Jeff Johnson Is the Newest Judge to Take the Bench

question 29

Multiple Choice

Jeff Johnson is the newest judge to take the bench in the fifth district of Virginia. He spent 25 years as a prosecutor before being elected to the court. He is known for his lenient views on drugs and his extreme conservative views on crimes of violence. Rebecca is a 37-year-old black woman standing in front of Judge Johnson in absolute disbelief that she has not received a life sentence for killing her husband while he slept. She was in an abusive marriage. Instead, she received a five-year sentence. How can extralegal factors best explain Judge Johnson's decision?

• A) Judge Johnson is also black and therefore has more sympathy.
• B) Older offenders get sentenced to lesser punishments than the young.
• C) Minorities are sentenced to more prison time than whites.
• D) Women are more likely to be treated leniently.

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Definitions:

Dramatistic Analysis

A method of analysis that views life as a drama and seeks to understand narratives through the application of five components: act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose.

Critical Analysis

The systematic examination and evaluation of information or concepts in order to form an opinion or conclusion.

Rhetorical Analysis

A method of examining texts, images, or other media to understand how they persuade or convey messages to audiences.

Large Sample

A sample size in statistical analysis that is sufficiently large to provide a high degree of confidence in the results.