Place Mattters (Most): An Empirical Study of Prosecutorial Decision-Making in Death-Eligible Cases

77 Pages Posted: 22 Aug 2015

See all articles by Katherine Y. Barnes

Katherine Y. Barnes

University of Arizona Rogers College of Law

David L. Sloss

Santa Clara University - School of Law

Stephen C. Thaman

Saint Louis University - School of Law

Date Written: 2009

Abstract

This article investigates prosecutorial discretion in death penalty prosecution in Missouri. Based upon an empirical analysis of all intentional-homicide cases from 1997-2001, this article concludes that Missouri law gives prosecutors unconstitutionally broad discretion in charging these cases. This article also finds that prosecutors exercise this broad discretion differently, leading to geographic and racial disparities in sentencing, and concludes with proposals for statutory reform.

Suggested Citation

Barnes, Katherine Y. and Sloss, David L. and Thaman, Stephen C., Place Mattters (Most): An Empirical Study of Prosecutorial Decision-Making in Death-Eligible Cases (2009). Arizona Law Review, Vol. 51, No. 305, 2009, 305-379, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2648289

Katherine Y. Barnes

University of Arizona Rogers College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721-0176
United States

David L. Sloss

Santa Clara University - School of Law ( email )

500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
United States

Stephen C. Thaman (Contact Author)

Saint Louis University - School of Law ( email )

100 N. Tucker Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63101
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
64
Abstract Views
718
Rank
622,763
PlumX Metrics