Report · Culture

Many Americans think prosecutors have the final say on local charges

Reading

No single answer commands a majority on who has the final say over local criminal charges; the prosecutor comes closest at 31%, according to a Verasight survey conducted Oct. 1-11, 2024.

Nearly a quarter name the judge (24%), and just as many say they don't know. Smaller shares point to the police (7%), the grand jury (7%), or the victim of the crime (6%), while almost no one names someone else (1%).

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Many Americans think prosecutors have the final say on local charges.

In your local community, who has the final say on pursuing criminal charges?

  • The prosecutor 31.4%
  • I don't know 24.3%
  • The judge 24.2%
  • The police 6.8%
  • The grand jury 6.6%
  • The victim of the crime 6.1%
  • Someone else 0.6%

2024 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.4%

educ_pol

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2024-10-01 → 2024-10-11
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.4%
Module
educ_pol

Source

Citation

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2024-103, fielded October 1-11, 2024, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.4%.

https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.