Martha Stewart was convicted of obstruction of justice after lying to the FBI during an investigation of her sale of a stock that dramatically fell in value immediately after she sold it. Her conviction was unusual, as this sort of white collar crime is much more likely to be dealt with in civil, rather than criminal, court. How does the tendency to deal with white collar criminals in civil court bias our understanding of the demographics of crime?
A) It causes us to underestimate the number of property crimes committed each year.
B) It encourages us to equate cash register honesty with real honesty.
C) It leads us to overestimate the relationship between poverty and crime.
D) It creates a false relationship between gender and crime.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dealing with white collar criminals in civil court tends to bias our understanding of the demographics of crime by leading us to overestimate the relationship between poverty and crime. This is because white collar crime is often committed by individuals who are well-educated and relatively affluent, rather than those who are economically disadvantaged. Therefore, relying solely on criminal court statistics to understand crime and its demographics can create a skewed picture that overemphasizes the role of poverty in criminal behavior.

Martha Stewart Was Convicted of Obstruction of Justice After Lying