How the indictments in Georgia are different for Donald Trump
Former President Donald Trump has now been indicted in a fourth case, the latest in Georgia. Trump and 18 others are being charged over the alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 general election defeat in the state.Martha Ginn, PhD, professor of political science at Augusta University, is an expert on the judicial process, constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court.Ginn said this indictment has significant differences compared to the other federal indictments.“First, the federal indictment on the matters related to the Jan. 6 insurrection named only former President Donald Trump, and was much more narrowly focused,” Ginn said. "The assumption is that was intentional to expedite that trial. The federal indictment for the classified documents was a little broader in terms of charges and had a few named co-defendants. The Georgia indictment is fairly sweeping, both in terms of charges and the number of people indicted. There are many possible implications from the breadth of this indictment.”She added while the district attorney in the case wants the trial to begin within six months, so many defendants filing various legal motions can slow things down. Also, Ginn said with this many people involved, there’s a chance one or more will take plea deals and change the dynamics of the trail altogether.Since Trump is facing more than one trial, how the legal process plays out in regard to the calendar could be dictated by which case is ready to proceed first.Ginn said theoretically, all these prosecutions should operate independently and should not be coordinating with each other on any matters, even with regard to scheduling.That’s easier said than done since this is an unprecedented scenario, with Trump facing two federal indictments and two state indictments in different states.“Some level of coordination is going to have to be done. This will likely come down to two factors. First, which prosecutor is ready to go first. This might be the Jan. 6 federal prosecution since it is the simplest one. The second factor will be how former President Trump’s lawyers handle requests for delays, given the other cases and the upcoming election. I would assume once one trial begins, other judges will feel pressure to grant continuances for their trials until after that one concludes,” Ginn said.Martha Ginn, PhD, professor of political science at Augusta University, is an expert on the judicial process, constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ginn is available to speak with media about this topic — simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.
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Covering SCOTUS? Our experts are ready to help with your stories
It's looking like the next couple weeks could be busy and monumental for any reporter covering the Supreme Court.Important decisions are coming down regarding abortion, environmental protections, gun laws and more.It will be a busy news week; if you are a reporter the time is now to line up your expert sources and key contacts.If you are a journalist covering the Supreme Court and how these decisions are impacting American life and politics, that’s where Augusta University can help.Dr. Martha Ginn, professor of political science at Augusta University, is an expert on the judicial process, constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Ginn is available to speak with media about this topic — simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.
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Ketanji Brown Jackson could be the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. Augusta University experts can answer your questions
It’s official — President Biden has selected Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to the Supreme Court.If confirmed, she will the first Black woman to sit on the highest court in the nation.This is a momentous occasion for American history and reporters are clamoring to learn more. Our experts are ready with answers to help with your stories.Dr. Martha Ginn, professor of political science at Augusta University, is an expert on the judicial process, constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court. She discussed Jackson's credentials and the significance of her nomination.What is Ketanji Brown Jackson’s background and what credentials would bring to the Supreme Court? Why is she President Biden's top choice?President Biden made a campaign promise to nominate a Black woman to the SCOTUS if he had a vacancy to fill. While he had several strong contenders, Judge Brown Jackson is an obvious choice for many reasons. Like all current Justices, excluding Justice Barrett, Judge Brown Jackson has an Ivy League education. She has also clerked at the Supreme Court for Justice Breyer (whom she would replace). Interestingly, Justice Kavanaugh clerked for the Justice he replaced (Justice Kennedy) as well. Background and experience: Judge Brown Jackson was a federal district court judge for eight years (appointed by President Obama) and was just confirmed to the DC Court of Appeals last summer. The DC circuit court is seen as a training ground of sorts for Supreme Court Justices, as many nominees serve there first.What makes Judge Brown Jackson different is her experience as a public defender and then vice chairman of the sentencing commission. Bringing that experience to the Court will provide a much needed perspective on the rights of the accused. The Court recently heard a case regarding implementing the First Steps Act retroactively and it was apparent in the oral argument that some Justices did not appreciate the realities and complexities of sentencing in our criminal justice system. Judge Brown Jackson’s background will help fill that void. What does her appointment signify, seeing as she would be the first Black woman (but only third Black justice) in the history of the Supreme Court, as well as the first former public defender?Having four women on the Court at the same time will be important. More women than men attend law school now but the higher ranks of the profession are still male dominated, so having near parity in the nation’s highest Court is meaningful. Her race is also significant, since she will be only the third Black member of the Court and this would be the first time we have two Black members serving together. It’s likely she and Justice Thomas will be very different ideologically but regardless, demographic representation matters. More than ever the Supreme Court is deciding very controversial matters that impact everyone. Having a Court that represents all voices is significant in maintaining its legitimacy and making sure opposing viewpoints are considered in decision-making. With everything going on currently the nation and world, when do you project a vote will happen, and do you see it going through?Even with all that is going on in the world right now, this will be a top priority to the Democratic Party, particularly with President Biden’s low polling numbers and the upcoming midterm elections. With the slimmest of voting margins possible, the sooner the vote occurs, the better for the Democrats. The Republicans set the precedent with the Barrett nomination that the process can be done in weeks rather than the months taken in previous nominations. I anticipate the Democrats will follow that expedited model. It will be interesting to see if the three Republican senators who voted for her Court of Appeals appointment less than a year ago will oppose her nomination here. Justice Breyer conditioned his retirement on the successful appointment of his replacement. He intends to retire at the end of this year’s term (likely early July), so I would anticipate her confirmation vote by then at the latest. If you are a journalist covering this story, that’s where our experts on this topic can help.Dr. Martha Ginn, professor of political science at Augusta University, is an expert on the judicial process, constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ginn is available to speak with media about this topic — simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.
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Biography
Ginn is a Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Augusta University. She earned her PhD in American Politics from the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include judicial decision-making, public opinion of the judiciary, media coverage of elections, and the role of terrorism in voter turnout. Her work has been published in journals such as Public Opinion Quarterly, Journal of Politics, Justice Systems Journal, Political Research Quarterly, and Judicature. Dr. Ginn teaches undergraduate courses on Judicial Process, Constitutional Law, Mock Trial, American Government, and Research Methods. She also teaches courses on Administrative Law and Quantitative Methods in the Master of Public Administration program. She currently serves as the Internship Coordinator and Pre-Law advisor for the Department.
Areas of Expertise
Politics
Judicial Politics
The U.S. Supreme Court
Constitutional Law
Polling
Affiliations
Georgia Political Science Association
Southern Political Science Association
Georgia Political Science Association Teaching and Learning Commitee
Here’s another reason not to trust TV news reports about election polls
The Washington Post
2016-08-23
Many news consumers know by now to take any single election-year poll with a grain of salt. Because of sampling variation and the vagaries of survey research, the best approach is to focus not on individual polls but on polling averages.
Our research suggests yet another reason not to overreact to news stories about the newest poll: Media outlets tend to cover the surveys with the most “newsworthy” results, which can distort the picture of where the race stands...
“I think a lot of the current political dynamic has to do with the composition of the court,” said Martha Ginn, a political science professor at Augusta University, who studies public opinion of the judiciary. “If it had been [liberal Justice Ruth Bader] Ginsburg who had died, that might have provoked stronger opposition from Democratic voters to the potential confirmation of a conservative judge than what you’re seeing now.”
Oxford University Press's Academic Insights blog online
2017-03-12
The perceived failures of election forecasting in 2016 have caused many to suggest the polls are broken. However, scholars are quick to point out that more than polling failure this election has demonstrated that people have a hard time thinking probabilistically about election outcomes. Our research suggests skewed media coverage of polls may also be to blame: News media are likely to cover the most newsworthy polls, distorting viewers’ perception of the race.
How Does the Media Choose Which Election Polls to Cover?
Pacific Standard
2016-08-04
Those results are based on polls that ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News covered between June 4, 2008—the date Clinton left the 2008 Democratic primary race—and November 8, 2008. Searles, Martha Humphries Ginn, and Jonathan Nickens compared that coverage with much more inclusive polling databases from PollingReport and Pollster, with an eye toward how polls that got coverage differ from those that didn’t.
Terrorism Charges for Mass Shooters? Experts Are Divided
The Trace online
2022-01-14
The 15-year-old student accused of fatally shooting his classmates at Michigan’s Oxford High School in November is inching toward a trial to determine his guilt on 24 felony charges. One of them — committing an act of terrorism — has rarely been applied in the context of mass shootings, so the move has reignited a debate over whether such violence should be treated as terrorism in the eyes of the law.
Martha Ginn, a political science professor at Augusta University said that consistently framing such crimes as terrorist acts would mean more tips would get forwarded to the FBI and fusion centers, enabling authorities to forestall more attacks. “We need to accept the fact that a mass shooting can be an act of terror so that we can figure how to prevent them from happening,” Ginn said.
Theoretically, all these prosecutions should operate independently and should not be coordinating with each other on any matters, even with regard to scheduling. However, this is a truly unprecedented scenario where such a high-profile individual is facing two federal indictments in separate jurisdictions and two state indictments in different states at the same time. Some level of coordination is going to have to be done. Some level of coordination is going to have to be done. This will likely come down to two factors. First, which prosecutor is ready to go first. This might be the Jan. 6 federal prosecution since it is the simplest one. The second factor will be how former President Trump’s lawyers handle requests for delays, given the other cases and the upcoming election. I would assume once one trial begins, other judges will feel pressure to grant continuances for their trials until after that one concludes.
First, the federal indictment on the matters related to the Jan. 6 insurrection named only former President Donald Trump, and was much more narrowly focused,” Ginn said. "The assumption is that was intentional to expedite that trial. The federal indictment for the classified documents was a little broader in terms of charges and had a few named co-defendants. The Georgia indictment is fairly sweeping, both in terms of charges and the number of people indicted. There are many possible implications from the breadth of this indictment.
Telework and Work Flexibility in the United States Federal Government Post-Pandemic
Sage Journals
Lance Y. Hunter, Martha Ginn, Wesley L. Meares, William Hatcher
2024-04-11
A decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States (US) federal government was working to create flexible work environments for employees under the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act. Given this reality and the growing desire for greater flexibility of workers inspired by the “Great Resignation” during the pandemic, the US federal government appears to have recovered lost employees faster than other levels of the public sector. Still, given that federal workers skew older with less than a tenth of the workforce being under age 30 years and nearly a third reaching retirement age, a true crisis still looms in our administrative state. Using the 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Data, we analyze what factors predict turnover intention post-pandemic, focusing the analysis on teleworking and other workplace flexibility policies. We use the findings to make recommendations to help increase employee recruitment and retention within the US federal government.
COVID-19 and 2020 presidential election speeches: A content analysis of pandemic campaign rhetoric
Wiley Online Library
William Hatcher, Martha H. Ginn
2024-01-17
This study examines how public health issues were communicated during the 2020 US presidential campaign, particularly those concerning the global COVID-19 pandemic. Using content analysis, we examined the available campaign speeches of the two major candidates, Donald Trump and Joseph R. Biden. We examined how the candidates discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and vital areas of public health in those speeches. Analysis of these speeches found little discussion on healthcare in general and little to no discussion on the vital areas of public health. We also found that COVID-19 statements were not as prevalent as we anticipated, given the unprecedented scope of the pandemic. Even during a pandemic, public health matters received very little attention during a Presidential campaign. Public health topics accounted for less than 1% of the content in candidates' official speeches. Given that elites help increase knowledge of public health concerns and influence policy, the lack of attention given to the pandemic in the 2020 general election cycle is surprising, if not alarming.
Domestic terrorism, incumbency, and legislative vote shares
Sage Journals
Lance Y Hunter, Joseph W. Robbins, Martha H. Ginn
2023-11-20
A small number of studies have examined the effect terrorism has on political ideology and vote choice cross-nationally. However, scholars yet to understand how terrorist attack type influences vote choice based on the political ideology of incumbent governments. Thus, we examine the effect domestic and transnational terrorist attacks have on vote choice in legislative elections while accounting for the ideology of the incumbent government. In examining 56 democracies from 1975 – 2014 from various regions and levels of development, we find that domestic attacks, and not transnational, significantly effect both right and left party votes shares when the incumbent party in government is of a similar ideology. We attribute these results to the perception of instability that accompanies domestic attacks and the effects it has on voters’ evaluations of political parties. These findings have important implications for understanding how terrorism influences electoral behavior.
For whom the poll airs: Comparing poll results to television poll coverage
Public Opinion Quarterly
2016
Televised election coverage is increasingly dominated by the horse race, a key element of which is poll coverage. How do news outlets decide which poll to air? We know little about the gatekeeping function of news outlets as it pertains to poll coverage, perhaps because this research is plagued by selection bias: By observing only reported polls and not unreported polls, researchers cannot definitively establish that any differences in representativeness are due to bias...
Vouching for the Court? How High Stakes Affect Knowledge and Support of the Supreme Court
Justice System Journal
2015
Building on the geographic constituency theory of awareness of Supreme Court decisions, we conducted a panel survey in Cleveland, Ohio before and after Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, which upheld state-funded vouchers in religious schools. We found several characteristics predict awareness: news consumption, income, and knowledge of and positive feelings toward the Court. Our results also showed those vested in the outcome, such as African Americans, religious individuals, and parents were more likely to change their attitudes in favor of the decision and become more positive toward the institution...
Teaching with Tocqueville: Assessing the Utility of Using “Democracy” in the American Government Classroom to Achieve Student-Learning Outcomes
Journal of Political Science Education
2014
There is a debate in Political Science concerning how best to teach American Government courses. We investigate whether students learn more effectively with texts from the great tradition or from textbooks and other secondary sources. Which medium better guides students toward becoming better citizens? We examine how teaching “The Great Tradition” may increase success in student-learning outcomes. We examine four categories of learning outcomes in the Introduction to American Government classroom: general knowledge, ...
Examining the Effects of Information, Attorney Capability, and Amicus Participation on US Supreme Court Decision Making
American Politics Research
2013
Focusing on litigators or amicus curiae, a significant amount of scholarship has examined the impact of information on Supreme Court decision making. Taking into account that justices have varying degrees of substantive expertise across issues, we model the interaction of justice expertise with these external sources of information. Specifically, we test whether justices are more likely to be influenced by attorney capability in cases where they have less substantive legal expertise. We also explore whether justices' reliance on ...
Do judges follow the law when there is no fear of reversal
Justice Systems Journal
2003
Some political scientists maintain that Supreme Court justices are more likely than other appellate court judges to vote their ideological preferences. It is argued that Supreme Court justices may vote their preferences without constraint from precedent because of a lack of electoral or political accountability, absence of ambition for higher office, and status as a member of a court of last resort that controls its own docket. While this explanation of attitudinal voting is widely accepted, it has never been tested. As a first test of the asserted ...
