Findings from the Misdemeanor Justice Project

This resource was produced for prosecutors, judges, and public defenders and highlights: (1) that law enforcement strategies that include guardian actions such as citizen checks have greater crime prevention effects than traditional enforcement actions such as arrests, (2) implicit biases play a role into who enters the court room and (3) the importance of defense counsel in creating a more equitable and just system. The highlights were based on four articles from DCJ’s special issues in Criminal Justice Policy Review including The Effect of Various Police Enforcement Actions on Violent Crime: Evidence from a Saturation Foot-Patrol Intervention, Traffic Enforcement Through the Lens of Race: A Sequential Analysis of Post-Stop Outcomes in San Diego, California, Right to Counsel in Misdemeanor Prosecutions After Alabama v. Shelton: No-Lawyer-Courts and Their Consequences on the Poor and Communities of Color in St. Louis, and What Difference Does a Lawyer Make? Impacts of Early Counsel on Misdemeanor Bail Decisions and Outcomes in Rural and Small Town Courts