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03 Feb Ann Arbor Prosecutor Makes Good on No Cash Bail Policy Promise
One Michigan prosecutor fulfilled his promise of eliminating the cash bail policy.
26 Jan Could HR 7194 End Some Mandatory Minimums?
In 1991, the United States Sentencing Commission submitted a report to Congress calling for the abolition of mandatory minimums. We’re on the eve of the 30-year anniversary of that report. Yet we’ve made very little progress when it comes to the unfair sentencing practice.
25 Jan Constitutional Basis for Prisoners’ Privacy Rights
Everyone worries about their privacy, including prisoners. Inmates' privacy rights have their roots in several key constitutional provisions.
22 Jan Mental Competency to Stand Trial and the Housing of Mentally Incompetent Defendants
Issues about how to determine mental competency to stand trial are rooted in a lack of clarity about what mental incompetency looks like.
29 Dec Is a “Tone of Voice” Jury Challenge Race-Neutral?
Defendants in criminal cases have a constitutional right to a jury of their peers. But courts have made it clear that they don't have the right to a jury of their own race. So, when a prosecutor strikes a juror for their “tone of voice,” is that one of the impermissible jury challenges based on race?
29 Dec Are the Consequences for Judicial Misconduct Enough?
Reuters did a special report on the disparity between the often harsh penalties that judges impose on a daily basis and the significantly less harsh penalties they face for their own wrongdoing in America’s justice system. This leads to an important question: Are the consequences for judicial misconduct enough?