Law, Social Science, and the Criminal Courts

Law, Social Science and the Criminal Courts fills a gap in the fields of criminal justice and law and society. Unlike any other available text, this book integrates legal cases and empirical research on social science questions confronted by the criminal courts. In other words, it examines how social science impacts criminal law and procedure. The book is organized around the criminal court process beginning with issues related to pretrial proceedings and ending with issues concerning sentencing. Specifically, the book provides an introduction to the history of social science used by the courts and the types of social science admitted as evidence in the courts. The chapters that follow provide seminal legal cases and empirical, social science research on a variety of topics ranging from pretrial publicity and racial profiling to Megan's Law and the death penalty.
Readers are introduced to the "law in action" by demonstrating how social science influences the courts and the courts influence society. Readers will be able to critically review court opinions and social science studies that test some of the assumptions relied upon in court decisions. Sociology of law, law and society, and criminal justice students will find this book interesting as it raises questions about the influence of law on society and whether empirical research helps or hinders grounded judicial decision-making.