Across two experimental studies, we investigated the role of information loss, contextual information, and distinctive features of fingerprints on novice's ability to judge whether two fingerprints came from the same source. Distinctive fingerprints resulted in more accurate decisions. Information loss diminished performance on the comparison…

The prediction of dangerousness and the insanity defense are two areas where psychologists provide research-based expertise to the courts. Teachers of psychology can use these topics to capture the attention of students and to show how psychological research and theory can inform and influence the legal system. Specifically, teachers can use the…

Interest in the field of criminal justice continues to grow and attract students to this area of higher education. These students typically represent society in that their beliefs about the justice system are based on media depictions, not education or experience. This study surveyed Introduction to Criminal Justice students from two universities,…

Maritime piracy has increasingly been in the news, and in the courtroom, in recent years. This article presents an interview with international legal and overseas piracy expert Douglas Guilfoyle. In this interview, Guilfoyle discusses why piracy is a growing problem and some of the challenges it creates for the international community. He also…

Minimal information is available regarding the frequency with which practitioners conduct evaluations of capacity to waive Miranda rights or what approaches they use in doing so. Grisso's Instruments for Assessing Understanding and Appreciation of Miranda Rights are the only published instruments designed specifically to assist practitioners in…

Discriminating accurate from mistaken eyewitness identifications is a major issue facing criminal justice systems. This study examined whether eyewitness confidence assists such decisions under a variety of conditions using a confidence-accuracy (CA) calibration approach. Participants (N = 1,200) viewed a simulated crime and attempted 2 separate…

Aliens involved in criminal offenses may first be denied admission to this country, and for those already here, they may be deported on conviction for prescribed criminal violations. The article presents some of the provisions for aliens involved in criminal offenses. (Author/NQ)

The exclusionary rule says that any evidence illegally seized by law enforcement officials cannot be admitted in a criminal proceeding. Discussed are where the rule came from, how it works, and the arguments for and against it. (RM)

The origin and enforcement of criminal law are central to the sociological study of crime, yet we know relatively little about how the coercive apparatus of criminalization is actualized through prosecutorial and court practices. We use Bourdieu's extension of Weber's analysis of law to develop a perspective on fields of practice, the juridical…

The Supreme Court of California upheld a lower court's ruling in Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California. It stated that a psychotherapist's privilege of privacy based on the need for psychotherapeutic secrecy ends where the public peril begins. (LBH)

This annotated bibliography highlights the literature available on two important aspects of assistance to victims and witnesses of crime. The first section, victim and witness services, covers the need, function and implementation of services to assist victims, elements of effective programs and evaluation of specific programs. The second section,…

The papers in this volume were prepared as part of an evaluation of the effects of the strict 1973 New York State drug laws. The first paper explores the effects of the laws on heroin use. It analyzes the trends of various indicators of heroin use in New York State over a period of several years. In order to isolate movements unique to New York,…

This volume presents the results of a three-year study of the impact of New York State's strict drug law, which was enacted in 1973. The study was undertaken by the Joint Committee on New York Drug Law Evaluation, established by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Drug Abuse Council, Inc. The volume has three main sections.…

Investigates whether the victim-offender relationship plays a role in determining the original charge, crime conviction, and sentence length of inmates in prison for violent crimes. Results indicate the victim-offender relationship is related to the legal processing in paradoxical ways. Thus, although nonstranger offenders are charged with and…

This document, the final report resulting from a two-year study of the use of juvenile records in adult court proceedings and the relationship between age and sanction severity, is of interest to researchers and policymakers concerned with sanction policies for youthful offenders. The introductory chapter provides an overview of the controversy…