Cybercrime and Charging Decisions at the State Level

• In Event: Technology, Theories, and Prosecutorial Discretion

Abstract

As there continues to be a rapid proliferation of technological advancements, there has been an increase in court cases involving cybercrimes. As a result, cybercrime scholarship has grown steadily over the last two decades, however, there is still limited research on the criminal justice system's response to crimes involving technology. This study aims to add to that literature by exploring the prosecutorial decision making of cases involving cybercrimes and subsequent sentencing in a large U.S. state. Results and policy implications will be discussed. In addition, limitations to the current study and future research directions will be provided.

Authors

• Danielle Crimmins, University of Baltimore

• Jennifer LaPrade, Missouri State University

• Whitney Simonne Sanders, The University of Texas at Dallas