On her blog Kalleh mentions those TV shows that show real life police chasing and arresting, for example, motorists who break the law. The question is whether or not people watch this from a sense of epicaricacy. DO they watch just because they enjoy seeing other people in trouble.
Personally I think it isn't. The purpose of these shows is to try to reassure (or possibly threaten) the public that bad behaviour (at least the relatively trivial kinds) will be found out and punished.

My question is, can it be considered epicaricacy (or schadenfreude) if it's just a case of people getting their just desserts?

Only when they're chocolate

To take you seriously (horrors!) my personal opinion is that life is so lacking in physical threat for many in the human species that they find it necessary to run the adrenal system vicariously thro its paces in order to keep fight-or-flight responses in shape. Hence 'Cops', 'Survivor', and those awful 'savage nature' shows.

Well, Bob, thank you for reading my Blog!

Bethree, that's an interesting perspective. I suppose I am being cynical, but I really do think some people take joy in seeing others' misery (i.e., being handcuffed or arrested for having pot in the car) and that's why they watch those shows. Therefore, I don't think it's a case of people getting their "just desserts."

However, to answer your question, Bob, I don't think it would be considered epicaricacy or Schadenfreude if it's just a case of people getting what they deserve.