Amy Dezember, doctoral student in Criminology, Law and Society, has received a Summer Research Fellowship from the Provost Office to support data collection for her dissertation research on plea bargaining. Amy’s dissertation will examine Alford pleas, which are a special type of guilty plea in which defendants who claim innocence but perceive their chances of acquittal at trial as too risky are allowed to plead guilty. More specifically, she will examine whether the strength of the evidence is the driving force behind Alford pleas and whether legal case characteristics differ between Alford and traditional guilty pleas. Her research will provide more information about the plea decision-making process generally, and will provide particular insight into the unique and controversial use of Alford pleas. Professor Allison Redlich is supervising Dezember's doctoral research.
March 20, 2018
