From the Officer’s Perspective: A Multilevel Examination of Citizens’ Demeanor during Traffic Stops

Over the past 60 years, a substantial body of research has considered the influence of citizens’ demeanor on police behavior; and more recently, the correlates of citizens’ demeanor. This study advances our understanding of the demeanor construct by measuring officers’ perceptions of citizens’ disrespect, non‐compliance, and resistance during traffic stops. Using multilevel statistical models, we examine the correlates of citizens’ demeanor and assess the racial differences in these perceptions. The findings demonstrate that officers’ perceptions of citizens’ demeanor vary across racial/ethnic groups, after controlling for other relevant factors. Although White officers were significantly more likely than Black officers to classify drivers as disrespectful, Black and White officers were equally likely to report drivers as displaying behaviors that were non‐compliant and/or verbally resistant. Black drivers were significantly more likely to be reported as disrespectful, non‐compliant, and/or resistant, regardless of the officers’ race. The implications for future research and policy are discussed.     

法院在防治家庭暴力中的作用实证研究——以重庆市某区人民法院审理涉及家庭暴力案件情况为对象

通过实证调研,其结果显示家庭暴力的发生率仍然较高,并且当事人呈现出性别、年龄、职业等方面的特点。人民法院在涉家庭暴力案件的审理过程中,既有家庭暴力认定、举证责任分配、人身安全保护裁定送达、调解方法上的有益经验,也面临着防治家庭暴力立法及反家庭暴力联动机制不完善、人身安全保护裁定的局限性、取证难等一些困境。建议我国尽快制定一部统一的"家庭暴力防治法",在加强防治家庭暴力宣传的同时,明确规范各相关部门的职责与责任,加强各部门之间的联动协作。     

法国重罪陪审制度的启示与借鉴

陪审制度具有重要的政治意蕴与司法功能。在法国,对于法定刑较重的重大案件,实行以随机方式抽选一般国民担任陪审员,由陪审员与职业法官组成合议庭,共同审理案件,一起决定定罪量刑的制度。法国重罪陪审制度对于完善我国人民陪审员制度,如构建重罪、复杂案件由陪审团审理的制度,取消对陪审员学历的要求、确立科学的陪审员遴选程序与陪审团评议表决程序方面具有重要的借鉴意义。     

Reforming the Role of Magistrates: Implications for Summary Justice in England and Wales

The role of lay magistrates in England and Wales has been progressively undermined by protracted processes of reform over the last two decades. Current government proposals aim to reorient and ‘strengthen’ their function through the creation of new magisterial responsibilities such as oversight of out of court disposals and greater involvement with local justice initiatives. This article argues that while these proposals embody necessary and important areas for reform, taken in isolation they will fail to consolidate the role of magistrates in summary justice unless they are enacted alongside other measures which aim to reaffirm the status of lay justices, and which seek to reverse the trend which has prioritised administrative efficiency at the expense of lay justice. Rapidly declining magistrate numbers together with continuous (and continuing) programs of court closures are irreconcilable with the future viability of a lay magistracy.     

“交通肇事逃逸”责任认定实务问题研究

在我国道路交通事故中,交通肇事逃逸事故所占比重一直较高。交通肇事逃逸行为使受害者得不到及时救助而处于危险境地,更有甚者因失去救助机会而死亡。交通事故因现场证据的变动或消失而难以得到准确的认定和处理,各地出台的条例对逃逸事故认定的极端性以及出现同一类型的交通肇事逃逸事故因发生的辖区不同而出现截然不同的处理结果等问题都是导致受害者家属得不到及时赔偿而不断信访投诉的原因。结合自身多年处理交通事故的实践经验,研究分析了"交通肇事逃逸"事故责任认定现存的缺陷,提出了完善"交通肇事逃逸"事故责任认定的建议和意见。     

Procedural justice in mental health court: an investigation of the relation of perception of procedural justice to non-adherence and termination

Mental health courts (MHCs) operate on the principles of procedural justice (PJ). PJ highlights the importance of process over outcomes in encounters with authority. Subjective perceptions of having voice, being heard by decision-makers, and being treated with respect and concern by figures of authority are influential in assessment of fairness and in cooperation with decisions, regardless of favorability of the outcome. In this paper, we investigate MHC participant perception of PJ in interactions with MHC staff and the association between perceptions and recidivism (i.e. time in jail, new arrests, and probation violations), treatment adherence, and MHC termination. Participants from two MHC programs (n?=?80) took part in this study. Results suggest that perception of PJ during interactions with the entire MHC team is significantly associated with program termination, but not with participant behaviors during MHC. Implications for MHC practitioners and researchers are discussed.     

The role of intelligence on performance on the Inventory of Legal Knowledge (ILK)

Previous research has shown that individuals with intellectual disabilities perform in the feigning range on malingering measures even when other data suggest that they are performing optimally. However, few studies to date have gone beyond intellectual disabilities and studied the full range of intelligence. Additionally, there are no data available examining the relationship between intelligence and performance on the Inventory of Legal Knowledge (ILK). The relationship between intelligence and performance on malingering tests is important because individuals with intellectual deficits may be incorrectly identified as malingering on these tests. The current study used a sample of state psychiatric hospital residents, adjudicated incompetent to proceed, and a sample of undergraduate university students to examine the relationship between intelligence and performance on the ILK. Results indicated three items on the ILK are correlated with intelligence and total scores were moderately correlated. Participants were further broken into groups using categorical ranges of Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Results were mixed regarding the relationship between ranges of IQ and performance on the ILK. Future directions and implications of this study are discussed.     

浅谈医学会医疗损害鉴定专家出庭作证

《侵权责任法》统一了＂医疗事故＂和＂医疗过错＂在民事赔偿标准上二元化和医疗诉讼的诉讼案由及法律适用。然而,医疗损害鉴定的模式应如何走向,《侵权责任法》却没有提及。江苏省医学会大胆革新,开展医疗损害鉴定,在新修订的《民事诉讼法》进一步强调鉴定人出庭作证的背景下,江苏省医学会适应新形势组织医疗损害鉴定专家出庭作证,改变了以往医学会鉴定专家不署名、不出庭的历史,提高了鉴定公信力。     

道路交通事故速度重建技术现状

事故车辆行驶速度是道路交通事故调查的重要内容,也是公安交通管理部门进行事故认定,法院进行司法审判的关键技术依据。目前事故车辆行驶速度调查的主要途径是办案单位委托具有专业技术能力的司法鉴定机构进行速度重建,使用的方法主要有基于事故形态的速度重建、基于模拟软件的速度重建、基于车载记录数据的速度重建和基于视频图像的速度重建。通过从速度重建的技术发展、执业类别和能力验证等方面介绍了我国道路交通事故速度重建技术的发展现状。     

道路交通事故痕迹鉴定中常见问题分析

道路交通事故痕迹鉴定是道路交通事故技术鉴定中的重要鉴定项目之一,也是道路交通事故技术鉴定其他鉴定项目的基础,除应用手、足、工、枪、特等刑事技术传统痕迹的基础理论和方法外,还需要结合力学、道路工程学、道路安全学、车辆工程学、法医学等多学科知识综合评判的一门鉴定科学门类。道路交通事故痕迹鉴定的步骤主要分为合同评审、痕迹勘验、比对分析、作出评判、形成文书五个方面,在其发展的十几年时间里,出现了许多亟待解决的问题,根据道路交通事故痕迹鉴定实践工作中遇到的常见问题,重点归纳这些问题并提出解决方案。