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The research design involves the examination of 85 counties and cities in Virginia
that had at least three potential capital crimes between 1978 and 2001. Discriminant
analysis is employed to identify variables that differentiate low
(‘abolitionist’) and high (‘retentionist’)
death-sentencing and executing jurisdictions. On the whole, the findings point to
the role of certain demographic and community factors, such as population size and
density, racial composition and case characteristics of homicides in explaining
variation in death sentences and executions. To a lesser extent, historical factors
played a role, with the number of pre-Furman executions showing a modest
relationship to death sentences in the modern era.
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