Symposiums

Presenter: Dr. Suzanne St. George Coble

Topic: Fairness and equity in district courts: A mixed methods approach

Location: Wilson-Short, Room 101

Date and Time: October 07, 2026, 12:00pm-1:30pm

Abstract:

Judicial systems around the world are entrusted with dispensing “justice” and ensuring “fairness,” but the meaning of these terms may be contested and subjective. Legal ideals of impartiality may conflict with structural definitions of fairness that highlight how color-, class-, and gender-blind policies contribute to disparate legal outcomes. Judges are responsible for ensuring fair processes; hence it is essential to understand how they define fairness and to what extent court processes and outcomes align with these definitions. Using a two-phase, mixed methods design, the current study elucidates judges’ perceptions of fairness and explores if district courts are fair according to their own definitions.

First, we qualitatively analyzed interviews with 25 district court judges in Arkansas to assess how judges define fairness. Explicit definitions of “fairness” invoked individual-level treatment and decisions, such as “treating all defendants the same,” and underlined “procedural justice,” including explaining decisions and procedures, treating defendants with respect, and giving them voice. Few judges offered systemic definitions of fairness, such as unequal resource allocation across districts. Second, we examined hundreds of systematic social observations of district court sessions to assess if court proceedings were fair according to judges’ definitions. We analyze manifestations of transparency, respect, and voice, including whether the judge explained decisions, shared information about court processes, and allowed defendants to speak, and the duration of proceedings. We found evidence of both fairness and unfairness in Arkansas district courts.

Presenter: Dr. Cortney Franklin and Dr. Tara O’Connor Shelley

Topic: Nonfatal Intimate partner violence-related strangulation: Incidence and first responder detection in a multi-site National Institute of Justice-funded evaluation study

Location: Wilson-Short, Room 101

Date and Time: November 04, 2026, 12:00pm-1:30pm

Abstract:

The last several decades have seen an increase in scholarly attention directed toward the detection of and intervention in nonfatal intimate partner   violence-related strangulation (IPVRS). There is limited contemporary research on the topic as this is a challenging population to access and because the signs and symptoms of strangulation are difficult to detect without specialized training. Existing empirical research has been characterized by considerable measurement error and study design limitations, undermining confidence in prevalence estimates and on how well first responders have identified, detected, and prioritized IPVRS for emergency intervention. The current research reports findings from part of a larger National Institute of Justice-funded multi-site evaluation study on a municipal ordinance targeting nonfatal IPVRS response. Findings report the population incidence of nonfatal IPVRS incidents in domestic violence cases reported to two police departments from 2016 to 2018 and on first responder detection of nonfatal IPVRS to better understand how frequently this occurs and how accurately police detect it. 

Presenter: Dr. Hillary Mellinger and Brittany Solensten

Topic: Mind the Gap: Navigating Language Barriers in Traffic Stops

Location: Wilson-Short, Room 101

Date and Time: December 09, 2026, 12:00pm-1:30pm

Abstract:

In their symposium presentation, Dr. Mellinger and doctoral candidate Brittany Solensten will present their findings from a mixed methods study on how law enforcement officers identified and mitigated challenges posed by Spanish language barriers during traffic stops.  They analyzed body-worn camera (BWC) footage from 84 traffic stops, 43 of which involved language barriers, and conducted fifteen interviews with officers from a medium-sized law enforcement agency in Washington state that serves a predominantly Hispanic community.  Regarding the BWC footage, they found that of five different language access resources, officers most relied upon “Survival Spanish” (79% of stops), defined as basic Spanish vocabulary, followed by having an adult passenger or civilian serve as an interpreter (21% of stops), receiving assistance from a bilingual officer (12% of stops), using Google Translate (7% of stops), and relying on LanguageLine (0% of stops).  The fifteen interviewees explained the strengths and limitations of these five language access resources, shared helpful strategies and less productive practices for responding to language barriers, and discussed the ways that their agency, fellow officers, and drivers could support them in addressing language barriers. Dr. Mellinger and doctoral candidate Brittany Solensten will conclude their presentation by discussing productive next steps for future research in this area, such as an assessment of how technological tools are leveraged in response to language barriers in police encounters, which language access resources are most useful for different situations, and officers’ and community members’ views of those tools. 

Presenter: Dr. Melanie-Angela Neuilly

Topic: At the root of lethal violence: The French death investigation system and the accuracy of mortality statistics in violence prevention.

Location: Wilson-Short, Room 101

Date and Time: September 17, 2025, 12:00pm-2:00pm