Adjudication Outcomes in Intimate and Non-Intimate Homicides

Abstract

Most prior research on intimate partner (IP) homicide sanctioning is limited by research designs that analyze outcomes only for defendants charged or convicted of IP homicide, or that focus on female offenders. These studies preclude comparisons of criminal justice responses to intimate and non-intimate homicide cases, as well as comparisons of male and female offenders. Using an original data set of homicide cases adjudicated guilty in Philadelphia during the period 1995 to 2000 ( N = 1137), intimate and non-intimate homicide cases are examined in bivariate and multivariate contingency table analyses. Contrary to earlier research suggesting harsher treatment for women convicted of IP homicide, the results indicate that male defendants convicted of IP homicide are treated more severely than female defendants at all examined stages of the criminal justice process. Additionally, male defendants are sanctioned more harshly for IP than for non-IP homicides. Explanations for the divergence of these findings from those of earlier studies are discussed.