RT Article
T1 Do the Means Matter? Defense Attorneys’ Perceptions of Procedural Transgressions by Police and Their Implication on Police Legitimacy
JF Criminal justice policy review
VO 32
IS 3
SP 245
OP 267
A1 Liu, Siyuan
A2 Nir, Esther
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1753319781
AB Through interviews (n = 40) and surveys (n = 140) with separate samples of U.S. defense attorneys practicing criminal law in a Northeastern state, we utilize a mixed-methods approach to explore police procedural transgressions (e.g., pretextual stops, overreaching searches) during stops, searches, and seizures. With a structural equation path model, we examine whether and how procedural justice (an assessment of “the means” to control crime) and police effectiveness (an assessment of police performance or “the ends”) affect each other and influence perceptions of police legitimacy. Our findings indicate that procedural justice enhances perceptions of police legitimacy, whereas police effectiveness does not have an effect. Policy implications for developing mechanisms that discourage procedural transgressions by police are discussed.
K1 defense attorneys
K1 noble cause corruption
K1 Police Legitimacy
K1 Procedural Justice
DO 10.1177/0887403420915252