Graduate Defense: Hali Higgins

Thesis Information

Title: Fines And The Federal Court System: Exploring The Differences And Intersection For Male And Female Defendants With Dependents

Program: Master of Arts in Criminal Justice

Advisor: Dr. Jacqueline Lee, School of Public Service

Committee Members: Dr.  Lucas Alward, School of Public Service and Dr. Lane Gillespie, School of Allied Health Sciences

Abstract

This thesis explores the intersection between fines, defendant gender, and dependents in the federal court system under the focal concerns perspective. Limited research has been conducted examining how fines are applied in the federal system, and this thesis helps address this gap. Consistent with previous research finding that women are treated more leniently than men throughout the criminal justice process, male defendants were found to be more likely to have a fine imposed as well as being more likely to get higher fine amounts. When considering dependents however, presence of dependents was not significant.