The Economics of Rights: Does the Right to Counsel Increase Crime?

Speaker
Itai Ater
Date
21/03/2016 - 12:30 - 11:00Add To Calendar 2016-03-21 11:00:00 2016-03-21 12:30:00 The Economics of Rights: Does the Right to Counsel Increase Crime? We examine the broad consequences of the right to counsel by exploiting a legal reform in Israel that extended the right to publicly provided legal counsel to suspects in arrest proceedings. Using the staggered regional rollout of the reform, we …find that the reform reduced arrest duration and the likelihood of arrestees being charged. We also …find that the reform reduced the number of arrests made by the police. Lastly, we …find that the reform increased crime. These …findings indicate that the right o counsel improves suspects’' situations, but discourages the police from making arrests, which results in higher crime. Building 504, Room 011 אוניברסיטת בר-אילן - Department of Economics Economics.Dept@mail.biu.ac.il Asia/Jerusalem public
Place
Building 504, Room 011
Affiliation
Tel Aviv University
Abstract

We examine the broad consequences of the right to counsel by exploiting a legal reform in Israel that extended the right to publicly provided legal counsel to suspects in arrest proceedings. Using the staggered regional rollout of the reform, we …find that the reform reduced arrest duration and the likelihood of arrestees being charged. We also …find that the reform reduced the number of arrests made by the police. Lastly, we …find that the reform increased crime. These …findings indicate that the right o counsel improves suspects’' situations, but discourages the police from making arrests, which results in higher crime.

Last Updated Date : 08/03/2016