Only 2% of federal criminal defendants went to trial in 2018, and most who did were found guilty
Trials are rare in the federal criminal justice system: Just 2% of criminal defendants went to trial in fiscal 2018. Acquittals are even rarer.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Science
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From police to parole, black and white Americans differ widely in their views of criminal justice system
Attitudes vary considerably by race on issues including crime, policing, the death penalty, parole decisions and voting rights.
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The gap between the number of blacks and whites in prison is shrinking
Blacks have long outnumbered whites in U.S. prisons. But a significant decline in the number of black prisoners has narrowed the gap.
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What Americans Know About Science
Many Americans can answer at least some questions about science concepts. Science knowledge levels remain strongly tied to education; Republicans and Democrats are about equally knowledgeable.
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Science Knowledge Quiz
Test your knowledge of science facts and applications of scientific principles by taking our 11-question quiz, then compare your answers to the average American and across demographic groups.
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Science knowledge varies by race and ethnicity in U.S.
About half of whites correctly answered at least nine of 11 science-related questions, compared with much smaller shares of Hispanics and blacks.
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5 facts about vaccines in the U.S.
Most Americans believe the health benefits of the MMR vaccine are high and the risks are low. Many favor school-based vaccine requirements.
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The share of women in legislatures around the world is growing, but they are still underrepresented
No world region has reached gender parity in the share of legislative seats held by women. Only three nations individually have reached or surpassed parity.
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California is one of 11 states that have the death penalty but haven’t used it in more than a decade
More than a third of the states that allow executions haven’t carried one out in at least 10 years or, in some cases, much longer.
