By now you have almost certainly seen many election ads scaring people about any candidate who advocates bail reform. They are accused of wanting to put killers and rapists on the streets to commit more crime. Paired with sometimes misleading crime statistics, these...
meaningful defense
Held pretrial for 4 years, 2 men were exonerated and are now suing
It was a shocking and terrible crime. In 2016, two gunmen acted in concert to drive partygoers to a Pittsburgh-area house’s back porch and then shoot them. Five people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, were killed. A sixth person was paralyzed and died...
Does releasing people before trial drive up crime rates?
When deciding who needs to remain in jail as they await trial, courts in most states should consider two things. First, is the person a danger to the community? If they are, pre-trial detention may be justified. Second, is the person a flight risk? In other words, how...
Judge in ‘Serial’ murder case orders new DNA tests for defendant
In 2000, Adnan Syed was convicted of murdering his girlfriend and burying her body in a park in Baltimore. Although he was just 17 at the time of his girlfriend’s death in 1999, he was sentenced to life in prison. He has argued that he is innocent, but Maryland’s...
Reports: Feds eager to buy predictive policing, phone-cracking tech
There is good reason to believe that predictive policing software simply reinforces past, biased information to predict crime. It is certainly under heavy scrutiny, as it seeks to predict in advance exactly who will commit crimes. It’s the subject of dystopian...
Wisconsin high school students up against drug charges
Generally speaking, Wisconsin parents do not want drugs in the schools their children attend. But parents also realize that children make mistakes. When these mistakes include drug possession, or possession with intent to sell, parents are understandably concerned...
Prison chaplain’s alleged hoax leads to sexual assault charges
Sexual assault charges have been filed against a Wisconsin prison chaplain after a hostage situation with an inmate was said to be an elaborate hoax. Appointed in 2001 amid controversy, the 52-year-old she was the first Wiccan prison chaplain in the state. Now she is...