Examining Racial Dyads and the Odds of Conviction for Sexual Assault: Evidence From a Southern District Attorney’s Office

Research consistently shows attrition rates for sexual assault cases remain high. Previous research has focused on law enforcement and case processing of these crimes, but little is known about convictions. This study utilized prosecutorial case files from a large county district attorney’s office in a southern state to examine differences across racial dyads on the relative risk of conviction for sexual assault. The findings generally demonstrate that race and ethnicity remain significant extralegal variables associated with criminal case processing, specifically convictions. Our results show important differences across inter- and intra-racial dyads, and regarding other legal and extralegal factors, on this outcome. Implications of the findings and suggestions for addressing the concerns are provided.