Law Commons^™

Factors That Influence Domestic Violence Convictions In "No Drop Policy" Trials, Kim D. Akinyanju

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that significantly influence conviction rates in domestic violence no drop policy trials. Literature heavily supports the position that factors.-such as physical evidence, police officer testimony, and cooperative victim testimony can help prosecutors increase conviction rates. This research utilizes data collected by Smith et al. (2001) on domestic violence trials in four cities that have implemented the no drop policy. Analyses revealed that various types of physical evidence do not significantly influence convictions in no drop policy trials. Cooperative victim testimony, however, does significantly influence conviction rates and in addition significantly …

"Does It Take One To Know One?" A Comparison Of Police Recruits' And Sergeants' Perceptions Of A Good Police Officer, Kara K. Hoofnagle

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Police departments strive to hire good officers. However, there is difficulty in defining what constitutes a good police officer. The literature is rife in defining what constitutes a good police officer and characteristics indicative of a good officer. Past research suggests that characteristics of a good police officer may be more than the characteristic itself and that officers' may form their perception of what characteristics good officers harbor based on socialization, the police subculture, and the official police organization.

As such, this study sought to explore the following research question: What differences, if any, exist between police recruits' and sergeants' …