| Abstract: | We address the legal definition of the crimes surrounding behavior defined as sexual misconduct (i.e., rape, sexual misconduct, family offenses, etc.), offenses historically considered common in the islands. The number of reports and arrests in the Territory of Guam concerning these crimes during the years 1980-1992 presented in the Territorial version of the Uniform Crime Reports is examined, along with interview material. The findings illustrate a highly politicized application of these laws in the Territory over the period, suggesting the informality of the Territorial legal system in its control of deviant behavior. The conclusions address this issue, and suggest that the legal formalization and police discretion literatures, now generally addressed and evaluated separately, might profitably be combined to assess the ideological as well as real formality of any justice system. |
