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                            Library & Multimedia
 Policing & Prosecuting Sexual Assault: Inside the Criminal Justice System
NCJ Number
              243925

Author(s)
          Cassia Spohn;
                        Katharine Tellis
Date Published

2014
Length
              256 pages
Annotation
              This book, Policing & Prosecuting Sexual Assault: Inside the Criminal Justice System, examines the criminal justice system's response to cases involving allegations of sexual assault and rape.
Abstract
              This book presents the results of a study that examined the criminal justice system's response to cases involving allegations of sexual assault and rape. The authors of the study worked with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's (DA's) office to examine both the police response and the prosecution's response in cases involving sexual assault allegations. The authors interviewed members of both law enforcement agencies who worked on sexual assault cases, district attorneys who handled these cases, and sexual assault survivors. The authors also reviewed department policies and procedures for handling these cases. Based on these efforts, the study found an overuse in the number of cases being cleared by exceptional means and that often these findings were not done in accordance with Federal guidelines. The study also found that a large number of cases were submitted to the DA's office prior to the arrest of a suspect, subjecting the cases to higher levels of proof than would otherwise be required by law to make an arrest. In addition, law enforcement agencies were using the prearrest charge evaluation process as a means of screening out cases that were felt to be problematic and difficult to prove, such as cases where the victim was involved in risky behavior. This has led to changes in the arrest standards used by the police to bring charges, from one of probable cause to proof beyond a reasonable doubt to convict. Based on these findings, the authors developed two sets of recommendation for improving the criminal justice system's response to cases involving sexual assault. One set of recommendations is intended for law enforcement while the second set is aimed at improving the FBI's UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) Program. Tables, bibliography, and index
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2009-WG-BX-0009


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Overview Text


  
  
        
  Award
        Police Decision Making In Sexual Assault Cases: An Analysis of Crimes Reported to the Los Angeles Police Department, 2006-2008
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2014
    
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