Exploring the Role of Victim Sex, Victim Conduct, and Victim–Defendant Relationship in Capital Punishment Sentencing

Disparities in the administration of capital punishment are a prominent social and political issue. Recent studies indicate that victim characteristics of sex and race produce interactive effects on capital-sentencing outcomes. Extending this line of research, the current analysis explores the intersection of victim sex with victim conduct and victim–defendant relationship, utilizing a population of North Carolina capital cases spanning the years 1977 to 2009 (N = 1,285). Findings indicate that cases with a female victim who was not involved in illegal activity at the time of the murder and acquaintance female victim cases are most likely to result in a death recommendation. Potential reasons for these findings are discussed

“Sacred to the Hart”*: Identity and dignity as reflected in the memorial landscapes of postemancipation African Americans in Pensacola, Florida

This article broadens the discussion of 19th century monuments associated with the Lost Cause by exploring the monument landscapes of post-emancipation African American cemeteries and the people who are associated with them. Method. Exemplars from several cemeteries in Pensacola, Florida, are used to examine how the post-emancipation population maintained deep ties to their cultural roots while assimilating into society as free people. Results. The built environment of postemancipation African American cemeteries contains monuments reflecting black identity and dignity in life and in death. Conclusions. Examining a broader sample of memorial landscapes can be a starting point in expanding the national dialogue on our country’s history in a more inclusive fashion. Historic cemeteries, especially African American cemeteries established post-Civil War, offer an excellent means of doing this in a manner that almost all citizens can understand and respectJournal ArticlePublishe