Criminal justice and wedding cake seem like things with nothing in common; you might be surprised to learn that these romantic cakes were the inspiration behind what remains one of the most widely studied models of criminal justice today. So, why is the wedding cake model of criminal justice significant for students who want to explore fields like criminal justice or criminology?
Find out what wedding cakes, usually a symbol of love and celebration, have to do with court cases, criminal trials, the media coverage they receive, and how the general public perceives them.
What Is the Wedding Cake Model of Criminal Justice?
The wedding cake model of crime, created by Samuel Walker in the 1980s, shows how criminal cases are divided into four main layers. Each layer represents how serious the crime is and how it is treated by the courts, the media, and the public. The model is named after a wedding cake because, like a cake, it has layers stacked on top of each other, with the biggest layer at the bottom and the smallest at the top.
Here’s how the layers work:
- Bottom layer: The largest layer, made up of the most common and least serious crimes, such as petty theft and other misdemeanors.
- Second layer: Includes non-violent felonies that are more serious than misdemeanors but not as extreme as violent crimes.
- Third layer: Contains violent felonies, which usually get more attention and carry harsher punishments.
- Top layer: The smallest layer, representing a few high-profile or “celebrated” cases that get a lot of media and public attention.
Each layer shows how different crimes are handled and how much focus they receive. Later in this article, we’ll look more closely at each layer and how the model first appeared in the 1980s.
Samuel Walker: Creator of the Wedding Cake Model
Police accountability specialist Samuel Walker proposed the wedding cake model in his 1985 publication Sense and Nonsense About Crime, Drugs, and Communities, which the Department of Justice describes as “an analysis of conservative, moderate, and liberal crime control policies.”
In addition to proposing the wedding cake model, the book also delved into topics like “the effectiveness of criminal justice in controlling crime,” “punishment in the criminal justice system,” “strategies for closing up criminal justice system loopholes,” “strategies for locking up more criminals,” and the system’s treatment of “career criminals,” meaning repeat or habitual offenders.
The Layers of the Wedding Cake Model
The wedding cake model of criminal justice is made up of four separate tiers or layers, which represent levels of criminal cases within the U.S. justice system.
As the abstract of Sense and Nonsense About Crime explains, “The top ‘layer’ of the ‘wedding cake’ includes ‘celebrated cases’; the second and third ‘layer’ are comprised of two general categories of felonies; [and] the fourth ‘layer’ consists primarily of misdemeanors, minor theft cases, and crimes against persons or property.”
These layers are discussed in more detail below, from misdemeanors on the lowest tier to what Walker calls “celebrated cases” on the fourth and uppermost tier.
The Bottom Tier: Misdemeanors
The lowest and largest tier of the wedding cake model consists of misdemeanors — minor offenses rapidly processed by the courts in an “assembly line” fashion, with no publicity or fanfare surrounding notable cases. Examples of crimes in this category include petty theft, disturbing the peace, and minor acts of vandalism. These cases are usually resolved when the defendant makes a plea agreement.
The 3rd Tier: Less Serious Felonies
The next tier of the model corresponds to less severe felonies, normally non-violent offenses involving financial or drug-related crimes. Like misdemeanors, most of these cases end with plea agreements.
The 2nd Tier: Serious Felonies
The second tier of the model is reserved for more serious or violent felonies, such as rape and aggravated assault. Bail may not be an option, and there is less chance of a plea agreement prior to trial.
The Top Tier: Celebrated Cases
The top and smallest tier in the model corresponds to high-profile, highly publicized “celebrated cases” like those of Ted Bundy or O.J. Simpson. Celebrated cases are not reflective of cases in other layers of the model, because they involve additional factors like press coverage and cameras in the courtroom.
Why the Wedding Cake Model Matters
High-profile criminal cases receive disproportionate coverage in news and media entertainment. Typically, these are cases involving charges against celebrities or politicians or shocking and extreme acts of violence, like alleged serial murders. Some examples that likely come to mind include the cases of O.J. Simpson, Bernie Madoff, Michael Jackson, Ted Bundy, or Jeffrey Dahmer, many of which have since been dramatized by movies, podcasts, and TV series.
Thanks to their extensive coverage, these types of cases may seem to the public as though they represent established norms within the justice system. In reality, the vast majority of cases involve minor and non-violent offenses, without the “media circus” of cameras, reporters, and curious onlookers.
The wedding cake model is significant because it draws clear distinctions between high-profile, “celebrated cases” and other types of cases that move through the justice system. By relating them to the largest layer of the cake, it also shows how these less-sensational cases actually comprise the majority of criminal proceedings. In short, it creates a more realistic picture of how the justice system typically functions, which is helpful for the general public and those considering criminal justice careers. The model is also significant because it allows attorneys to predict the sentencing possibilities for various offenses more easily.
Limitations of the Wedding Cake Model
While the wedding cake model of crime is useful for understanding how cases move through the U.S. justice system, it has several key limitations:
- Lacks explanation of causes: It does not explore why crimes occur or consider psychological, biological, or social factors that lead people to offend.
- Ignores inequality: The model overlooks how race, class, or economic status can affect how cases are handled or perceived.
- Oversimplifies the system: Real cases don’t always fit neatly into one of the four layers, and factors like plea bargains or media attention can blur distinctions between tiers.
- Limited scope: It focuses on case processing rather than prevention, rehabilitation, or broader social impacts.
Despite these limits, the wedding cake model remains a helpful framework for showing how the justice system prioritizes and handles different types of cases.
How Media Affects Criminal Justice Policy
You’ve probably heard the phrase “trial by media,” which describes how news coverage can shape public opinion about a criminal case. For example, an unflattering mugshot, a clipped interview, or a quote taken out of context can make someone look guilty long before any verdict is reached.
But the connection between the media and crime goes much deeper. News outlets often focus on violent, shocking, or celebrity-related cases, which can distort how we see crime overall. This focus doesn’t reflect the much larger number of minor offenses that make up the base of the wedding cake model of crime, the everyday misdemeanors that rarely make headlines but make up most of the justice system’s workload.
According to research summarized by the Crime and Justice Research Alliance, the media acts as a “gatekeeper” for what the public sees and understands about crime and punishment. News and entertainment programs often reinforce each other, blurring the line between fiction and reality and creating the sense that crime is more immediate and threatening than it really is. The researchers warn that if justice professionals and scholars don’t take a more active role in shaping these stories, the media will continue to define how the public views the criminal justice system.
However, media coverage can also have positive effects. It can bring attention to important issues like wrongful convictions or unfair sentencing, helping to drive awareness and policy change. Public opinion shaped by media coverage can influence how people vote and, ultimately, how criminal justice policies evolve.
To learn more about how criminal justice systems operate and how they connect to media and policy, visit our blog post overview of criminal justice administration.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The wedding cake model helps students see how the criminal justice system treats different types of cases, from minor offenses to major trials. It also shows how the media and public opinion can shape what people believe about crime. Learning about this model helps students build critical thinking skills they can use in careers like law enforcement, forensics, and public policy.
A criminal justice certificate is a fast way to gain new skills or start exploring the field. Many certificate programs can be completed in less than a year, making them ideal for students who want to move forward quickly or add credentials to their résumé.
A criminal justice degree, such as a bachelor’s or master’s, takes longer but provides a deeper understanding of law enforcement, courts, corrections, and policy. Degree programs prepare students for leadership roles or specialized positions in areas like investigations, homeland security, and criminal justice administration.
National University offers flexible online and on-campus options designed for working adults and military students. You can earn a criminal justice certificate quickly, often in less than a year, or pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree to deepen your expertise. NU programs prepare students for careers such as police officer, crime scene investigator, forensic analyst, or public policy advocate.
With accelerated courses, transfer-friendly options, and veteran benefits, National University helps you move forward toward your criminal justice career goals faster and on your own schedule.
