Rape law reform : a grassroots revolution and its impact /
Saved in:
| Author / Creator: | Spohn, Cassia |
|---|---|
| Imprint: | New York : Plenum Press, c1992. |
| Description: | 192 p. :bill. ; 24 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | Plenum series in crime and justice |
| Subject: | |
| Format: | Print Book |
| URL for this record: | http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/1390968 |
Table of Contents:
- 1. The Rape Reform Movement. Criticisms of Traditional Rape Law. Reforming the Law. Definitional Changes. Consent Standard. Corroboration Requirement. Evidence of Victim's Sexual Conduct. Previous Research
- 2. Rape Law Reform in Six Jurisdictions. Strong Reforms - Michigan, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Weak Reforms - Texas, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. Rape Shield Laws. Strong Shield Laws. Weak Shield Laws. Procedures for Determining Relevance. Summary of Law Reforms
- 3. Contextual Differences and Case-Processing Variations. Case-Screening Procedures. The Courtroom Work Group. The Judiciary. Prosecution and Defense. Outside Influences. Courtroom Work Groups and the Rape Law Reforms. Case Processing and Case Outcomes. Arrest and Indictment Rates. Conviction Rates and Case Outcomes. Case Processing and the Rape Law Reforms
- 4. The Instrumental Effects of Reform. Analytical Framework. The "History" Threat. Controls for the History Threat. Data Sources. Case Selection. Dependent Variables. Interrupted Time-Series Analysis. Impact on Case Processing. Detroit. Chicago. Philadelphia. Washington, D.C. Atlanta. Houston. Positive Impact. Reports. Indictments
- 5. Officials' Evaluations of Rape Cases. Assessments of the Importance of Evidence. Extralegal Factors and Decision Making. Officials' Assessments of Evidence. Officials' Evaluations of Evidence and the Rape Law Reforms. Responses to Rape Case Vignettes. The Vignettes. Analytic Procedure. Admitting Sexual History Evidence. Likelihood of Conviction. Sentence Severity. The Impact of Reforms on the Evaluation of Evidence
- 6. Officials' Attitudes toward Sexual History Evidence. Controversy Surrounding the Rape Shield Laws. The Women's Rights Project Proposal. Hypothetical Cases. Analytic Techniques. Results - Evidence Would Be Admitted. Jurisdictional Differences. Evidentiary Differences. Results - Evidence Should Be Admitted. Rape Shield Laws and Officials' Judgments of Relevance. Influence of Variations in the Laws. Influence of Informal Norms. The Impact of Rape Shield Laws
- 7. The Limits of Legal Reforms. Definitional Changes. Elimination of Corroboration and Resistance Requirements. Requirements Not Serious Hurdles. Importance of Corroboration and Resistance Evidence. Rape Shield Laws. Inherent Limitations of the Rape Shield Laws. Implementation of the Rape Shield Laws. Strong versus Weak Shield Laws. Reform in Detroit. Conclusion. Victim-Oriented Reforms. Value of Symbolic Change.