The main purpose of the case-examples was to present the systems studied comparatively in a less abstract way and to show the study results more tangibly. It may demonstrate the basic differences within and between the systems and illustrate the different procedural forms discussed in the study. The selected cases present a range of various seriousness of offences, it starts with a minor traffic offence and goes on with shop-lifting broken down by the age of the offender and recidivism. On a higher level of seriousness bodily harm was chosen followed by ram-raiding and murder.

These case-examples were developed already for the first publication demonstrating the results of the first project wave (see Jehle/Wade Coping with Overloaded Criminal Justice Systems, Heidelberg 2006, pp. 127 onwards). For the second project wave they were used again. The old partners had to actualize their answers where necessary and the new partners (Spain, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary and Turkey) had to describe the handling of these cases within their systems.

The following synoptical tables show the most likely handling of these cases within the respective criminal justice systems and thus give a comparative overview of the different criminal justice approaches to the same cases.

Case 1 A is caught driving 30 km/hour above the speed limit. It is his first offence
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Case 2 An adult steals a sweatshirt worth 20 Euros from a shop. This is a first offence
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Case 2 var. a Petty theft – A 15 years old steals a sweatshirt worth 20 Euros from a shop. This is a first offence
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Case 2 var. b Petty theft – An adult steals a sweatshirt worth 20 Euros from a shop. He is a persistent offender
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Case 3 Two adults (A&B) who are strangers to that date, become involved in an argument in a pub. A hits B with a glass bottle causing a wound to B′s face. This requires stitching in a hospital. B is unable to work for 3 days
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Case 3. var. a Bodily harm – Two juveniles who are strangers to that date become involved in an argument in a pub. A hits B with a glass bottle causing a wound to B′s face that requires stitching in a hospital. B is unable to work for 3 days
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Case 4 Two persons are caught ram-raiding (breaking into a shop by driving a vehicle through the shop window in order to steal as much as possible) a clothing store. When their houses are searched, evidence is found that they are members of a gang which regularly ram-raids shops in various city centres
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Case 5 Murder- A breaks into B`s home in order to take revenge for B`s affair with A`s wife. A kills B through a blow to the head. He feigns a burglary in order to cover his tracks
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