PUNISHING THE “MODEL MINORITY”: ASIAN‐AMERICAN CRIMINAL SENTENCING OUTCOMES IN FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS*

Research on racial and ethnic disparities in criminal punishment is expansive but remains focused almost exclusively on the treatment of black and Hispanic offenders. The current study extends contemporary research on the racial patterning of punishments by incorporating Asian‐American offenders. Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) for FY1997–FY2000, we examine sentencing disparities in federal district courts for several outcomes. The results of this study indicate that Asian Americans are punished more similarly to white offenders compared with black and Hispanic offenders. These findings raise questions for traditional racial conflict perspectives and lend support to more recent theoretical perspectives grounded in attribution processes of the courtroom workgroup. The article concludes with a discussion of future directions for research on understudied racial and ethnic minority groups.     

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: RISKS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR COMMUNITIES LARGE AND SMALL

Communities of all sizes are investing in minor league stadiums to attract or retain a minor league baseball team. The promise of economic development benefits is often put forward to justify these multimillion dollar investments. Local officials should be aware of the risks that accompany hosting professional sports teams and understand that minor league teams will not be economic growth engines. The decision to invest in a minor league stadium is a public policy decision and can be “worth it” if accompanied by a development logic. This article identifies three approaches that have been successful in making stadiums a community asset.     

Citations to Authority in Supreme Court Opinions

This article analyzes citations used by the U.S. Supreme Court in its majority opinions. The research explores variations in citations and evaluates various explanations for these variations, including the potential impact of individual judicial style, legal factors, and group interaction in the formation of opinions. The article suggests that systematic analysis of citations holds potential for contributing to our understanding of the judicial process.     

Fines and Justice Administration: The Experience of the Federal Republic of Germany

As part of the penal code revised in 1969, the Federal Republic of Germany increased its reliance on fines, including the introduction of day-fines, in lieu of short-term imprisonment for minor offenses. The previous trend toward the use of fines was accelerated by the requirement that courts order imprisonment only in exceptional cases. Traffic cases were particularly affected. The qualities of the offense and the absence of previous offenses, rather than an individualized study of the offender, continued to be the dominant criterium influencing the choice of a fine. The chief effect of day fines was higher amounts applied to the more affluent defendants; the amount of the fine appeared to have no effect on subsequent recidivism. For first offenders, fines were superior to imprisonment in avoiding reconviction. Day-fines were no more effective (but not less effective) than imprisonment in the instance of traffic offenses. Fines were superior to other sanctions for petty property offenders but not for career thieves.     

Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity in Probation: Structural Sources and Consequences in West Germany

Role conflict and role ambiguity are particularly prevalent for probation officers in the Federal Republic of Germany because of the absence of an appropriate organizational structure and the dominance of a legalistic perspective as opposed to a philosophy of therapeutic intervention. The implications of this are discussed, and prospects for strengthening probation are considered.