Expertise
Criminal courts, Pretrial Proceedings, Bail, Decision-making, Observational Data, Mixed Methods
Biography
Luis C. Torres joined the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University as a postdoctoral fellow in 2022 and began as a faculty member in 2024. Before joining Temple University, Dr. Torres completed his PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri—St. Louis in 2022. He earned his Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University—Newark, School of Criminal Justice. Dr. Torres’s research primarily focuses on criminal courts, pretrial proceedings, judicial decision-making, and courtroom workgroups. While doing so, he is interested in how factors beyond the conventional legal and non-legal factors typically examined in court studies influence courtroom processes and decision-making. His work has been published in several different peer-reviewed journals, including Criminal Justice and Behavior, Journal of Crime and Justice, and Law & Society Review.
Selected Publications
- Williams, J. H., & Torres, L. C. (2026). Tipping point: Exploring the linear and non-linear effects of time to adjudication on guilty pleas and case dismissals. Criminal Justice Studies, 39(1), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2026.2621356
- Torres, L. C., & Jones, S. D. (2026). Defense counsel type, defendant interventions, and punishment in a virtual pretrial courtroom. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 53(6), 838-855. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548251415012
- Omori, M., Early, A. M., & Torres, L. C. (2025). A theoretical and empirical critique of racial innocence in sentencing. Law & Society Review, 59(2), 382-418. https://doi.org/10.1017/lsr.2025.11
Courses Taught
- CJ2201: Criminal Courts & Criminal Justice
- CJ2597: Criminal Justice Research Methods