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The use of statistics in criminal cases: An introduction
Author(s) -
Slobogin Christopher
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2407
Subject(s) - principal (computer security) , doctrine , value (mathematics) , task (project management) , psychology , computer science , law , political science , computer security , engineering , systems engineering , machine learning
Statistics are increasingly playing a crucial role in criminal cases. As the articles in this Special Issue illustrate, they can form the principal basis for expert testimony (e.g., with respect to risk assessments), heavily influence decisions about policy (e.g., constitutional doctrine governing police stop‐and‐frisk practices), and help courts evaluate the admissibility of expert testimony (e.g., via proficiency testing). Unfortunately, courts have not always been up to the task of analyzing the value of statistical analysis. In the course of introducing the articles in this issue, this article provides some examples of how statistical information can be misconstrued and suggests several reasons why judges may be reluctant to engage with such information.