Working Paper: NBER ID: w22003
Authors: Briggs Depew; Ozkan Eren; Naci Mocan
Abstract: We investigate the existence of in-group bias (preferential treatment of one’s own group) in court decisions. Using the universe of juvenile court cases in a U.S. state between 1996 and 2012 and exploiting random assignment of juvenile defendants to judges, we find evidence for negative racial in-group bias in judicial decisions. All else the same, black (white) juveniles who are randomly assigned to black (white) judges are more likely to get incarcerated (as opposed to being placed on probation), and they receive longer sentences. Although observed in experimental settings, this is the first empirical evidence of negative in-group bias, based on a randomization design outside of the lab. Explanations for this finding are provided.
Keywords: ingroup bias; juvenile justice; racial bias; judicial decision-making
JEL Codes: D03; J15; K41
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| age and gender of juvenile (J13) | sentencing outcomes (K40) |
| offense type (K42) | sentencing outcomes (K40) |
| race of the judge (K40) | sentencing outcomes (K40) |
| same-race assignment (J15) | harsher sentences (K40) |