Although federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases, once a petition is filed the matter is referred to the Bankruptcy Court, an Article One court of limited jurisdiction and limited judicial independence. Among proceedings the Bankruptcy court can adjudicate are core...

We intend in this project to show that the severity of felony sentences imposed by elected trial court judges in the state of Washington is highest in court districts where constituents are disposed toward a punitive approach to combating crime and lowest in districts favoring more leniency in...