Miscellaneous

Throwing the Book, Lightly

By Anne Skove, Esq.

The public wants judges who mete out tough sentences to criminals, right?

Keep guessing...it's a true-or-false question, so two guesses is plenty.

Here's the story: Australian judges rode the circuit to meet with the public. They presented a case to their audiences, giving them as much information as possible, including the maximum. They omitted real names, and they did not reveal the actual sentence.

The average sentence handed down by the subjects was lower than the one by the judge.

What does this prove? One judge involved in the study believes the public relies too often on sound-byte versions of trials. When they sit through a case and hear all the facts, they respond differently.

Once the subjects got to "know" the defendant's background, they often voted for treatment over prison.

See the quite thorough (including the case studies, court sentence, range, and public sentence!), if dated Does the Time Fit the Crime?, Ian Munro, The Age (September 30, 2006). Thanks again to Jim!

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on February 27, 2008 (boomark / email).