Conceptualizations of Justice From the Inside Looking Out: A rationalization for the perceptions and satisfaction by Justices in rural courts .

• In Event: Perceptions of Jurors and Justices

Abstract

Equity in justice for all is a hallmark of the American criminal justice system. Views on the pervasiveness of this concept of equal justice can vary depending on the vantage point of an individual. Differing views can exist due to individual experiences with the court system and whether the individual is in a adjudicatory role or defendant in a proceeding. This variation is well documented in the scholarship focused on criminal courts in urban centers examining either on the judicial structure and/or processes, or on the effects of the adjudication processes on the participants in these court systems. Research on perceptions of justice at courts of limited jurisdiction, more specifically justice of the peace courts, is more deficient. Even less work has been conducted researching these limited jurisdiction courts from the view of the justices presiding in these courts, thus making it difficult to assess the impact on perceptions of justice by the general public. Scholarship on justices’ perceptions and their perceptual efficacy of the decision-making process has traditionally been ignored. This research looks at the conceptions of justice from the perspective of rural justices, and the importance these perspectives have on conceptualizations of justice by the public.

Author

• Cory R. Lepage, University of Alaska, Anchorage