Abstract
Forensic evidence is an important component in criminal justice decision - making. Yet, few studies have examined the effectiveness of the various macro - types of forensic evidence in facilitating arrest. This article analyzed over 4000 case files from five cities to determine how the collection and analysis of three macro - types of forensic evidence (Classification, Identification, and Progenitor) affect the probability of arrest across five different crime types. The results of several sets of logistic regression analyses suggest that forensic evidence affects the probability of arrest, but that the impact is not consistent across different types of crime or macro - types of forensic evidence. These findings suggest that the standard practice of dichotomizing forensic evidence collection to determine its effectiveness obscures how the macro - types of forensic evidence correlate with the odds of arrest differently across crime types.
Document Type
Article
Source Publication
Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society
Version
Published Version
Publication Date
2020
Volume
21
Issue
3
First Page
17
Last Page
38
Rights
© 2020 by the journal of Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society (CCJLS) and The Western Society of Criminology. Used by permission.
Recommended Citation
Steele, M.J. (2020). Effects of Different Types of Forensic Evidence on Arrest Probability: Toward a New Typology of Evidence. Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society, 21(3), 17-38. https://ccjls.scholasticahq.com/article/18148-effects-of-different-types-of-forensic-evidence-on-arrest-probability-toward-a-new-typology-of-evidence
Comments
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