In the criminal justice system, there are at least three parties involved in every case: prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges. In high-profile cases, prosecutors and defense attorneys may hold press conferences or otherwise talk to the media. But it is rarer to...
Month: February 2016
Congress may repeal law denying college aid to drug offenders
We have previously written that a criminal conviction can have consequences that last far beyond whatever sentence is imposed. This is especially true for teenagers and young adults. A conviction, even for minor offenses, can jeopardize job opportunities, college...
Can better policies result in fewer officer-involved shootings?
In the United States, anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But many people accused of crimes never make it to court or even to the police station. Too many police interactions end with suspects being shot and killed for dubious...
Crime doesn’t pay, but law-abiding behavior might be compensated
There are many complex factors that need to be considered in any discussion about fighting and preventing crime. Most can now agree that high crime rates are not simply the result of personal irresponsibility and low moral character. Instead, it is now clear that...
Forensic commission says: Do away with bite-mark analysis
We have previously written about the public misperceptions of forensic testing. Shows like CSI have convinced Americans that forensic tests performed in criminal cases are completely reliable and produce results that are indisputable.DNA testing is the most reliable...
Beyond guilt or innocence: ‘Making a Murderer’ raises big questions
The vast majority of criminal trials take place in obscurity, and most don't receive much media attention outside the cities in which they take place. But when a case enters the national mainstream, as occurred with the Steven Avery case in the recent Netflix series...
Exoneration stats show sad state of our criminal justice system
Now, perhaps more than ever before, Americans are taking a hard look at our criminal justice system and realizing that it is broken. Wrongful convictions are far more common than most people thought they could be, and the causes of wrongful convictions are not simply...
How a bill becomes a law & how that law becomes unconstitutional
We often write about criminal appeals that go before the U.S. Supreme Court. These cases do not just affect the defendants involved. They nearly always address an important civil rights issue that is relevant to law enforcement across the country. Typically, they...
Study reveals more disturbing findings about false confessions
We've all seen the TV crime dramas. When it is time to interrogate a suspect, investigators use a number of tactics: the bright overhead lights, hours of questioning, good cop vs. bad cop, threats, intimidation and bargaining. These are all meant to get to the truth...