Geometrical Justice: The Death Penalty in America

Description

Geometrical Justice enlists the pathbreaking geometrical theory of law developed by sociologist Donald Black. Drawing on large datasets, this book considers how characteristics such as race, class, social integration, moral reputation, and organizational status affect legal decision making. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Figures Tables Author Bios Preface Acknowledgments Prologue The Sociology of Law Forerunners Law and Society The Handling of Cases Notes References 1 The Geometrical Theory of Law The Theory The Quantity of Law Social Space Core Propositions A Scientific Theory Pure Sociology Reactions to the Theory Testing the Theory Qualitative Studies Quantitative Studies How Good Are the Tests? A Better Test Our Test The Baldus Study The Capital Jury Project The Houston Study Conclusion Appendix 1 The 38 Studies Included in Our Review of Prior Tests Notes References 2 Social Space The Geometry of Death Social Status, Social Distance Findings Downward Distance Executions Conclusion Sources for the Robin Owers Case Sources for the Nancy Adleman Case Appendix 2 Notes References 3 Social Time Seriousness and Science Social Time Movements of Social Time Applying the Theory The Seriousness of Murder The Death Penalty Online Hostility Conclusion Source for the Louis “Buddy” Musso Case Sources for the Tina McCann Case Appendix 3 Notes References 4 Space and Time: Third Parties Fact-Finding Investigation Witnesses The “Facts” Lawyers Extra-Legal Partisanship Prosecuting Slow Partisanship Law Enforcement Officers Sentencing Race and the Jury Juror Status Conclusion Sources for the Eric Nenno Case Sources for the Steven Green Case Appendix 4 Notes References 5 The Death Penalty and Beyond Pure Sociology The Geometrical Theory of Law Social Time Social Space Third Parties So What? Our Findings in Context Desocialization The Death Penalty Desocialization Versus the Alternatives The Decline of the Death Penalty Tracing the Decline Explaining the Decline Legal Rules Colonial Versus Contemporary America Do Not Disturb Why the Resistance? Geometrical Theory as Social Time Conclusion Sources for the Curtis Flowers Case Notes References Index