tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post7230149621374387981..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Majority of Texas criminal cases taken to trial in FY 2010 resulted in acquittalGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-75956797352478938852010-12-14T20:10:20.556-06:002010-12-14T20:10:20.556-06:00Grits,
I know this is perhaps a little late but t...Grits,<br /><br />I know this is perhaps a little late but thanks. Like I said, Acrobat is not at all friendly for me to use. I still can't see anything for the passage I quoted that would indicate that it is for last year but I'll trust you on that since I know poorly formatted documents often have sections skipped by my screen reader.Soronel Haetirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11639906179427371695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-32771533391613967152010-12-13T13:46:08.171-06:002010-12-13T13:46:08.171-06:00Grits -- doesn't the chart on page 45 only ref...Grits -- doesn't the chart on page 45 only refer to county-level courts, as the heading on page 43 states? There is a separate chart on page 39 for district courts, in which 71.3% of trials resulted in conviction, and another chart later for municipal courts, etc. Your post makes it seem those county stats apply statewide at all levels. State prosecutors aren't quite so bad as that! Correction, please?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-62977818983558076952010-12-13T10:15:51.149-06:002010-12-13T10:15:51.149-06:00Even if a juvenile is later certified as an adult,...Even if a juvenile is later certified as an adult, the case is still filed as a juvenile case in juvenile courts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-84400696211207899182010-12-12T20:36:11.391-06:002010-12-12T20:36:11.391-06:00I don't think that it is certifications. I thi...I don't think that it is certifications. I think a significant portion is related to the change in age of TYC. Youth are simply out of the TYC system and into the adult system at a much earlier age now than before. There is limited latitude for the 16 year old probationer that violates as a 17 year old. Those cases are not being handled in the juvenile court anymore. Send em on up to the adult system. No time for the serious offender in TYC.<br /><br />I will add that another significant factor is likely increased juvenile probation dollars and prevention.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-2563933296245426972010-12-12T16:06:34.414-06:002010-12-12T16:06:34.414-06:00I'd have never guessed it's a 50-50 chance...I'd have never guessed it's a 50-50 chance. Roll those bones, baby!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-68939861076612903702010-12-12T04:41:12.331-06:002010-12-12T04:41:12.331-06:008:22, actually juveniles aren't transferred to...8:22, actually juveniles aren't transferred to the adult system at nearly that rate - just a handful a year. It wouldn't remotely amount to 10% of juvenile crime.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-1085804028304438572010-12-12T04:35:10.145-06:002010-12-12T04:35:10.145-06:00Soronel, you're looking at the 2009 data; the ...Soronel, you're looking at the 2009 data; the comparable sentence in the 2010 report jibes with my headline: "Of the 4,060 cases that went to trial, 62.4 percent were tried before a jury. Defendants were convicted in 58.2 percent of cases that went to jury trial, compared to 31.7 percent that were convicted in cases that were decided by a judge."<br /><br />These are definitely ONLY criminal trials, not mixed with civil, and I don't see any reason from the data to think the acquittals listed are mixed with convictions. I doubt they'd mix "convictions" with "acquittals" when "convictions" has its own row in the table.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-22847600318196957852010-12-11T20:58:53.300-06:002010-12-11T20:58:53.300-06:00Grits,
A question, is that figure for trials that...Grits,<br /><br />A question, is that figure for trials that ended with outright acquittal (the fact finder returned not guilty on all charges), acquittal on the top charge but guilty on some of the lesser included offenses, or some other mix?<br /><br />I would say that it would be very misleading if it's including cases where convictions did result, even if not on the most serious charge(s). Perhaps not quite as misleading if the top charges are felonies but the defendant was convicted of misdemeanors.<br /><br />Also, reading on page 45 (I think, it's hard for me to know Acrobat is not friendly for the blind) there is this statement:<br /><br />Of the 3,505 criminal cases that went to trial, 76.2 percent were tried before a jury. Defendants were convicted in 77.7 percent of cases that went to jury trial, compared to 54.3 percent of cases decided by a judge.<br /><br />That obviously does not match your headline, so which of us went wrong and where?<br /><br />It would be extremely misleading if the 4060 is mixing civil and criminal court outcomes.Soronel Haetirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11639906179427371695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-67129746027174093502010-12-11T20:22:24.508-06:002010-12-11T20:22:24.508-06:00I would love to see the indicators for the decline...I would love to see the indicators for the decline in juvenile cases. I think it is likely due to more youth being transferred to the adult system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-2903993034645473272010-12-11T13:19:55.848-06:002010-12-11T13:19:55.848-06:0098% of cases plea bargained? Maybe this is why &q...98% of cases plea bargained? Maybe this is why "junk science" doesn't get vetted sooner.<br /><br />Remove the plea bargaining option and attorneys will have to actually understand science and not just pretend to understand science.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-25606442578429388672010-12-11T11:33:30.011-06:002010-12-11T11:33:30.011-06:00Wow, that big traffic drop is ahead of the curve. ...Wow, that big traffic drop is ahead of the curve. I fully expected a drop when the constables lost their traffic duties, but that was 2010 n0t 2009.quashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07803642435592577915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-5178920673992377262010-12-11T10:39:02.001-06:002010-12-11T10:39:02.001-06:00Lower traffic offenses could be related to driver&...Lower traffic offenses could be related to driver's deciding to slow down due to excessive fuel prices and possible the much disliked Surcharge program.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-8474587579405006992010-12-11T06:44:53.960-06:002010-12-11T06:44:53.960-06:00Plato, to clarify, some of those were bench trials...Plato, to clarify, some of those were bench trials, not just jury trials. 4,060 was the total for both types.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73790274357076643382010-12-11T02:32:34.819-06:002010-12-11T02:32:34.819-06:003378 appointed/elected judges.
4060 jury trials s...3378 appointed/elected judges.<br /><br />4060 jury trials statewide.<br /><br />Damn, that's nearly one trial per year per judge.<br /><br />Plus - 50% of jury trials end in acquital? No wonder DA's prefer to play Let's Make a Deal where they have a 98% conviction rate.<br /><br />PlatoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com