UMD Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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2009 - 200912010 - 20141

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    Processing and Punishment: Examining the Relationship between Time to Disposition, Mode of Conviction, and Sentence Severity
    (2014) Stewart, Christina Danielle; Johnson, Brian D; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The literature on sentencing assumes a strong relationship between processing time and case outcomes, both directly and in connection with the mode of conviction. Yet, the role of time has largely been ignored in research on court actor decision making. The current study examines this important, although rarely empirically tested, dimension of the criminal justice process. By combining data from the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy with information from court records, this study explores the effect of time to disposition on sentence severity and assess the impact that controlling for time to disposition has on mode of conviction effects. Findings support the importance of time to sentencing, demonstrating a significant, positive effect of time to disposition on sentence severity. Time to disposition, however, does not mediate the effects of mode of conviction, which raises important theoretical questions about the mechanisms driving trial penalties.
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    Displaced Discretion? An Empirical Test of Prosecutorial Charge Bargaining Before and After the District of Columbia Sentencing Guidelines
    (2009) Vance, Stephen Edward; Wellford, Charles; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Though significant research has found that sentencing guidelines systems have reduced sentencing disparity, few studies have examined whether sentencing guidelines have shifted discretion and disparity from judges to prosecutors. Using data from the District of Columbia Superior Court, this research examines whether charge bargaining practices changed after the District of Columbia Sentencing Guidelines. This study also examines whether legal, offender, and case processing characteristics had different effects on charge bargaining outcomes before and after the Sentencing Guidelines. The analyses show that, while there were changes in the plea bargaining process after the Sentencing Guidelines, there was not significant evidence of a displacement of discretion or disparity to prosecutors. Policy implications are discussed.