RT Article
T1 The Effect of a Pre-Arraignment Legal Representation Pilot on Pretrial Release and Criminal Case Outcomes
JF Journal of quantitative criminology
VO 41
IS 2
SP 269
OP 291
A1 Lacoe, Johanna
A1 Fischer, Brett
A1 Raphael, Steven 1968-
A2 Fischer, Brett
A2 Raphael, Steven 1968-
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1931875561
AB ObjectivesLow-income individuals facing criminal charges experience disproportionately high rates of pretrial detention and conviction. We study a pilot program in Santa Clara County, CA that aims to address this inequity by providing access to public defenders immediately following arrest.MethodsThe Santa Clara Public Defender agreed to provide pilot services one day per week, rotating the intervention day across weeks. Individuals booked on an intervention day were eligible for early legal representation, while individuals booked on control days received public defender services as usual. The study leverages the rotating treatment day to compare pretrial release and case outcomes between eligible individuals booked on treatment days and eligible individuals booked on control days.ResultsPilot program participants were 28 percentage points more likely to secure pretrial release, and 36 percentage points more likely to see their cases dismissed, relative to comparable individuals who generally first meet with their public defender at arraignment.ConclusionsProviding prompt access to legal representation could improve release and case outcomes for low-income individuals and the efficacy of public defense.
K1 Administrative Justice
K1 Bail
K1 Crime Prevention
K1 Criminal Behavior
K1 Criminal Justice
K1 Experiment
K1 Pretrial Detention
K1 Probation
K1 Public Law
K1 Public defense
DO 10.1007/s10940-024-09596-1