21 May Low-Level Cocaine Offenders Left Out to Dry With The First Step Act
The First Step Act provisions on powder-versus-crack cocaine sentencing were significant, but maybe not for low-level offenders.
Sentencing Reform Tag
13 May North Carolina Lawmakers Consider Raising Juvenile Court Age
North Carolina holds the distinction as the only state in the US where a child as young as six can be petitioned to juvenile court for alleged criminal activity and face the possibility of being labeled juvenile delinquent. However, this North Carolina juvenile law is
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.
15 Jan Minimal Progress with Solitary Confinement in 2020
Posted at 09:47h
in Decriminalizing Mental Illness, Emphasizing Rehabilitation, Ending Mass Incarceration, Prisons
While the end of 2019 held promise for solitary confinement reform, 2020 painted a less optimistic picture.
29 Dec North Carolina Courts Struggle with Mental Illness
Mental illness cases involving diminished-capacity defenses are procedurally complex and often result in underwhelming outcomes. And justice reform and mental health advocates are often left wishing for more. Two recent North Carolina cases illustrate the “we can do better” mindset well.
29 Dec “The Issue of the Sleeping Juror” Hits North Carolina
The constitutional right to a jury trial comes from the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It states that “[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury….” But what happens when a juror
29 Dec Wrong Juror Convicts Defendant in North Carolina
The chance of a “perfect trial” is slim to none. Whether it’s a sleeping juror, a lack of record or something else, anything close to a perfect trial is hard to come by. And that’s true even when the wrong juror convicts you.
29 Dec Ramseur Gets NC Racial Justice Act Relief
In an opinion authored by Justice Anita Earls, the North Carolina Supreme Court held that retroactive application of the General Assembly’s repeal of the NC Racial Justice Act violated the constitutional prohibition on ex post facto laws.
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