Prior theory and research indicate that the victim-offender relationship is an important factor in determining how an offender is treated at various stages of the criminal justice system, with stranger offenders faring worse than nonstranger offenders in all stages of legal processing. Data for this study consist of interview and official record information of 273 sentenced and incarcerated violent male offenders. The results indicate that the victim-offender relationship is related to the legal processing, but in paradoxical ways. Thus, although nonstranger offenders are charged with and convicted of more serious crimes, stranger offenders receive significantly longer sentences. However, generalizations from this study should be made cautiously. The sample studied was drawn from a population of sentenced, incarcerated violent offenders; making inferences about violent offenders who do not go to prison would be inappropriate. The author discusses implications for policy and future research. Tables, notes, references