Sha Zhu Pan (杀猪盘), or Pig-Butchering scam, is a new online romance scam that mainly
targets Chinese-speaking individuals to gain emotional trust and persuade victims to invest …

This study investigates sentencing disparity under the sentencing guidelines in China.
Drawing upon the firsthand data of 509 criminal cases from a county-level court in 2015, our …

Sentencing is a process where judges evaluate multiple circumstances prior to making a
decision. The quantity and effect of particular circumstances exert a direct impact on judges' …

Despite the significant role that aggravating and mitigating factors play in sentencing
outcomes, they have been neglected by both policy and research. The purpose of this study …

In recent years, a range of western jurisdictions has introduced reforms designed to restrict
and guide judicial discretion at sentencing. The reforms enacted include mandatory …

A significant body of literature has developed to explain the controversial issue of
sentencing disparity among various racial/ethnic groups. According to the focal concerns …

Drawing upon 503 cases of violent and drug crimes involving the death penalty from three
intermediate courts in China, this study explores various defense arguments, their …

Although victim wrongs often contribute to assault and battery cases, the judicial
examination and determination of victim wrongs in criminal trials in mainland China remain …

The anchoring effect is a powerful and widespread cognitive phenomenon in the decision-
making field. Our quantitative analysis of a sample of 520 sentences indicates that the …

Judges and juries exercise broad discretion in criminal sentencing outcomes. They may
strive to be fair, but the complexity and uncertainty of these judgments leads to predictable …