Defendant's Parental Status as Affecting Judges' Behavior: An Experimental Test

Abstract

176 male and female college students read a description of a defendant and then sentenced the defendant with respect to five episodes depicting offense. The sex and parental status of the hypothetical defendant were varied. The results provided little support for the “practicality” hypothesis that defendants with children, especially female defendants, receive preferential treatment in criminal court. The data did show, however, that female defendants in general were treated more leniently than male defendants.