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Prosecutorial Discretion and Press Coverage

The Decision to Try the Case

Louisiana State University

Ernest A. Dover

Midwestern State University

The vast majority of criminal court cases are settled through the plea-bargaining process; only a few actually reach the trial stage. Previous research suggests a significant relationship between greater press coverage and plea-bargaining behavior. The authors seek to understand the effect of press coverage on the prosecutor's decision to try the case. They study the dispositions of homicides for an 11-year period (1980-1990) for a southwestern city of average population (120,000) that spans the tenure of three district attorneys. The relationship between the political agenda of the prosecutor and the disposition of murders is not as clear as previous research suggests. No significant relationships are found between press coverage and the disposition of the case.

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