The prosecutor effect in trials for petty violent offences in Russia

Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper utilises the duality of criminal procedure in Russia - with or without the participation of public prosecutor - to compare trial outcomes for petty violent offences in the two types of trial and examine the effects associated with the participation of the public prosecutor in court. Controlling for the selection of cases into the public prosecutor track as well as for legal and extralegal characteristics of offence and offender, the analysis establishes that the participation of the public prosecutor in trials reduces the probability of acquittal and increases the probability termination of case in connection with reconciliation of parties. Another dimension of the public prosecutor effect is the mitigation of disparities in the likelihood of acquittal associated with the occupational status of defendant, save for the law enforcement employees. The latter are more likely to be acquitted than defendants with other occupational status and are less probable to reconcile with the victim.