Prosecution and Defense Strategies in Domestic Violence Felonies in Iowa, 1989-1995
Description
This study consisted of an in-depth analysis of the trial
strategies used by the prosecution and the defense in domestic
violence-related felony cases. The research objectives of this study
were (1) to catalog the evidentiary constraints in domestic
violence-related cases -- specifically, the types of character
evidence and prior acts of defendants allowed during trial, (2) to
show how the prosecution presented its case in domestic violence
trials by identifying the key prosecution themes and strategies, (3)
to present the specific evidence used by the prosecution to prove the
elements of a case, and (4) to describe the themes and strategies used
by the defense to counter the prosecution's case. Researchers focused
on the admission of evidence of other acts of violence, known as
"context" evidence, which characterized the violent relationship
between the defendant and victim. The design involved a qualitative
analysis of felony trial transcripts in Iowa from 1989 to 1995, in
which the defendant and victim were involved in a domestic
relationship. Part 1, Coded Transcript Data, contains the coded themes
from the text analysis program. Background information was gathered on
the length and type of relationship at the time of the incident, and
the substance abuse and criminal histories of the defendant and the
victim. Incident variables include current case charges, type of
trial, description of physical injuries, whether hospitalization was
required, type of weapon used, and whether the defendant or the victim
owned a firearm. Other variables describe prosecution and defense
strategies regarding evidence, identity, credibility, the nature of
the relationship between the defendant and the victim, the intentions
of the defendant, and how the police handled the case. Demographic
variables include the race of the defendant and the ages of the
defendant and the victim. Parts 2-40 consist of the actual court
transcripts.
Resources
| Name |
Format |
Description |
Link |
|
0 |
ICPSR02811.v2 |
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR02811.v2 |
Tags
- courts
- defendants
- prosecution
- victims
- felony-offenses
- evidence
- case-processing
- trial-procedures
- criminal-histories
- domestic-violence