Leniency In Sentencing: Male or Female Judge? (case, offender, defendant)

[tijlover]

If you committed a crime, involving violence or not, and you had a choice between facing a female or male judge, which would you feel more comfortable with? Who do you suspect would give you the stricter or more lenient prison sentence?

My circuitous answer lies with my true crime readings. Anytime there's an election for local judges (with no clue for what they stand for) it's the easiest part of the voting process. Click-click-click I go!

But, sometimes, you come across neutral names like Kim and Francis, and that can make it more difficult.

In one true crime book I read, where a black offender learned that he was going to face a black female judge, he said to his fellow inmates: Call my family when you get out, they'll tell you which cemetery I'll be buried in!

[gold*dust1]

In that hypothetical scenario, I would rather take my chances with a male judge.

[Cunucu Beach]

So would I. At 74 I think a man would have more sympathy for me than a woman.

[Pandamonium]

If I have to go in front of a judge, I would say a female judge. Although, there is no real change in discrepency. They have heard so much crap that it wouldn't matter. Both genders have been known to do a smack down.

[Mathguy]

Depends on the race and sex of both the defendant and the judge.

I personally feel that people of a similar sex and background would be less lenient.

My lawyer buddy recently had a case with a female black judge and female black defendant and that judge was not giving an inch.

[marmac]

The biggest difference would be if the defendant was male or female.

Our society is still locked into that mode of being lenient to female defendants.

[sheena12]

Very interesting question. There are so many variables involved. What type of crime is it?
Anyone who thinks that the gender,race or age of the judge does not matter has never heard of jury selection.
It sure does.

[sheena12]

OK as a Caucasian college educated female I would have to say an older male judge from a middle to upper middle class background - with a daughter my age.

[Pandamonium]

Anyone who doesn't know that jury selection is actually a process that takes place between the prosecutor and the defense attorney while the judge plays referee has obviously never dealt with jury selection.

Just saying.

[sheena12]

Yes I am aware of that. I was making a comparison as in it is well known that these factors do have a role in the decision making process as we are all the products of the sum total of our experiences.
That would include judges, because they are also human beings.

sheeeh....