Prosecutorial Decision-Making in South Carolina Domestic Violence Cases: An Analysis of the Case Processing Pipeline

• In Event: Prosecutorial Philosophy, Decision-Making, and Case Outcomes

Abstract

Within the processing of domestic violence cases, there are multiple decision points. However, few studies consider the full pipeline of decision-making, including diversion efforts, and even fewer have focused on case processing within the Southern region, specifically, despite the relatively high rate of victimizations in this region. To this end, we use prosecutorial case-level data from a demographically diverse circuit in South Carolina to document the various domestic violence case pathways that exist from the decision to prosecute to the sentencing outcome, with a consideration of the average time that elapses between each phase. The findings highlight issues related to case flow and attrition within domestic violence case processing.

Authors

• Christi Metcalfe, University of South Carolina

• Barbara Koons-Witt, University of South Carolina

• Kaitlen Hubbard, University of South Carolina

• Robert Brame, University of Maryland