Research & Evidence
JRF examines how federal criminal cases are charged, resolved, and reviewed—and the consequences those decisions can have for individuals, businesses, taxpayers, and the justice system.
Our research combines government data, court records, case evidence, and economic analysis to identify repeatable patterns and distinguish documented findings from assumptions.
Evidence first. Conclusions second.
Our Research Areas
JRF is developing a focused research program around recurring questions in federal criminal justice and the evidence needed to answer them responsibly.
What happens when prosecutorial misconduct is substantiated—and what mechanisms exist to correct it?
JRF is examining prosecutorial immunity, civil remedies, professional discipline, judicial findings, independent oversight, and the consequences that follow substantiated misconduct.
Research in progress
How different are federal sentences after trial compared with sentences following a guilty plea?
JRF is building a long-term federal benchmark comparing prison sentences after guilty pleas and trial convictions, then testing which case characteristics may explain the observed difference.
Preliminary benchmark complete · Phase Two in development
How has federal charging power changed—and how can charging decisions affect leverage and sentencing exposure?
This research examines federal financial-crime enforcement, multiple-count charging, victim attribution, loss calculations, forfeiture, pretrial asset restraint, and the pressure surrounding plea decisions.
Phase One complete · National data development underway
When substantiated misconduct affects one case, when should other potentially affected cases be reviewed?
JRF is studying connections involving prosecutors, investigators, witnesses, evidence practices, disclosure systems, forensic methods, and the role of independent review in determining whether additional cases remain reliable.
Research framework in development
Featured Research
What does a federal prosecution actually cost beyond the courtroom?
JRF’s National Economic Impact Study examines the broader financial footprint of federal enforcement—including defense costs, business disruption, lost jobs and payroll, foregone tax revenue, government expenditures, professional disruption, and longer-term economic effects.
The study is being built case by case, using documented records and conservative measurement standards before broader findings are published.
Research Outputs
JRF’s research program is being developed to produce a growing body of work that can be examined, tested, and independently reviewed.
Focused reports examining specific questions within the federal criminal justice system.
Long-term federal datasets and statistical benchmarks designed to identify patterns over time.
Documented case-level research examining how broader system questions appear in actual federal prosecutions.
Definitions, calculation methods, evidence standards, limitations, and source documentation supporting published findings.
