VARIATION IN TRIAL PENALTIES AMONG SERIOUS VIOLENT OFFENSES*

We examine the differences in the sentencing of those who plead guilty and those convicted by jury trial among defendants convicted of serious violent offenses. Drawing from a focal concerns and court communities perspective on court decision making, we develop several hypotheses about jury trial penalties for serious violent offenders, and how such penalties may vary by offense characteristics, defendant characteristics, and court contexts. Our hierarchical models using Pennsylvania sentencing data from 1997 to 2000 reveal that defendants are substantially penalized if they exercise their right to a jury trial and then lose. Furthermore, this jury trial penalty is not evenly assessed, but depends on the seriousness and type of offense, defendant criminal history, and court contextual characteristics such as caseload, court community size, local violent crime rates, and the size of local black populations.     

军警人员抢劫的法定刑适用问题新论

现行刑法在抢劫罪中规定了冒充军警人员抢劫为加重处罚情节，学界一边倒地认为，军警人员抢劫法益侵害性更大，要实现罪刑相适应就应升格其法定刑，并围绕于此形成了“立法论”和“解释论”。但其前提并不成立，从主观恶性、社会影响和抢劫罪特性只能得出冒充军警人员抢劫的法益侵害性大于军警人员抢劫的结论，现行立法符合罪刑相适应原则。立法并不完全是理论逻辑的演绎，更多是司法经验的类型化，量刑身份加重处罚不应当被泛化。     

迈向多元化:我国量刑独立的基本进路

中国量刑独立的最终去向是迈向多元性。特别是相较于定罪程序,量刑程序因量刑信息的多元、参与主体的多元和量刑规则制定主体的多元而呈现出开放性特质,并因为量刑形式、方式的多变和量刑证据规则的宽松而呈现灵活性特征。     

未成年人犯罪刑罚适用之价值选择及其实现

在少年司法中应当综合考虑公正与功利的价值目标,实现未成年人犯罪刑罚适用公正与功利二者最大程度的相统一。当两个法律价值相冲突时,在少年司法领域功利价值优先于公正价值是合理的选择。不同的刑罚价值观之下,刑罚适用的宽严也不相同,为防止法官自由裁量的任意性,需要以能动司法来平衡公正与功利的理念,区别对待强化量刑程序的方法来实现对少年的特殊保护,从形式正义走向实质正义。     

Factors Associated with the One-year Probation Outcome: A Self-report Study in Hong Kong

Why are some probationers able to comply with the sentence? Why do some fail to do so? In order to answer these questions, the article examines cross-sectional data collected from a selected group of Chinese offenders who were put on a one-year probation sentence in Hong Kong. It, in particular, aims at identifying the relative effects of four types of predictors, namely demographic, socio-economic, criminal history and probation intervention, on the probation outcome. For the purpose of this study, the probation outcome is the self-report data of the probationer at the end of the sentence. Logistic regression analyses revealed that self-reported reoffending was significantly related to peer involvement in criminal activities and triad association, a previous probation sentence, a urine test requirement and the offenders’ positive view of probation officers.     

量刑对象视野下的量刑程序改革

刑法现代化下的量刑应是指刑事责任的裁量,其蕴含着"量刑对象是犯罪人"这一量刑基本理念,要求量刑程序应独立于定罪程序,刑事审判应先解决定罪问题,后解决量刑问题。然而,《量刑程序意见》所确立的相对独立量刑程序并不完全符合如此量刑理念的要求,该模式在很大程度上致使当前的量刑程序改革陷入困境。有鉴于此,在被告人不认罪或者辩护人作无罪辩护的案件中建立独立量刑程序模式,应是我国量刑程序改革所要努力的方向。     

法官量刑裁量权的合理规制——基于《人民法院量刑指导意见(试行)》的分析

我国在2010年10月1日实施的《人民法院量刑指导意见(试行)》和《人民法院量刑程序指导意见(试行)》明确了检察官的量刑建议权,确立了相对独立的量刑程序和判决书的说理性要求,但对量刑信息的收集机制、量刑程序的证明的特殊性及建议权的变更问题没有规定,就此提出相应的解决措施。     

刑事诉讼量刑程序改革问题新探

最高人民法院等五部委于2010年10月1日签发量刑程序司法解释文件,确立＂相对独立量刑程序＂,规范检察院＂量刑建议＂工作,明确未成年人案件＂社会调查报告制度＂等,具有重要意义。然而,我国刑事审判采用＂案卷笔录中心主义＂,法官难以形成当庭决断,且量刑信息调查受多种因素制约,难以保证客观公正。此外法院检察院关于具体量刑处置的争议,尚无明确的解决思路,这都影响量刑程序改革实施效果。文章通过分析量刑程序改革中可能存在的不足,挖掘其进一步变革空间,并提出改进建议,以期能为量刑程序改革有所裨益。     

对危险驾驶行为及其入罪有关问题的思考

为了预防和控制危险驾驶行为给道路交通安全和社会稳定所带来的严重危害,本文在对危险驾驶行为进行界定的基础上,具体分析了我国现行法律对于危险驾驶行为定罪量刑中存在的诸多疑问与争议,并就此提出了如何进一步完善定罪量刑,构建公正、合理、明确的处罚体系的简要建议。