Legal Studies Commons^™

Prosecutorial Perceptions Of Discovery Reform On A Local Level, Gabrielle A. Roubanian, Janne E. Gaub, Marthinus C. Koen, James J. Willis

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"In recent years, several states in the United States have considered and implemented discovery reforms to regulate how evidence is included and shared as criminal cases play out in the court system. Currently, little research explores how prosecutors have made sense of these reforms and how discovery changes have impacted their day-to-day routines. Consequently, this case study considers how prosecutors at a large prosecutorial agency in the United States made sense of discovery reforms implemented in its state two years before data collection. Findings are based on 35 semi-structured qualitative interviews and highlight how prosecutors experienced the implementation of the …

“They Don’T Want Us Anywhere”: The Impact Of Anti-Homelessness Laws On Unsheltered Residents Of Fort Worth, Texas, Brie Diamond

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Access to public space is not afforded equally amongst the population. Often, the people who must spend most of their time in these spaces, people experiencing homelessness, are barred by local or state law from being there. Fort Worth, Texas, implemented a camping ban in 2019 that prohibits camping on public or private property. This article explores the impact of this ban on unsheltered people experiencing homelessness using semi-structured interviews with 18 people residing in encampments across the city. The findings document the tangible and existential losses endured by this group and the impact on the perception of their place …

Campaigning For Change: How State-Level Groups Advocate For Legislative Sexual Offense Reform, Jennifer L. Wooldridge, Danielle J. S. Bailey, Stephanie Taulli

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"In the criminal justice field, advocacy groups work to better the circumstances for specific groups of people facing perceived injustice. While some advocacy groups have been studied extensively, one type of group – sexual offense reform advocates – has been understudied. This is particularly problematic due to stigmatization and legislative differences in how individuals convicted of sex crimes are supervised compared those convicted of non-sexual offenses. These post-conviction differences make it necessary to better understand these advocacy groups and their processes when fighting for public policy change. The current study examines qualitative interviews conducted with affiliates of a national organization …

Complexities Of Appellate Law: Experiences And Perspectives Of Utah Indigent Appellate Attorneys, Whitney Howey, Stephanie Kathan, Jeremiah W. Jaggers, Chris Cambron

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Indigent appellate attorneys experience high stress due to their unique roles and responsibilities. Very little scientific research examines the lives and experiences of attorneys in the workplace. Characterizing and describing the variety of complexities and challenges Utah appellate attorneys face within their work provides information towards filling the profession’s gaps, stressors, and occupational needs. A sample of five Utah appellate attorneys were interviewed to better understand their perspectives and experiences in the workplace. We used thematic analysis to identify themes related to Utah appellate attorney experiences and perspectives. We identified four major themes from the data, including Personal approach, Working …

Puppycide By Gavel: How The Judiciary Uses The Police Killing Of Dogs To Reinforce Justifications For Police Violence, Jeremy J. Smith

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Police discharge their firearms more often at dogs than humans, and as a profession, kill thousands of dogs every year. The number of dogs killed by police during these encounters has government officials declaring that an “epidemic” is occurring within policing itself, with some commentators referring to this trend as “puppycide” or “canicide.” The purpose of this article is to examine how the judiciary rationalizes canicide, or the police killing of dogs, and the role canicide plays in the justification of police violence. To do this, the article provides a sociolegal and ethnographic content analysis of federal court cases and …

Listening Suppers At The Landing Place: Talking With Rockland-Area Youth About School, Work, & Life, Jillian Foley Mppm, Swathi Sivasubramanian, Timothy Atkinson, Olivia Eckert, Emma Schwartz

Justice Policy

This piece (June 2025) is a collaboration with our partners at The Landing Place to amplify youth voices and ideas for systems change that came out of a series of conversations with youth in Rockland, called Listening Suppers which aimed to inspire conversations about school, work, family, community supports, relationships, and more. This short brief highlights the themes that came out of these conversations including community strengths and assets, gaps and youth needs, and youth informed recommendations for change. While much of the conversations were specific to the local Rockland community, the challenges and solutions highlighted are similar to what …

From Australian Influence To Rohingya Refugees: A Systematic Literature Review Of Asylum Seekers And Refugees In Indonesia, Bilal Dewansyah

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

The fact that Indonesia hosts asylum seekers and refugees attracted not only policy debate and media attention but also academic research. However, no systematic review has been conducted to assess the scholarly literature on this topic. This article is intended to fill this gap by presenting a systematic literature review (SLR) on asylum seekers and refugees in Indonesia. As a result, I found five major themes in the reviewed literature: (1) the focus on the Indonesia – Australia relationship; (2) people smuggling; (3) refugees’ journey and living conditions in Indonesia; (4) Rohingya refugees; (5) legal protection and refugee status. However, …

Comprehending The Influence Of Harassment And Stalking Laws On The Safety And Well-Being Of Victims In The Us, Khazayma Khan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the problem of unresponsive law enforcement faced by legitimate victims of harassment and stalking in the United States and to ultimately develop recommendations to address the problem. A mixed method was used in which qualitative and quantitative data was gathered and analyzed. For this dissertation, a mixed method was applied using interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys to gather data among victims of harassment and stalking. The participants were recruited using convenience sampling in which victims of harassment and stalking were selected from relevant organizations, such as support services. A total of …

Selected Artificial Intelligence Provisions In U.S. Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

The 2025 Fiscal Year National Defense Authorization Act contains multiple provisions relating to artificial intelligence (AI). These congressionally mandated provisions direct various sections of the Department of Defense (DOD) and individual U.S. armed service branches to execute congressional intent for AI policymaking. Examples of such intent include identifying and planning DOD's AI workforce, demonstrating AI biotechnology applications for national security, improving the human usability of AI systems, and establishing an AI security center. This presentation will note that reports on these initiatives must be prepared for relevant congressional oversight committees, and, in many cases, are in many cases, publicly released …

Chains Of Equity: How Nationwide Injunctions Are Unconstitutional, Irfan Mohamed

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Since the early judicial beginnings in the English Courts of Chancery, the principles of equity have guided judicial remedies for centuries. Modern American courts inherited these principles through reception statutes passed by newly independent states, which adopted English common law, including the concept of equity as a means of providing narrowly tailored remedies to resolve specific injuries. This paper examines the historical foundations of equity and argues that nationwide injunctions, which extend beyond the immediate litigants to affect the general public, are inconsistent with these principles and, therefore, unconstitutional. A historical and doctrinal analysis of the English Court of Chancery, …

Incorporating Specialized Courses On The Prevention Of Sexual Misconduct In Policing Academies, Nina Nguyen

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

A major problem within law enforcement is police sexual misconduct (PSM), where law enforcement officers commit sexual offenses while using the power of their position. Bonds of loyalty and trust between fellow officers are strong enough that offenders have no worries about being reported, even if they are caught. Studies have shown that most offending officers were new to the field or recently completed their training at a policing academy. Since many of the officers committing PSM were fresh out of their training, it indicates that the academy is not training its recruits properly on topics of sexual assault and …

The Rape Kit Backlog: Problems And Solutions, Tracey Cao

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

This literature review examines the ongoing issue of rape kit backlog in the United States. Rape kits are a means of evidence collection from victims of sexual assault that can be used in court. Across the nation, many state jurisdictions have hundreds and thousands of rape kits left untested and locked away in storage facilities. Consent for testing, police bias, and funding issues are the main issues that will be addressed. Many victims choose not to have their kits tested. Other kits never get tested due to police choosing not to submit a kit due to their bias against some …

The Role Of Criminology In The Courtroom, Nia Mehroke

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Criminology and expert witness testimony play a crucial role in modern-day court proceedings. Scientific data and insights utilized in criminology can assist with seeking justice and fairness. This essay aims to provide a basis for the history of criminology and define the practice. It will explore the evolution of criminology practices and how theories have developed that are still utilized today. Furthermore, it will discuss criminologists’ many contributions as expert witnesses, including the role of ethics that criminologists must follow in court. Some key ideas presented include the methodologies criminologists use to present evidence and what standard criminologists must follow …

Roger Williams University School Of Law Commencement Exercises (Program) 05-16-2025, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Commencement (1996- )

No abstract provided.

Trailblazing Woman Sailor Cole Brauer To Deliver Roger Williams University Commencement Address 4-9-2025, Jill Pais, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Justice Gap: Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic At North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, Emma-Kathryn Bond

Honors Theses

Over the course of two years, I spent more than 130 hours completing on-the- ground volunteer work with the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), a clinic within North Mississippi Rural Legal Services that provides free legal assistance to individuals navigating disputes with the IRS. While the Sixth Amendment guarantees legal representation in criminal cases, no such guarantee exists for civil matters such as tax disputes, housing instability, or loss of public benefits. Clinics like LITC fill a crucial gap by offering support in areas that are often overlooked, such as tax law, where clients risk audits, wage garnishments, and court proceedings …

Social Media And Protection Of The Youth: Assessing Policy Safeguards And Political Implications, Genesis N. Rivera

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to explain the potential gaps in U.S. state-level policies from Illinois, Utah, and California. The scope of this paper focuses on policies that specifically address the emerging issue of child influencers. Through a comparative analysis, I found that states like Illinois, California, and Utah all lack enforcement mechanisms, which rational choice theory explains are crucial for ensuring policy effectiveness. Many states, such as California and Utah, followed Illinois’s legal framework through policy diffusion. Therefore, I propose that, in order for states to adopt stronger measures, they should implement France’s more developed legal framework. Through …

Ability, Advocacy, And Access: Pre-Law Students And The Americans With Disabilities Act, Ella Rose Branham

Honors Thesis

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 with the intention to help disabled people integrate into workplaces and public spaces. Despite the importance of the ADA to make the United States more accessible, it has been met with controversy ever since. This is especially true of Title 3, which focuses on making public spaces accessible and allows for injunctive lawsuits when the legal standards are not met. The controversy of this law revolves around the news coverage of these suits, depicting the suits as unnecessary and the people filing them as greedy. This misunderstanding of the ADA …

Backlash And The Ada: Conflicting Constructions Of Disability In U.S. Policy, Bess Connolly

Political Science Honors Projects

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has faced significant judicial and regulatory backlash, even after the passage of the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA). Examining the legislative histories and trends in ADA litigation, I argue that this backlash arises from conflicts between the medical and social models of disability embedded in both laws. Compromises made during both legislative processes resulted in a law that accommodates multiple conceptions of disability, allowing courts to reshape the law according to their own views. Ultimately, the ADA remains a site of contestation as its internal contradictions have gone unresolved.

“Cry Harder!”: How Parents Traffic Their Children Through Forced Child Begging And Child Labor, Abigail K. Bellocchio

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the complex intersection of socioeconomic and cultural factors influencing forced child begging, a form of human trafficking, across different global regions. Through comprehensive literature analysis and examination of data from the Global K-anonymized Dataset from Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative (2021), this research reveals a critical gap in human trafficking discourse: the absence of a unified definition and understanding of forced child begging. Despite affecting millions of children worldwide, forced child begging remains fragmented in academic literature, scattered across disciplines including child welfare, anthropology, and media studies rather than being centrally addressed in anti-trafficking frameworks. The research identifies that …

Does The Private Prison Industry Perpetrate More Staff Sexual Misconduct Than In Federal Prisons?, Abigail Lutrick

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper compares the reported statistics of staff-on-inmate sexual misconduct allegations in privately and federally operated correctional facilities. The federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) was first created with the goal of protecting public safety and promoting rehabilitation for criminal offenders humanely. As decades have passed, and the support for the validity of this mission has wavered, the federal government has implemented oversight and remedial programs to report on the misconduct that is evident in prison management in an attempt to curb these incidents. Previous research in this field highlights the waning reliability of institutional indicators to the success of correctional …

Deepfakes On Trial: Developing A High-Accuracy, Court-Admissible Ai Pipeline For Deepfake Detection In Corporate Fraud Litigation, Aiden J. Green

Honors College Theses

As deepfake technology advances, cybercriminals are increasingly using AI-generated videos and audios to impersonate executives and carry out sophisticated CEO fraud schemes. These synthetic forgeries target human trust and corporate communication systems, creating an urgent need for forensic tools capable of authenticating digital evidence with legal accuracy. This thesis presents a forensic-grade AI deepfake detection pipeline designed for this purpose, emphasizing courtroom admissibility, reproducibility, and evidentiary integrity. Built entirely with free, opensource tools, the framework combines metadata analysis, AI-powered spectrogram analysis, neural artifact detection, and facial manipulation recognition into a transparent workflow that accurately identifies synthetic media. It was trained …

Recognizing Injustice, Reclaiming Voices: Establishing A Missing Persons Database For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Children In Nebraska, Bayly W. Watson

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Indigenous people have been the victims of harsh persecution since the time of colonization; this has negatively impacted Native communities and has contributed significantly to the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children (MMIWC) across the United States and Canada. Under Legislative Bill 154, Richards et al. (2021) conducted an initial study to identify missing Native cases in Nebraska and in 2023, the Attorney General appointed a Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Liaison to help combat the number of missing Indigenous in the state. This thesis contributes to previous research by analyzing 20,049 reports from three …

Extralegal Factors Influencing Judicial Perceptions Of Defendants With Mental Illness, Hailey Erdbruegger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States has one of the highest prison populations in the world. This means millions of individuals are either incarcerated or under other forms of supervision by the criminal justice system at any one given time. All those millions of individuals had to move through the U.S. criminal courts and thus engage with multiple forms of courtroom participants along the way. Of those millions coming through the system, many have either been diagnosed with a mental illness, or have self-reported having a mental illness. This makes the personal beliefs, stigmas, and biases of the previously mentioned courtroom participants regarding …

Investigating Exoneration Patterns Among Juveniles, Kristin Mahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exoneration from crime has been studied among adults, but exoneration of juveniles (i.e., persons under age 18) has not been analyzed as a separate entity, despite distinct legal systems and developmental considerations. Wrongful conviction, while not always indicative of innocence, devastates lives of convicted individuals and their families, while increasing public mistrust and sometimes failing to convict truly guilty individuals. This devastation, as well as vulnerability to wrongful conviction, is significantly increased for youth who miss out on crucial developmental years, milestones, and opportunities.

In the current study, I examined differing and intersecting contributors (i.e., individual characteristics, crime characteristics, legal …

"Alone I Can't, But Together We Can": A Photovoice Study To Explore Insights Of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (Aot) From Providers Working With Individuals With Serious Mental Illness (Smi)., Monica G. Urquieta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) is a court-ordered mental health treatment program for individuals with SMI (bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia) who have a history of noncompliance with treatment and are at risk of deteriorating or causing harm to themselves or others. This dissertation examined the perceptions and experiences of thirteen providers (lawyers, judges, case managers, psychiatrists, housing navigators, treatment guardians, nurse practitioners, therapists and peer support specialists with lived experience) on the AOT program for clients with SMI; and the environments that shape these perceptions, taking into account a system and community-based approach focusing on how the unique …

How Alternative Sentencing Methods Can Reduce Recidivism And Incarceration Rates For Drug Offenders In Wisconsin, Mitchell D. Fugate

Master of Public Administration Capstone Papers

The criminal justice system in the U.S. has typically been focused more on punishment in the past, but in recent times has shifted more towards implementing rehabilitative measures as a means to reduce the recidivism rate, and thus decrease the overall incarceration rates for the U.S.. An area that is especially different is drug offenses, as many of those that are arrested are addicted, and punishment does not address that addiction directly. By using alternative sentencing as a means of rehabilitation for drug offenses, the criminal justice system can work to address the issues at the root causes as well …

Parent-Child Contact In Family-Focused Programs For Incarcerated Individuals, Carol Marie Nettie Mcdonald

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The following research study will evaluate family-focused programs offered to incarcerated individuals and determine if these programs are hindered when there is little to no contact between parents and children during incarceration. Family-focused programs include parent/child bonding, and/or parenting classes and other similar programs. The research method that will be used in this study is a qualitative design and will gather data through interviews of formerly incarcerated individuals as well as former children (now adults) who have been involved in family programming. The study will also gather data from licensed clinical staff who have been involved in related programming while …

A Secluded Cabin On The Outskirts Of Riverside: A 1937 Trial For Conspiracy To Have Gay Sex, Randall Stoner, Randi Stoner

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In the early morning hours of Sunday, March 14, 1937, a group of deputy sheriffs and military police surrounded a secluded cabin on the outskirts of Riverside and forced their way inside, arresting everyone on the premises for conspiracy to violate California Penal Code sections 288a and 286: oral copulation and sodomy. Though same-sex relations were outlawed, these men had sought to create a place of privacy for themselves—only to have it surveilled and raided by members of law enforcement. The subsequent trial, People v. Jordan, was a landmark case for the city of Riverside. Many histories of LGBTQ …

The Roots And Risks Of Domestic Violence: A Holistic Review For Law Enforcement, Kiley Elsenpeter

Master of Arts in Human Services

Domestic violence (DV) is a global issue that disproportionately impacts women, producing harmful consequences for victims, families, and the community. DV involves a multifaceted interplay of individual, social, cultural, and policy elements, with intimate partner violence (IPV) representing the primary risk factor for intimate partner homicide (IPH), highlighting male-perpetrated DV as a focal concern. This review of existing literature thoroughly elucidates the predominant roots, consequences, and risk factors associated with DV, underscoring the significance of cultural awareness, trauma-informed care (TIC), and the application of evidence-based risk assessment tools within law enforcement (LE) frameworks. LE officers are uniquely positioned to detect …