Tuesday, September 9, 2014 - 4:10pm to 5:45pm
Location: 
Solarium (room FA2) Falconer Hall - 84 Queen's Park

LAW & ECONOMICS WORKSHOP
presents

Crystal Yang
Harvard Law School

Justice Vacated?
The Impact of Judicial Vacancies on the Criminal Justice System


Tuesday, September 9, 2014
4:10 - 5:45
Solarium (room FA2), Falconer Hall
84 Queen's Park
 

Ten percent of federal judgeships are currently vacant, yet little is known on the impact of these vacancies on the criminal justice system.  Using data that link arrests to charging to sentencing, I find that prosecutors decline to prosecute more cases during vacancies. Prosecutions in periods of judicial vacancies yield a higher rate of guilty pleas and lower rate of incarceration, suggesting more favorable plea deals. Lower rates of incarceration and shorter prison sentences are concentrated among defendants who can afford to retain private counsel. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the current rate of vacancies has contributed to 3000 fewer prison years per fiscal year, compared to a fully staffed court system.

 

For more workshop information, please contact Nadia Gulezko at n.gulezko@utoronto.ca.