All-or-nothing verdict as a screening device

Authors: Bac M.¹; Bag P.K.²

Source: Oxford Economic Papers, Volume 55, Number 3, July 2003 , pp. 536-559(24)

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Abstract:

An adversarial model of criminal trial is considered with three verdict choices—innocent, guilty of moderate crime, and guilty of serious crime. Depending on the parties' access to evidence and initial beliefs in the courtroom about the possible crimes, the judge may agree to the defendant's request to eliminate the verdict of moderate crime from jury deliberation if the prosecution brings the charge of serious crime. Though this all-or-nothing verdict choice confers the defendant some manipulative power, it is shown that such verdict choice may also screen out an overstated charge of serious crime. Conditions are derived under which screening is effective and powerful enough to generate (ex-ante) efficiency gains.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: starf Sabanci University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla 81474, Istanbul, Turkey;, Email: bac@sabanciuniv.edu Sabanci University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla 81474, Istanbul, Turkey;, Email: bac@sabanciuniv.edu "> 2: †Department of Economics and Finance, Birkbeck College, University of London, 7-15 Gresse St., London W1T 1LL;, Email: pbag@econ.bbk.ac.uk

Publication date: 2003-07-01

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Oxford Economic Papers is a general economics journal, publishing refereed papers in economic theory, applied economics, econometrics, economic development, economic history, and the history of economic thought. It occasionally publishes survey articles in addition to original papers. Books are not reviewed, but substantial review articles are considered. The journal occasionally publishes survey articles in addition to original papers, and occasionally publishes special issues or symposia.