1745-9125/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=32cfaa380ed40461e1dc540cf719607da567a07f "Criminology")
The authors wish to express their appreciation to the following persons, who offered important suggestions in the development of this article: David Baldus of the University of Iowa, Kevin McNally of the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, Leigh Bienin of the New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate, Wayne Usui of the University of Louisville, and to the three anonymous reviewers from Criminology. We also express our thanks to John Sternberg, who diligently and carefully collected data, to Betty Lou Vaughn and her staff in the Kentucky Corrections Cabinet, to Dr. Deborah Wilson and her staff in the Research and Evaluation Unit of the Kentucky Corrections Cabinet, and to Pat Sims of the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts.
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RACE, HOMICIDE SEVERITY, AND APPLICATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY: A CONSIDERATION OF THE BARNETT SCALE†
Article first published online: 7 MAR 2006
DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1989.tb01044.x
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How to Cite
KEIL, T. J. and VITO, G. F. (1989), RACE, HOMICIDE SEVERITY, AND APPLICATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY: A CONSIDERATION OF THE BARNETT SCALE. Criminology, 27: 511–535. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1989.tb01044.x
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Publication History
- Issue published online: 7 MAR 2006
- Article first published online: 7 MAR 2006
- Abstract
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- Cited By
This study uses the Barnett scale of homicide severity to analyze the capital sentencing process in Kentucky. In his analysis of Georgia cases, Barnett found that whites were disproportionately the victims of homicides that the scale considered as most serious. This conclusion was cited as an explanation for racial disparity in capital sentencing. When the scale is applied to Kentucky data and the level of seriousness of the murder is controlled, however, we Jind that prosecutors were more likely to seek the death penalty in cases in which blacks killed whites and that juries were more likely to sentence to death blacks who killed whites.