Education: PhD, Sociology, Bowling Green State University, 2014
MS, Criminal Justice Science, Illinois State University, 2002
BS, Criminal Justice Science, Illinois State University, 1998

Department: Social Science & Business

Office: Burgess 202C

CONTACT ME FOR…

• Career exploration assistance
• Writing assistance

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

In general, my research interests explore how race, gender, and class, as social characteristics, can influence legal outcomes. My research includes studies that utilize data from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) in an effort to propose an integrated theoretical model that has the capacity to predict adjudication outcomes with an acceptable level of credibility. Although much work has been done focusing on how social characteristics may influence law enforcement practices, few have attempted to combine various models into one framework. Social geometry uses a muti-dimensional approach in its attempt to explain observed variations in the behavior of law. In addition, social geometry posits that by holding constant the conduct of parties involved, case outcomes vary with their location and direction in social space, or their social geometry.

TEACHING INTERESTS:

Policing, Research Methods, Investigations, Crime Scene Management, Criminology, Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY:

Professional Presentations
Recognizing Deception: A Kinesics Approach to Police Interviews and Interrogations, Given at the Indiana Correctional Association North District Conference, Decatur, Indiana, May 2007.

What is the State of the Illinois Criminal Justice System? Roundtable discussion and presentation given at the Illinois Sociological Association Conference, Heartland Community College, Normal, Illinois, October 2010.

What's in a lie? Defining the physical indicators of deceit. Colloquium presentation at Eureka College, Eureka, IL May 2015. 

Does intimacy repel law? A look at the effects of gender and relational-distance on arrests for domestic battery. Dean's Lecture Series, presented at Eureka College, Eureka, IL April 2016. 

Can Millenials relate? An examination of technological influence on the interpersonal communication skills of Millenial driveers on traffic stops. Presented at the Midwestern Criminal Justice conference, Chicago, IL Septemer 2018.  

Crime Scene Forensics: Where does it belong within the spectrum of higher education? Presented at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Bradley University, Peoria, IL August 2021.

Bloodstain-Pattern Reconstruction: Testing Validity, Reliability and Accuracy. Presented at the International Association for Identification Annual Conference, Nashville, TN August 2021.

Manuscript Reviewing
Manuscript Reviewer, Prentice Hall, 2005–2007

Affiliations
American Sociological Association
Northwestern University Center for Public Safety Alumni Association

International Association of Identification 

Military
Military United States Navy 1990–1996 Master at Arms (Military Police)

Certifications

• Criminal Patrol Drug Enforcement Officer October 1995
• Criminal Intelligence Analyst September 1997
• PPCT Defensive Tactics System April 1997
•  Juvenile Officer October 1998
• Police Supervisors Course September 2000
• Critical Incident Operation Command and Planning September 2004 
• Crime Scene Processing February 2005
• Illinois Lead Homicide Investigator June 2021

Publications

Lally, W. E. (2002). Impact of Small-Town Politics on Policing (Master’s thesis). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

Lally, W. E. (2008). Safety Issues During Traffic Stops. In M. Birzer & C. Roberson, Police Field Operations: Theory Meets Practice (p. 254). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Lally, W. E., & DeMaris, A. (2012). Arresting the Perpetrator in Intimate-Partner Violence: A Comparative Analysis of Gender and Relational Distance Effects. Crime and Delinquency, 58(1), 103-123. doi: 10.1177/0011128711420102

Lally, W. (2020). The challenges of policing alcohol and drug-related crime. In A. Harkness (Eds.), Rural crime prevention: Theory, tactics, techniques (pp. 109-112). Taylor and Francis Group.

Papers in Progress
Lally, W. E. The Influence of Race, Gender, and Class on Traffic Enforcement Practices? A Critical Analysis. Manuscript being prepared for journal submission.

Other Authored Works

Lally, W. E. (2005). Criminal Investigation. ITT Technical Institute (Online Class Template): Pearson Education, Inc.

Lally, W. E. (2006). Forensics and Crime Scene Investigation . ITT Technical Institute (Online Class Template): Pearson Education, Inc.