CALIFORNIA - JUDICIAL DISPOSITION OF CASES INVOLVING ILLEGAL WEAPONS CHARGES

• NCJ Number: 18753
• Author(s): H S PENN; C WATKINS
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: California Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO MISDEMEANOR WEAPONS COMPLAINTS AND 207 FELONY WEAPONS COMPLAINTS ARE EXAMINED WITH RESPECT TO COURT DISPOSITIONS, SENTENCES, ARREST OFFENSE, AND CONVICTION RATES.

Abstract

THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO PROVIDE MATERIAL UPON WHICH THE CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL MIGHT RECOMMEND REVISIONS IN THE PENAL CODE SECTIONS PERTAINING TO OFFENSES INVOLVING WEAPONS. THE CASES WERE SELECTED FROM THE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL STATISTICS' ARREST REGISTER FOR THE FIRST MONTHS OF 1972. DIFFERENCES IN SENTENCING PATTERNS BETWEEN LOWER COURTS AND SUPERIOR COURTS, AND THE EFFECT OF CERTAIN OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS PRIOR ARREST AND PRIOR INCARCERATION ARE ALSO EXAMINED.