The Effect of Prior Consensual Sex between the Victim and the Offender on the Prosecutor's Decision to File Charges in Sexual Assault Cases.

<p>Research has shown that both legal and extra-legal factors are used by the prosecutor in a sexual assault case when making the decision to file charges in the case. However, no study on sexual assault prosecutorial discretion, at this time, has examined the effect of prior consensual sex between the victim and the offender and the affect that it has on the prosecutor’s decision to file charges. Using data from a National Institute of Justice Study on sexual assault case processing, this study tests whether evidence of prior consensual sex between the victim and the offender plays a role in the prosecutor’s decision to file charges in sexual assault cases. This study also examines the effect of the interaction between extra-legal factors and prior consensual sex between the victim and the offender.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MA (Master of Arts)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - unrestricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Criminal Justice and Criminology

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Hollifield, Kimberly Brooke

• Sexual Assault
• Prosecutorial Discretion
• Criminal Law
• Law
• Sexuality and the Law

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by the authors.

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/756

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-1913