Life With or Without ?: An Empirical Study of Homicide Sentencing
The title of this post is the title of this notable new empirical paper authored by Michael O Hear and Darren Wheelock now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:
The number of Americans serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole (“LWOP”) has grown rapidly over the past generation and now exceeds 50,000. Yet, little empirical research has been conducted on the determinants of LWOP sentences. The dearth of research on LWOP sentencing stands in sharp contrast to the many dozens of studies that have been conducted on the determinants of death sentences studies that have consistently found that race, gender, and other questionable factors may influence sentencing outcomes. The present study is the first to employ a similar methodology to identify both case- and county-level variables that are correlated with the imposition of discretionary LWOP sentences.
As the judge read the verdict, Steven Avery listened, then shook his head.
That was on March 18, 2007, a Sunday. Avery was found guilty at the end of a 27-day trial of killing Teresa Halbach, a 25-year-old photographer who disappeared on Halloween in 2005.
Avery, then 44 years old, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He had already spent 18 years in prison for a sexual assault he did not commit before he was exonerated by DNA evidence in 2003.
His story was featured in the Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer, which cast doubt on the motives of police investigating Halbach s death and left many viewers with the impression that Avery, now 58, and his nephew Brendan Dassey, 31, were wrongfully convicted.
Making a Murderer: Steven Avery witness comes forward during appeal stevenspointjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stevenspointjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For the party of “family values” and “sound fiscal policy,” Wisconsin Republicans seem content to allow public schooling to go under-funded, for non-violent arrest rates to soar and let families suffer as they refuse to allow recreational or medicinal marijuana to be legalized.