A commonly held notion is that high occupational status shields a deviant individual from sanctions. Some theorists have proposed that a negative relationship exist between punishment and status when the offending behavior is of low to moderate seriousness, but a positive relationship when it is of high seriousness. This phenomenon has been termed "status liability." This study examines status liability in terms of diverse medical specialties to determine whether status differences among specialists produce measurable different public reactions to deviance. Results follow the pattern predicted by the status liability hypothesis and suggest policy implications in such judicial areas as voir dire, Medicaid, fraud enforcement, and malpractice litigation. 10 references. (Author abstract modified)