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Heat's effects on police and judges - EurekAlert

High temperatures affect the decision-making of police officers and judges. Police made fewer arrests per reported crime on the hottest days in the sample, and these arrests were more likely to be dismissed in court, suggesting that more of the hot-day arrests were difficult to justify legally. Judges dismissed fewer cases, issued longer prison sentences, and levied higher fines when ruling on hotter-than-average days. Heat did not exert a meaningful influence on the decisions of prosecutors. According to the authors, unless measures like air-conditioning and increased staffing and teamwork are used, climate change is likely to worsen police and judicial decision-making in places like Texas through an increased frequency of hot days. 

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