Jacqueline Lee and Laura King, professors of criminal justice in the School of Public Service, recently published an article for the Victims & Offenders Journal, which examined charge reduction and conviction in sexual assault cases.
The journal article explored the fact that many sexual assault cases don’t lead to criminal punishment, and while research has often focused on arrests and prosecutions, less is known about what happens later, such as whether charges are reduced or what kind of conviction is handed down.
This study looked at reported sexual assaults in two northeastern U.S. areas to better understand those later outcomes. It found that factors like limited resources strongly influenced the severity and type of conviction. It also found that stronger cases were more likely to see charges reduced, possibly due to plea deals and cooperation between police and prosecutors. The study underscores the need for more research into these parts of the justice process.