The Effects of Judges’ Personal Attributes on Sentencing in State Criminal Cases

Kelsey Gorman

This thesis analyzes how different personal attributes of judges, namely, judges’ sex, political orientation, years served on bench, and prior legal experience, influence sentencing outcomes.The sentence imposed is measured by whether or not it includes incarceration, the length of incarceration (in months), and whether the sentence departed above or below the guidelines. Unique to my thesis, I use survey data administered to Pennsylvania judges in the Court of Common Pleas to analyze presonal attributes.
Major: 
International Politics: National Security
Exhibition Category: 
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Exhibition Format: 
Poster Presentation
Campus: 
University Park
Faculty Sponsor: 
Jeffrey Ulmer
Poster Number: 
16152