STUDY OF WITNESS COOPERATION WITH DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROSECUTORS

• NCJ Number: 27592
• Author(s): F J CANNAVALE
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 281 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-NI-99-0013-G
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: INSLAW
• Sale Source: D C Heath and Co
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TO IDENTIFY WHY CITIZENS IDENTIFIED AS WITNESSES AT THE CRIME SCENE ARE OFTEN LABELED 'NONCOOPERATOR' BY THE PROSECUTOR, THIS STUDY ANALYZED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A SAMPLE OF WASHINGTON, D.C. WITNESSES.

Abstract

THIS STUDY INVOLVED A HOUSEHOLD SURVEY BASED ON A RANDOM SAMPLE CONSISTING OF 2,997 CITIZEN WITNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH 1,941 CLOSED 'STREET CRIME' CASES, THAT HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1973. WITNESSES' DEMOGRAPHIC TRAITS AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ITS PERSONNEL WERE SUBJECTED TO DETAILED ANALYSES. THIS WAS DONE FOR ALL WITNESSES, VICTIMS VERSUS NONVICTIMS, AND D.C. RESIDENTS VERSUS SUBURBAN RESIDENTS. PRESENTED IN NONTECHNICAL TERMS, PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS RESULTING FROM ADVANCED STATISTICAL ANALYSES INCLUDED THE FINDING THAT, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF POOR COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN POLICE/PROSECUTOR AND WITNESS (INDUCED, IN PART, BY INCOMPLETE INFORMATION AND TIME PRESSURES), PROSECUTORS WERE OFTEN MISLED REGARDING WITNESSES' TRUE INTENTIONS AND LABELED THEM 'NONCOOPERATOR' WHEN, IN FACT, WITNESSES MAY HAVE BEEN WILLING TO COOPERATE AND WERE UNAWARE OF THE NONCOOPERATIVE DESIGNATION. NOTING THAT A MAJOR CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS INADEQUATE POLICE-PROSECUTOR COMMUNICATIONS WITH WITNESSES, THE STUDY RECOMMENDS UPGRADED MANAGERIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. FOR THE PROSECUTOR'S WITNESSMANAGEMENT HANDBOOK DEVELOPED FROM THIS STUDY, SEE NCJ-27591. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)