The Causal Impact of Counsel at First Appearance: Evidence from Two Randomized Control Trials

George S Naufal (), Bethany Patterson, Renee Danser and D. James Greiner
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George S Naufal: Texas A&M University
Bethany Patterson: Texas A&M University
Renee Danser: Harvard Law School
D. James Greiner: Harvard Law School

No 17712, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of defense counsel at first appearance (CAFA) on criminal justice outcomes using randomized control trials in two Texas counties. The study evaluates the influence of CAFA on bond amounts, pretrial release, conditions, and post-magistration outcomes such as recidivism and failure to appear. Results show that while CAFA reduces bond amounts and influences bond types in one jurisdiction, its effects on pretrial release and recidivism are limited. These findings highlight jurisdictional differences and suggest that CAFA's impact may be more modest than previous studies indicate, underscoring the need for further research in this area.

Keywords: first appearance; RCT; bail; pretrial release (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 J08 K14 K4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40 pages
Date: 2025-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-lab and nep-law
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