Recidivism, Restorative Justice, and the Abnormally High Rate Of Rape In Alaska

In a recent article, CNN reporter John D. Sutter referred to the state of Alaska as “the national epicenter of rape.”  Sutter is not some avid anti-Alaskan, nor does he seem to harbor any irrational dislikes of the Pacific Northwest.  Rather, Sutter wrote the article in response to the 2012 FBI crime statistics, which showed Alaska to have the highest rate of reported rape.  According to the FBI report, eighty rapes are reported for every 100,000 people; almost three times the national average of twenty-seven.  In comparison to New Jersey, where rape is reported the least, Alaska’s rapes per 100,000 people is seven times higher.  Sutter’s report went even deeper and found that 59% of women in Alaska have experienced “sexual or intimate partner violence, and that four in ten women reported to have been raped or sexually assaulted.

Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law on Trial, Again

On Monday, February 3, 2014, Angela Corey began jury selection as she prepares to prosecute a second, high profile murder case in Florida.  Corey is prosecuting Michael David Dunn for the murder and attempted murder of seventeen year old Jordan Davis and his friends.  Davis was killed in the parking lot of a Jacksonville, FL gas station on November 23, 2013.  Corey is the prosecutor who was hand selected to investigate the Trayvon Martin case in March 2013.

The Gap Between Policy and Practice at the D.C. Jail: A Discussion of the Shortcomings of Mental Health Treatment and Suicide Risk Prevention

On November 7, 2013 Virginia Willis, a D.C. resident, testified before the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety at a Public Oversight Hearing regarding her fiancé’s suicide at the D.C. Jail in June of 2013.  Mrs. Willis came before the committee with many unanswered questions: what is in the cells that can be used for inmates to hang themselves and what is being done to change that?  What measures are put in place if an inmate comes in with a mental illness?  Is old paperwork being pulled up?  Unfortunately, besides naming a specialized task force and referring to an expert’s report on the current state of the D.C. Jail, Chairperson Tommy Wells found himself apologetic and unable to answer such imperative questions.

Phantom Tipsters: Oral Arguments in Navarette v. California

In this day and age is it still possible to make anonymous phone calls?  With the advent of caller identification on most phones, at the very least, one’s phone number is typically known to the person he is calling.  However, through the use of blocking one’s number or using an anonymous flip phone, it is still possible to remain anonymous when calling another person.  Further, it could be argued that simply knowing someone’s phone number does not give you any identifying information about that person.  This particular issue of how to handle anonymous tips given to the police was debated on January 21, 2014 and will be decided by the United States Supreme Court through the case Navarette v. California.  

Let’s Get Maryland Marijuana Reform Rolling

   State with legal medical cannabis.

   State with decriminalized cannabis possession laws.*

   State with both medical and decriminalization laws.

   State with legalized cannabis.

Two recent studies by the ACLU and PewResearch Center suggest that marijuana laws are not being reformed as the public demands.  In fact, the studies suggest just the opposite: that marijuana laws are being enforced more than ever before, in a time where legalization is becoming favored by citizens.  But what can we, as citizens who frequently feel powerless to change the laws of the State, do to expedite such reform?

“Ban the Box” Laws Seek to Give Returning Citizens a Second Chance

Meet John Doe.  He has just returned home from serving time in prison for a criminal offense that occurred during his youth.  He has learned a lot and he is ready to prove it to his family and community.  He is ready to start over, obtain employment, and financial stability.  He applies for jobs that he is qualified for and honestly discloses his conviction when asked on hiring forms.  Still, he cannot get a break; not even an interview.  Almost always his application is tossed aside when employers realize that he has a criminal history.

Drug Courts as an Alternative to Incarceration in Light of the U.S.’s Shifting Marijuana Policy

I.               Marijuana Policy in the United States Today

November 6, 2012, marked a shift in drug policy in the United States, for while many voters took to the polls to elect a variety of political figures, voters in the states of Colorado and Washington passed two voter initiatives which marked a shift in drug policy in the United States.  At the beginning of  January 2014 recreational use marijuana dispensaries opened up in Colorado—Washington State’s dispensaries are not fully set up yet and may take until June—with people traveling from as far as Ohio to purchase some of the United States’ first legally sold recreational marijuana.

Supreme Court Watch

The following are recent Supreme Court cases and opinions relating to criminal law discussed and analyzed.  We break down the cases with specific analysis for the affect on practitioners.  This page will be updated as opinions are published.