| Summary: | These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed. This project sought to study the District Attorney of New York's (DANY) current practices by addressing the complex relationship between prosecutorial decision making and racial and ethnic justice in felony and misdemeanor cases closed in New York County in 2010-2011. Using a mixed-methods approach, administrative records from the DANY case-management systems and prosecutorial interviews were examined to study case acceptance for prosecution, pretrial detention and bail determination, case dismissal, plea offers, and sentencing. Researchers developed five hypotheses for the data collected: <ol> <li> Blacks and Latinos are more likely to have their cases accepted for prosecution than similarly situated white defendants.</li> <li> Blacks and Latinos are more likely to be held in pretrial detention and less likely to be released on bail.</li> <li> Blacks and Latinos are less likely to have cases dismissed.</li> <li> Blacks and Latinos are less likely to receive a plea offer to a lesser charge and more likely to receive custodial sentence offers. </li> <li> Blacks and Latinos are more likely to be sentenced to custodial punishments.</li></ol> All criminal activity of the defendant was examined, as well as their demographics and prior history, the location of the crime. Information on the Assistant District Attorney (ADA) was examined as well, including their demographics and caseload in order to more thoroughly understand the catalysts and trends in decision making.
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