Ph.D. 2021, Cornell University J.D. 2020, Cornell Law School M.A. 2018, Cornell University B.A. 2015, University of Michigan
Criminal Law and Procedure — Juvenile Law
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Professor David Garavito’s research primarily focuses on criminal law and procedure, as well as developmental and cognitive psychology. He received his J.D. from Cornell Law School and his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University. His work involves empirical analysis of law and application of psychological research and theory to legal contexts. His work appears in both law reviews and peer-reviewed journals. Recent work of his has centered around a variety of topics including disparate outcomes in parole hearings, conflicts between the realities of human development and the legal protections afforded to juveniles, the perception of risks involving traumatic brain injuries, and biological and cognitive determinants for risk-taking. Currently, he has several ongoing projects on the topics of bias in sentencing, protections for youth in online environments, and the effects of stereotypes on memory and judgment.
David Garavito, an assistant law professor at the University of Washington, explained that Clasen's role as a state trooper could impact her case. He noted, "It is an outlier in terms of how these kinds of things usually go. But it is what I expected, given the nature of the case."
"The prosecution changed. If I remember correctly, the original prosecutor changed, and that might be something where the court says, in the interest of justice, we want to give time so the prosecution can bring a fair case and get up to speed. Now that is a small delay, but a delay nonetheless," said David Garavito, an assistant professor of law at the University of Washington, when asked about why charges weren't filed sooner.
A Washington state trooper is scheduled to appear in a Benton County court next week. She's accused of causing a drunk driving crash that killed a Richland man earlier this year. David Garavito, assistant professor of law at the UW, is quoted.
The Supreme Court “kind of set this stage for a really narrow interpretation of religious freedom claims brought by tribes,” said Monte Mills, director of the Native American Law Center at the University of Washington. “That has been a significant barrier for tribal religious freedom claims ever since.”
“The entire process is very secretive,” said David Garavito, an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Law who has expertise in grand juries. “You will really hear nothing for a bit. And that’s by design.”
On Dec. 12, UW Law professors Mary D. Fan, David Garavito, Xuan-Thao Nguyen and Dongsheng Zang, presented their work on the implications of big data searches, parole hearings and DNA data processing in criminal justice systems.
Bail and bail bondsmen allow defendants to secure pretrial release. But how do they function? And how does the U.S. system compare to other countries?
On Aug. 14, 2025, professors Xuan-Thao Nguyen and Mireille Butler co-organized an international conference at VNU-UL in Hanoi.
Grand jury indictments are frequently in the news. But what does it mean to be indicted, and how do grand juries work?
