By Dércio de Assis, Arpita Ghosh, Sonia Oreffice, Climent Quintana-Domeque 

Do non-fatal strangulation laws save lives? Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) is a common and dangerous form of intimate partner violence (IPV) and a predictor of homicide, yet it was historically neglected by the criminal justice system. Since the year 2000, most U.S. states have enacted laws enlisting NFS as a standalone criminal offense. We compile a novel dataset on state NFS statutes and link it to the FBI Supplementary Homicide Reports from 1990 to 2019 to estimate the causal effects of these laws on IPH rates. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, and an estimator that accounts for staggered adoption and treatment heterogeneity, we find that NFS laws led to significant reductions in IPH rates. We estimate that these laws reduce female-victim IPH by 14% and male-victim IPH by 36%, among victims aged 18-34. No significant effects are observed for victims 50 and above or for homicides committed by strangers. Event-study estimates support the parallel trends assumption. Our findings suggest that NFS laws can disrupt the escalation of IPV and reduce lethal outcomes.

  IZA DP No. 18006  Bonn:  IZA – Institute of Labor Economics, 2025. 61p.

By The Statewide Appearance Project

In North Carolina, about 18% of criminal cases have at least one missed court date, resulting in at least 250,000 missed hearings per year. Most missed appearances occur in low-level cases, with administrative traffic misdemeanor charges accounting for the greatest number of missed court dates. Missed appearances have numerous consequences, including case delays that decrease system efficiency and increase strain on limited court and law enforcement resources. In North Carolina, missed appearances in low-level cases are a significant driver of jail bookings, leading to pressure on jail budgets and jail overcrowding. Additionally, license revocations imposed after a missed appearance prevent one in ten driving-age North Carolinians from legally driving, making it harder for them to appear in court in the future, get to work, and care for themselves and their families. Fortunately, evidence-based solutions can address court appearance issues. In this project, the Statewide Court Appearance Project Committee considered the data and evidence, listened to experts, and robustly evaluated a range of court appearance solutions used in North Carolina and around the nation. Its members unanimously present the following recommendations to both promote court appearance and provide alternative system responses to missed appearances in North Carolina.   

North Carolina Judicial Branch, 2025. 82p.