant to a Plea Agreement: Enforcing a Good Faith Standard, 78 MINN. L. REv. 1253 (1994) (noting the practice of prosecutors to offer substantial assistance motions in order to induce guilty pleas); Elizabeth Anne Stanko, The Impact of Victim Assessment on Prosecutor's Screening Decisions: The Case of the New York County District Attorney's Office, 16 LAw & Soc'Y REv. 225 (1982) (examining the variables affecting prosecutorial charging decisions). 2. See Celesta A. Albonetti et al., Criminal Justice Decision Making as a Stratification Process: The Role of Race and Stratification Resources in Pretrial Release, 5 J. QUANTITATIVE

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most