Geographical, Racial, and Ethnic Variation in Seeking and Imposing Capital Punishment in Pennsylvania: 2000-2010

• In Event: Current Issues Related to the Death Penalty

Abstract

Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates in the U.S. of over-representation of African American males under sentence to death. The ratio of African-Americans to Whites under death sentence in Pennsylvania is 1.83:1. With the disproportionality of African-Americans sentenced to death, it is important to determine whether this disproportionality resulted from racial bias in decision making or whether legally relevant factors such as the severity of the offense, prior record and other appropriate sentencing factors account for this disproportionality. We have compiled an integrated dataset of basic case processing and sentencing information for all of the first, second, and third degree murder charges in Pennsylvania from 2000-2010, supplemented with additional information on these murder charges coded from docket transcript files and information on first degree murder convictions collected from prosecutors’ office and court files. We present findings on the geographical, racial, and ethnic differences in prosecutors’ decisions to seek the death penalty, as well as courts or juries’ decisions to impose the death penalty. We conclude by highlighting future research directions using these data.

Authors

• John H. Kramer, Pennsylvania State University

• Jeffery Ulmer, Pennsylvania State University

• Gary Zajac, Pennsylvania State University