Time Saver or Time Sapper? An Examination of Body-Worn Camera Impact on Case Disposition Timelines

• Published date: 01 September 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/07340168221093849
• Author: Nicholas Pimley,Megan Parks,David A. Makin
• Date: 01 September 2024
• Subject Matter: Articles

Time Saver or Time Sapper? An

Examination of Body-Worn

Camera Impact on Case

Disposition Timelines

Nicholas Pimley

1

, Megan Parks

2

, and

David A. Makin

2

Abstract

In the last few years, a considerable volume of body-worn camera (BWC) studies has evaluated to

what extent this technology inf‌luences a range of policing outcomes. However, to date, a limited

body of research explores how the implementation of this technology inf‌luences court-based out-

comes. Using interrupted series analysis, and a sample of 13,000 incidents from a small police

department, this research evaluates to what extent the implementation of BWCs impacted the

adjudication process through an analysis of time to disposition, rate of convictions, and rate of dis-

missals. The results of our study show partial support for claims being made about the impact of

BWCs on the court system. Namely, the number of incidents being referred for prosecution and

the number of guilty decisions being reached saw a marginal increase after the implementation of

BWCs. Additionally, the number of days to complete adjudication saw a decrease overall during

the post-implementation period. The policy implications of these f‌indings are discussed.

Keywords

body-worn cameras, evidence, time-series, adjudication, courts

Introduction

In the criminal justice system, the development and innovation behind several types of technology

has been paramount in the ongoing search to improve organizational eff‌iciency and operational effec-

tiveness. The emergence of body-worn camera (BWC) technology is no exception. With the adoption

of BWCs becoming more widespread, a vast majority of the academic literature assessing their

impact has focused on a wide range of police outcomes (see Lum et al., 2019 for a detailed

1

Senior Research Assistant, Wilson-Short 107A, Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology, WashingtonState University,

Pullman, WA, 99164

2

Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

Corresponding Author:

David A. Makin, Associate Professor, Wilson-Short 110, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Washington State

University, Pullman, WA, USA.

Email: dmakin@wsu.edu

Article

Criminal Justice Review

2024, Vol. 49(3) 345-362

© 2022 Georgia State University

Article reuse guidelines:

sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/07340168221093849

journals.sagepub.com/home/cjr

review). While it was anticipated that many of the studies surrounding BWCs in the immediate wake

of their implementation would concern whether they achieved the desired outcomes they were

designed for (namely, increasing police accountability), a scarcity of research currently exists regard-

ing the downstream effects of this technology. As Lum et al., (2019) note in a comprehensive review

of the literature, we know little about the broader effects of this technology. Specif‌ically, to what

extent this technology inf‌luences the court process.

Research shows that several factors play a role in how a court case will be resolved. Among the

litany of factors, three prominent factors include the dynamics of the courtroom workgroup

(Eisenstein & Jacob, 1977), the credibility of victims (Frohmann, 1991), and the most inf‌luential

being the individual assessment as to the probability of obtaining a guilty verdict (Albonetti,

1987; Frederick & Stemen, 2012). Concerning the latter, one of the most inf‌luential factors in pros-

ecutorial decision-making is the strength of evidence, where cases with stronger evidence for convic-

tion experience a higher likelihood of being f‌iled (Albonetti, 1987; Spohn et al., 2001). Of the many

arguments for BWCs, one claimed benef‌it is that BWCs would provide a stronger, tangible piece of

evidence that would increase the likelihood of a case being f‌iled.

Despite the anticipated impact of BWC footage on prosecutorial decision-making, few studies

have examined the impact BWC’s would have on court outcomes. Merola and colleagues (2016)

have provided the most information regarding the potential impact of BWC footage on the court

system by surveying prosecutors across the nation. Based on their study, most prosecutors believed

that BWCs will benef‌it the prosecution more than the defense and will also lead to an increase in the

rates of conviction and the frequency of plea bargains (Merola et al., 2016). Although there appears

to be a large amount of support for BWC footage, as a form of evidence by prosecutors, the impact of

BWCs on conviction and dismissal rates, as well as the time to f‌inal disposition in the courts, remains

under examined.

This study f‌ills an important gap in the literature by measuring the impact of BWCs on court-based

outcomes. For jurisdictions considering the implementation of BWCs, our f‌indings are useful to con-

sider when determining the costs and benef‌its of them. Additionally, to fully understand the effects of

BWCs on criminal justice processes, their impact on the courts should be evaluated. Policy implica-

tions from this research include creating a streamlined system that uses BWCs in court proceedings

and increasing the overall utilization of BWC footage to increase the quality of reports and evidence

used by different court actors.

Substantial amounts of resources are allocated to the implementation and use of BWCs in several

jurisdictions across the states. By highlighting the resources that are saved due to the use of BWCs

and the ways in which they can be employed by practitioners for benef‌icial purposes is important in

terms of a broader cost-benef‌it perspective. Further, potential positive social impacts that stem from

this research include the increased quality of evidence used in court proceedings and the decreased

number of days to reach f‌inal dispositions. These factors may result in a more positive attitude

towards the courts and criminal justice system by the individuals of whom it serves by providing

more transparent evidence in the process and decreasing the amount of time the individual is detained

pre-trial waiting for a f‌inal disposition. With these potential policy implications in mind, this study

examines how the implementation of BWCs has impacted the number of cases referred for prosecu-

tion, conviction and rejection rates, and the time to f‌inal disposition. The current study relies on

13,000 incidents from a small police department to examine to what extent the implementation of

BWC’s could inf‌luence court-based outcomes.

346 Criminal Justice Review 49(3)