Sentencing in child sexual assault cases: factors influencing judicial decision-making

Abstract

To date, there has been limited examination of variables that influence sentencing in child sexual abuse cases. This study examines the extent to which offence characteristics (such as the number of offences, number and age of victims), the behaviour and perceived credibility of the victim impact upon both sentence length and the setting of earliest parole dates. Analyses conducted using data from 66 adjudicated cases of child sexual assault from the County Court of Victoria, Australia revealed that longer sentences were handed down to offenders who had perpetrated multiple offences, or who had committed offences against younger children. Lower levels of victim credibility were associated with shorter sentences and earlier parole dates for offenders, which were also associated with the presence of more harmful behavioural indicators of abuse. The findings are discussed regarding the importance of presenting evidence about the behaviour of victims following sexual abuse in criminal trials.     

行政裁量基准的技术范式研究

"裁量基准运动"在实践中开展得如火如荼,理论研究也日渐深入,在防止裁量滥用、构建裁量治理模式方面确实起到了很大的作用。但是,裁量基准能否在实践中真正发挥自己应有的作用和效能,在很大程度上还取决于其制定过程中能否合理地考量各种技术因素。因此,将客观的技术标准植入主观的裁量过程,对影响裁量基准制定的因素予以量化,规划研究它们对于合理估量裁量因素的正义层级,以求改进裁量基准制定技术、保证个案正义将大有裨益。     

The Joint Effects of Gender and Race/Ethnicity on Sentencing Outcomes in Federal Courts

Using data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the present study examines the interaction effects of gender and race/ethnicity on sentencing outcomes of male and female offenders in federal courts. Findings indicate that female offenders in all racial/ethnic categories receive less severe sentence outcomes than male offenders in the same categories, even after legal, extralegal, and contextual factors are controlled. In addition, racial/ethnic differences are found within gender groups, such that Hispanic males are more likely to be incarcerated and Black males receive longer sentence terms compared to White male offenders. However, contrary to expectations, the analysis indicates that White females are more likely to be incarcerated than Black and Hispanic females and receive longer sentence terms than Hispanic females. Gender and racial/ethnic interactions are also explored across offense type (drug vs. non-drug) and type of sentencing departure (no departure, downward, or substantial assistance). Implications for future research are also discussed.     

New Directions in Intersections,Inequality, and Sentencing

Intersectional approaches to sentencing move beyond simply predicting disparities to consider the ways in which social characteristics such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, and class combine to create even more pronounced inequalities. The current review examines research on intersectionality within the context of criminal sentencing. We identify some of the most promising recent trends in this literature, such as attention to family status in the context of focal concerns as well as the inclusion of immigration status in studies of federal sentencing outcomes. Moving beyond the sentencing stage, we also suggest that an intersectional approach can be extended to decision making within the context of postsentencing outcomes, such as gender-specific and culturally sensitive programming and treatment of offenders in institutional and community corrections settings.     

Gender and “Other People's Money”: An Analysis of White-Collar Offender Sentencing

Although the female share of white-collar crime arrests (e.g., fraud, forgery, and embezzlement) continues to increase, little is known about the nature of women's involvement in these offenses, or the extent to which the legal treatment of white-collar offenders differs by gender. Using national survey data on employee crime, the present research addresses these voids in the literature. Consistent with prior research, women's roles in fraud offending are restricted by their positions in the organizational hierarchy. In support of the focal concerns perspective, results show that the decision to incarcerate and length of sentence are primarily shaped by indicators of offender blameworthiness. Findings reported here contribute to the literature on gender and white-collar crime, and also extend the growing body of focal concerns research to a previously unexplored sentencing context.     

扒窃型盗窃罪的司法认定研究

近年来扒窃案件发案率持续增加,且团伙作案、流窜作案、惯犯作案频发,严重危害了人民财产安全和社会秩序。自2011年5月1日起实施的《刑法修正案(八)》首次将扒窃写入刑法,从犯罪形态、停止形态、定罪量刑这三个角度出发对扒窃型盗窃罪进行司法认定研究,以此有效解决扒窃入刑后标准模糊、界限不明等争议。     

涉林渎职犯罪“情节特别严重”标准探究——从经济损失的角度入手

罪刑相适应原则是刑法的基本原则,然而在具体的制度中常常存在量化标准的缺位。在涉林渎职犯罪中,已经明确将以违法发放林木采伐许可证之外的其他方式作为的渎职犯罪,定性为滥用职权罪或玩忽职守罪,但对于该类犯罪"情节特别严重"等升格量刑的标准,仍存在立法和解释上的不足,导致量刑畸轻,同类犯罪易发、多发。量刑标准的确立应综合考虑行为的社会危害性、侵害法益的差异性、立法技术的统一性等多重因素,在此基础上可推之,涉林渎职犯罪"情节特别严重"的认定宜遵循现有司法解释对渎职犯罪升格量刑的一般规律,将其确立在立案标准的5倍以上为宜。     

量刑与定罪互动论:为了量刑公正可变换罪名

现行刑法理论中定罪与量刑的关系被扭曲了,刑法理论把准确定罪置于至高无上的地位,司法机关把大量精力耗费于准确判断罪名,定罪决定量刑、量刑不可能影响罪名成为刑法公理。但是,判断罪名意义上的定罪,并非刑法的目的;对被告人和社会最有意义的是量刑,判断罪名只是为公正量刑服务的;因此,如果常规判断的罪名会使量刑失当,就可以为了公正量刑而适度变换罪名。     

Short‐ versus long‐term effects of Ohio's switch to more structured sentencing on extralegal disparities in prison sentences in an urban court*

Research Summary The impact of Ohio's presumptive guidelines on sentencing disparities was examined for one of the state's largest jurisdictions to determine whether the switch to more structured sentencing in 1996 had any enduring effects. Sentencing patterns were examined both before and shortly after the 1996 reform, as well as 9 years later. Findings revealed weaker race and marital status effects on imprisonment under guidelines versus stronger age effects, no changes in disparities based on a defendant's sex and means of support, and (virtually) no changes in the magnitude of legally relevant effects. Policy Implications Ohio's guidelines are more flexible relative to other guideline schemes, possibly accounting for the general stability in effects across regimes. Ohio has since transitioned to voluntary guidelines, which raised concerns that the change will yield higher levels of sentencing disparities. Findings suggest that the transition may coincide with no changes in legal effects, yet with greater disparities based on a defendant's race and marital status.     

人身危险性的定罪量刑制度研究导论

人身危险性的定罪量刑制度研究导论,是对人身危险性的定罪量刑制度研究实然的写照与应然的期待,依循如下基本路径具体展开：国内外研究现况、研究的主要内容、亟待突破的难题、特色与创新之处等。