酷刑性质探析

从联合国《禁止酷刑和其他残忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或处罚公约》中的酷刑定义入手,对酷刑的性质进行了深入挖掘,得出了三点结论,即酷刑是一种严重侵犯人权的行为、酷刑是一种滥用国家权力的行为、现代酷刑是一种犯罪。作者希望通过对酷刑性质的挖掘,加深对酷刑行为的理解,促进反酷刑目的的实现。     

贪污罪的数额解析

贪污罪的数额对贪污罪的定罪与量刑具有重要意义。对贪污罪数额理解存在诸多争议,对贪污罪的司法实践具有较大影响。本文围绕贪污罪数额的界定、贪污罪数额的内涵、实践中贪污罪数额的认定标准展开探讨,作者提出了自己的观点。     

TRIPS协议下我国假冒注册商标罪的立法完善

依据Trips协议的相关规则和要求,完善和调整我国知识产权的法律保护机制,是亟待研究解决的问题。Trips协议下我国假冒注册商标罪的立法应从以下方面加以完善:将服务商标、“类似商品”、“近似商标”侵权行为和反向假冒注册商标行为纳入本罪的保护范围;改结果犯为行为犯的立法模式;加大刑法对注册驰名商标行为的保护力度。     

城市外来务工人员犯罪情况的调查报告

城市外来务工人员犯罪案件呈现出八个特点:发案件数与犯罪人数呈逐年递增态势、侵财型犯罪比例居高不下、作案手段暴力化倾向严重、以老乡为纽带的犯罪团伙纠集化趋势明显等等.诱因源于劳资矛盾、盲目攀比、心理歧视感、过客心态等等.应当通过加强教育和管理,提高社会保障待遇,改善民工生存状态等一系列措施,来减少和遏制该类犯罪.     

轻微犯罪刑事政策的具体运用

应对轻微犯罪与重刑犯罪分别适用不同的刑事政策,以暂缓起诉等人文关怀方式挽救和感化轻微犯罪人,促使其尽快复归社会,实现社会治安的良性循环.立足于非犯罪化和非刑罚化的实现途径,一要实现轻微犯罪的非刑罚化和刑罚个别化;二要强化犯罪嫌疑人的权利保障意识,改变以逮捕为主导的候审羁押制度.     

司法工作人员渎职犯罪的检察监督

从检察监督的视角出发,实证分析司法工作人员渎职犯罪的重要特征,阐明司法实践中存在的突出问题和困境,揭示和分析制约检察监督效能发挥的制度性和技术性因素,并有针对地提出强化和完善检察监督的相关建议.     

如何对犯罪数额进行累计计算

在我国刑法分则规定的涉及经济、财产、毒品和职务等数额型犯罪中,犯罪数额的计算对定罪量刑具有重要作用。笔者拟就刑法规定的对犯罪数额计算的原则和方法进行深入的分析,以期有助于刑法立法和司法的完善。     

Civilian Forensic Technician and Sworn Police Officer Job-Related Stress

Forensic Technicians provide crime scene investigation services and are exposed to stressful violent crimes, motor vehicle accidents, biological or chemical hazards, and other appalling imagery. Forensic Technicians would likely experience physical and psychological stress after exposure to trauma, and security vulnerabilities similar to Sworn Police Officers. The perceived availability of mental health resources, job-related physical, psychological stress, and traumatic experiences of both Forensic Technicians and Sworn Police Officers from California law enforcement agencies were investigated using a self-reported survey. Responses were evaluated for any significant differences in the perceived stress, job-related physical stress, and resulting psychological impact affecting the participants. The survey contained a mix of True/False, Circle/Check the Appropriate Box, or Likert Scale (1–5) responses. The results were evaluated statistically and discussed. Results indicated Sworn Police Officers and Forensic Technicians have different on-duty stress levels, but similar off-duty stress levels. Nearly two-thirds of 54 job-related stressors were not significantly different between the two occupations. However, Forensic Technicians reported more adverse effects in 17 physical and psychological job-related activities compared with Sworn Police Officers. Forensic Technicians reported lower awareness levels and availability of agency mental health support services than were reported by Sworn Police Officers. This study reports for the first time an unexpected outcome that perceived and job-related psychological stress is greater for Forensic Technicians than Sworn Police Officers. Possible reasons for this disparity will be discussed as well as stress management tools that should be implemented to reduce health risk factors for both career professionals as well as increase public safety.     

Improved Area of Origin Estimation for Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Using 3D Scanning

An important component of crime scene reconstruction is bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). Where BPA concerns impact patterns, estimating the area of origin is critical information for scene reconstruction. Traditionally, this is achieved by measuring individual bloodstains and performing trigonometric calculations; however, 3D scanning has been proposed as a viable alternative for overcoming logistical and practical concerns with the manual method. Therefore, this project aimed to establish whether the FARO Focus 3D scanner and FARO Zone 3D software can improve the accuracy of area of origin estimates relative to the manual method. We created a series of eight bloodstain impact patterns and performed paired analysis using the two methods to estimate areas of origin for each pattern. Our data suggested that FARO-derived estimates were generally more accurate than using the manual method. FARO-estimated heights of origin areas were generally closer to the true distance. Both methods underestimated the distance from the wall for most patterns originating 150mm or greater from the wall, but overestimated distances for patterns originating closer to the wall. The degree to which distances were underestimated increased significantly the further the blood source was from the wall and was greater for FARO-derived estimates. The results of this research contribute to the validation of these instruments for operational implementation for BPA and should be considered alongside the practical benefits of 3D scanning relative to manual methods. Further, 3D scanning can provide reliable BPA reconstruction documentation for technical review and court presentation.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Media Exposure and Fear of Victimization: Implications of the Superpredator Narrative on Juvenile Justice Policies

The media allow crime to infiltrate the public’s consciousness in every conceivable way, thereby playing a major role in shaping the public’s opinion and attitude toward crime and crime issues (Barak, 1995; Fields & Jerin, 1996; Kappeler & Potter, 2005). Reporters constantly talk about crime, and crime related stories dominate the headlines of local and national newspaper outlets (Dowler, 2003; Pizarro et al, 2007). Some of the most highly rated television programs are based on crime plots and people across social, political, and racial demographics are constantly engaged in crime dialogue generated from local or national news stories. When the focus of these mediums is on youth they become even more profound and contentious. The images portrayed conjure up stereotypes that lead to fear and inflammatory remarks that become entrenched into the national lexicon. The current study uses data from the National Opinion Survey of Crime and Justice to test the relationship between crime-related media viewership and fear of victimization within a nationally representative adult sample. Approximately 42.67% of respondents reported regularly watching crime shows and about the same proportion (42.83%) believed their local media paid too much attention to violent crime. In addition to regular crime-show viewership, confidence in the police, gender, and recent contact with the police were associated with fear of victimization. This article adds to an existing body of research through a largely unexplored area in the administration of justice. It does so within the context of the U.S. juvenile justice system.