CJA
Research Brief No. 17
NEW YORK CITY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCY, Inc.
May 2008
A series of reports summarizing current research from CJA Executive Director, Jerome E. McElroy Director, Research Dept., Richard R. Peterson, Ph.D. Research Brief Editor & Deputy Director, Research, Mary T. Phillips, Ph.D. Graphics & Production, Raymond P. Caligiure Administrative Associate, Annie Su
CJA is a not-for-profit corporation that provides a variety of criminal justice services under a contract with the City of New York. CJA staff interview defendants arrested in New York City, make recommendations for pretrial release, and notify released defendants of upcoming court dates. Within the Agency, the Research Department conducts studies covering a broad array of criminal justice policy concerns. The Research Brief series summarizes the results of some of these studies. New York City Criminal Justice Agency, Inc. 52 Duane Street New York, NY 10007 PHONE: 646 213-2500 FAX: 646 213-2650 WEB: www.nycja.org © 2008 NYC Criminal Justice Agency, Inc.
Pretrial Misconduct Among Domestic Violence Defendants By Richard R. Peterson, Ph.D. The processing of domestic vio- the criminal justice system are interestlence (DV) cases often presents special ed in knowing more about these types problems for the criminal justice sys- of pretrial misconduct in DV cases. How often do released DV detem. A DV defendant refendants fail to appear? How leased prior to the dispoWhat often are they re-arrested sition of a criminal case influences for new DV offenses or may harm or threaten for new Non-DV offensthe victim while the likelihood of es? How often do DV case is pending. re-arrest, failure defendants engage in While defendants to appear, or both, multiple types of prein Non-DV cases among domestic may also retaliate trial misconduct? A previous report against or threaten violence (Research Brief #12) their victims, victims defendants? compared release outcomes in DV cases are often in and pretrial misconduct of greater danger of facing DV and Non-DV defendants in renewed threats or violence. Released DV defendants, like Non-DV New York City. This report examines defendants, may also fail to appear for pretrial misconduct among DV defendants in more detail. It also identifies scheduled court appearances. Because of concerns about pretrial factors that predict different types of re-arrest and failure to appear, many in pretrial misconduct. This Research Brief is adapted from Predicting Pretrial Misconduct Among Domestic Violence Defendants In New York City (2008) by Richard R. Peterson, Ph.D., Director, Research Department The full report is available on the CJA web site: www.nycja.org/research/research.htm Research Assistance: Justin P. Bernstein, Raymond P. Caligiure, Steve Mardenfeld Systems Programming: Barbara Geller Diaz, Wayne Nehwadowich Address comments to the author at RPeterson@nycja.org
Please cite as follows, adapted to your citation style: Peterson, Richard R. 2008. “Pretrial Misconduct Among Domestic Violence Defendants.” Research Brief series, no. 17. New York: New York City Criminal Justice Agency, Inc.