Women as Policymakers: The Case of Trial Judges

TLDR

Prior studies on gender differences among political elites have mainly examined attitudes, recruitment patterns, and background characteristics. The study investigates potential behavioral differences between male and female judges. The authors analyze convicting and sentencing patterns of male and female judges across more than 30,000 felony cases in Metro City, comparing outcomes for male and female defendants. Women judges did not differ from men in overall conviction or sentencing rates, but were significantly more likely to sentence female defendants to prison.

Abstract

Previous research analyzing differences between men and women political elites has focused primarily on attitudinal differences, recruitment patterns, or background characteristics. In contrast, this research looks at possible behavioral differences. It examines the convicting and sentencing behavior of men and women judges in over 30,000 felony cases in Metro City. In particular, it compares the behavior of men and women judges in convicting and sentencing male and female defendants. The findings indicate that women judges generally did not convict and sentence defendants differently than men judges did. However, women judges were considerably more likely to sentence female defendants to prison than men judges were.