Leshem on The Informational Role of Elevated Standards of Proof

Shmuel Leshem has posted The Informational Role of an Elevated Standard of Proof on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

This paper shows that an exacting standard of proof in criminal proceedings aligns prosecutors'information-gathering incentives with society's preferences. A conviction-oriented prosecutor must collect a random evidentiary signal before deciding whether to press charges against a suspect. Elevating the standard of proof above society's ex post optimal standard induces the prosecutor to collect a more informative signal, which reduces society's ex ante expected costs of errors. A higher standard of proof not only reduces the incidence of wrongful convictions, but may also increase the rate of rightful convictions.