Many of the patterns observed in this study align with those seen in previous samples of homicide defendants.First, males were overrepresented, comprising 93% of the defendants. Second, African American defendants were overrepresented at 79% of The overall sample but only 13% of the local population. Moreover, African American defend- ants were more likely than non-African American defend- ants to have used a firearm and to have killed a man rather than a woman. We speculate that these differences reflect higher rates of drug- and gang-related homicides associated with younger African American males in this locale and that jurisdictions with different community characteristics and crime patterns would show different results. Third, the rates of substance dependence or abuse in this study are con- sistent with those reported in previous studies.