In looking at this fall's election as a huge one for the future of marijuana law, I have had my eye on five states in which it seemed very likely voters would be considering recreational reforms via ballot initiative: Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. But this local article, headlined...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarijuanaLaw/~4/hx9QIWjLB4Y" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>
Could Michigan be among the states voting on legalizing marijuana for recreational use in November 2016?
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Heading the Wrong Way: The Ever Closing Political Space in Ethiopia
Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a growing trend of evaporating political space. Non-governmental organizations are being heavily and often violently restricted, and newspapers, bloggers and other voices of dissent or criticism are being silenced or intimidated into exile. In some countries such as Uganda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, heads of state are rewriting their constitutions to eliminate term limits, in the process using security forces to squash protests from both political opposition and civil society. In other countries such as in Angola, the governments make use of their control over their judiciaries to intimidate or bury critics and youth activists in legal processes that cripple them financially or trap in never ending trials. Elsewhere, governments invoke the specter of terrorism and threats to national security as justification for passing sweeping laws whose interpretation empowers them to impose draconian penalties on oppositional parties and…
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Use of force, bodycams, and conservative arguments for justice reform
Recording some links here for my own purposes, but perhaps some Grits readers will find them useful, too:Conservative arguments for justice reform Our pal Vikrant Reddy, of the Koch Institute via the Texas Public Policy Foundation, has been busy recently proselytizing criminal-justice reform as a conservative cause. Check out:Conservative Reform Network: A New Agenda for Criminal JusticeNational Review: Criminal Justice: The Real Reasons for ReformUS Civil Rights Commission testimony: Municipal Policing and Courts: A Search for Justice or a Quest for Revenue?Bodycam policy resourcesSee a good resource page on body camera policies including links to local policies in numerous jurisdictions. As the Austin City Council's Public Safety Committee prepares to consider APD's policy on Monday, check out this site from OpenAustin.org arguing for maximum transparency. There's an excellent resource list on that site, too, if you scroll to the bottom of the…
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"Clearly, there seems to be a lack of knowledge about or adherence to the duties of professional responsibility in the halls of the Justice Department."
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Top-Ten Recent SSRN Downloads in Criminal Law eJournal
are here. The usual disclaimers apply. Rank Downloads Paper Title 1 474 The Federal Circuits’ Second Amendment Doctrines David B. Kopel and Joseph G.S. Greenlee Independence Institute and Independent Date posted to database: 21 Apr 2016 2 315 Like Snow...
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Case o' The Week: Give Unto Others (or Go to Jail) - Inouye and Restitution Orders
Tithe 10% to the Church -- or face the consequences on judgment day. Then give 8% to the Feds -- or face the consequences on judgment day. United States v. Inouye, 2016 WL 2641109 (9thCir. May 10, 2016), decision available here.Players: Per curiam decision with Judges Graber, Bybee, and Christen. Hard-fought appeal by Federal Public Defender Peter Wolff, District of Hawaii. Facts: Inouye pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Id. at *1. He was sentenced to one month in prison, concurrent terms of supervised release, and was held joint and severally liable for over $200,000 in restitution. Id. The order had the rate of repayment to be set by the Probation Office, “but no less than 10% of his gross monthly income . . . .” Id. at *1. While on supervised release, Inouye started making payments, then stopped, then lied and assured his PO “the checks were in the mail.” Id. Because Inouye had no job, had barely ceased being homeless, and had significant…
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Moran on The Internal Affairs Farce
Rachel Moran (University of Denver Sturm College of Law) has posted Ending the Internal Affairs Farce (64 Buff. L. Rev. ___ (Aug. 2016 Forthcoming)) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Police misconduct has received a heightened degree of media attention...
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Indonesia Readying More Executions of Foreign Drug Offenders
Boycott Indonesia. A new round of executions of foreign drug offenders is set for this week or next. Of the 15 set for killing, 10 are foreigners: Ten of at least 15 convicts facing the firing squad at the Nusakambangan prison island in Central... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Feds Focus on Fines and Fees
The U.S. Department of Justice recently issued a letter regarding its “strong interest” in putting a stop to unconstitutional court fines and fees that target the poor. According to the authors, Vanita Gupta, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Department, and Lisa Foster, Director of the Office for Access to Justice, “[T]he harm caused by unlawful practices . . . can be profound. Individuals may confront escalating debt; face repeated, unnecessary incarceration for nonpayment despite posing no danger to the community; lose their jobs; and become trapped in cycles of poverty that can be nearly impossible to escape.” The DOJ sent the letter to judges and court administrators in all fifty states on March 14, 2016, directing them to review their procedures on imposing and enforcing fines and fees. An article from the New York Times states that the DOJ rarely issues “Dear colleague” letters of this sort; the…
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Recorded Jail Call Leads to Drug Trafficking Conviction for Florida Inmate
When a person is arrested for a crime in Florida, he/she is taken to the local jail. If he/she cannot make bond, he/she will remain there until the criminal case is resolved. Inmates in the local jail generally have phone privileges, but they are informed that each call is recorded. In many cases, particularly the more serious cases and cases that are likely to go to trial, prosecutors will retrieve the jail call recordings in the hopes of finding incriminating statements made by the defendant. While all inmates know these jail calls are recorded by the state, it is amazing how often inmates say things during these jail calls that impair their cases. As criminal defense lawyers in Jacksonville, Florida, we always inform our clients never to talk about their cases during jail calls. The risk of doing so drastically outweighs any benefit of having such a recorded conversation. For example, in a recent drug trafficking case near Jacksonville, Florida, the defendant was…
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The Former Employee, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Trade Secrets
This post examines an opinion recently issued by a U.S.District Court Judge who sits in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico: Sun West Mortgage Company, Inc. v. Matos Flores, 2016 WL 1030074(2016). The judge begins by explaining that[i]n this action, Plaintiff Sun West Mortgage Company (`Sun West’) contends that its former employee, Defendant Miguel Matos Flores (`Matos’) breached his employment agreement and made unauthorized disclosures regarding company trade secrets in violation of The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 18 U.S. Code § 1030, et seq. (`CFAA’), the Stored Wire and Electronic Communications and Transactional Records Access Act, 18U.S. Code §§ 2071-2712 et seq. (the`Stored Communications Act’ or the `SCA’), and the Wire and Electronic Communication and Interception of Oral Communications Act, 18U.S. Code §§ 2510-2522 et seq. (the `Wiretap…
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Roderick K. Bridges, God’s Choice for State Court
Roderick Bridges. Handout Photo 3-4-2016 Under Article Six, Section Three of the United States Constitution, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” The Religious Tests Clause made good sense when it was passed. The Framers had in mind various Test Acts that were a part of British and colonial political life, whose purpose was to exclude from office anyone not a member of the Anglican Church. The required oaths meant that government officials had to swear that the monarch of England was the head of the church. In Silverman v. Campbell, 486 S.E.2d 1 (1997), the South Carolina Supreme Court held that a provision in the South Carolina Constitution providing that “[n]o person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold office under this Constitution,” was not enforceable. This all makes good sense. It should not matter if a State Court Judge is a Druid, a Jew,…
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Bronx Community Solutions Hosts Appreciation Breakfast for Our Partners
by Shlomit Levy, Clinical CoordinatorOn Friday May 20, 2016, Bronx Community Solutions hosted an appreciation breakfast to personally thank those agencies who have partnered with us over the years. Our partnersrange from employment training, substance abuse treatment, Department of Veteran’s Affairs, health education services, Planned Parenthood, CASAC training institute, Community Service sites, and various other agencies. Our preferred partners assist in providing group facilitation to our menu of social service groups, provide outpatient treatment and support services, and refer interns who are seeking learning opportunities. The providers had the opportunity to hear from all of Bronx Community Solutions’ program coordinators as well as network and learn about each other’s roles at BCS. Awards were presented to three providers that have served the clients of BCS for over 10 years: Arms Acres, Vertex and World Vision. One…
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Full Text of Ruling in State of Maryland v. Nero
The full text transcript of Judge Barry Williams's ruling in the trial of Baltimore police officer Edward Nero is available here.
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Legewie & Fagan on Officer Diversity and Deadly Force
Joscha Legewie and Jeffrey Fagan (New York University (NYU) and Columbia Law School) have posted Group Threat, Police Officer Diversity and the Deadly Use of Police Force on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Officer-involved killings and racial bias in policing...
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Las Vegas Blames California for Spike in Crimes
Overall crime in Las Vegas spiked by 22 percent this year, with homicides up by over 60 percent, sexual assaults up by nine percent and robberies up by 21 percent. And what does the sheriff think is the reason behind this? CBS reports:The sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department claimed a number of crimes that happened in Sin City have been traced back to Californian[s]. Sheriff Joe Lombardo blamed AB 109, which allows for early release of certain inmates, and Proposition 47, which reduces nonviolent crimes to misdemeanors. "Individuals we're able to identify, and also the victims of those crimes - we're seeing a significant increase in individuals that have gang affiliation, gang association directly related to California," Lombardo said.Los Angeles' city attorney expressed skepticism in how Lombardo made a connection between the Las Vegas crime spike and California's laws. Still, it is…
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Aggravated Arson and Murder Charges for Estranged Husband of Salt Lake City Restaurateur
The estranged husband of a Salt Lake City restaurateur and prominent LGBT activist was charged with aggravated arson and murder in connection with a deadly home fire. Sunday morning blaze Shortly after 1:00am on Sunday, May 23, 2016 a fire was reported at the home of John Williams, a retired partner of Gastronomy Inc. who […] The post Aggravated Arson and Murder Charges for Estranged Husband of Salt Lake City Restaurateur appeared first on Salt Lake Criminal Defense Attorney.
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Taking Legal Action After a Child Pedestrian Accident
Your child's accident was probably one of the most harrowing experiences of your life. Getting your child proper medical care after being hit by a car as a pedestrian was your first priority. Now you are likely wondering how to pay for all of the damages incurred as a result of the child pedestrian accident. Your child does not have insurance in her own name, so whose insurance is liable — yours or that of the driver?Below we explain insurance coverage and your legal options following pedestrian accidents involving children in Pennsylvania.How can I prevent my child from being in a pedestrian accident?As a parent, you can do many things prevent accidental injury to your child.If your child is playing outside, keep them in a fenced in area (preferably a backyard or a playpen), away from the road.If your vehicle is equipped with a back up camera, do not rely on this. Always turn and look behind you, as the camera may miss a child sitting or playing behind your…
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Frenda et al. on Sleep Deprivation and False Confessions
Steven J. Frenda , Shari R. Berkowitz , Elizabeth F. Loftus and Kimberly M. Fenn (University of California, Irvine - Department of Psychology and Social Behavior , University of California, Irvine , University of California, Irvine - Department of Psychology...
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Why Did Gov. McAuliffe Grant Blanket Voting Rights to Felons?
Three explanations strike me as plausible.First, he believes that every ex-con deserves to "participate in democracy" regardless of how grievous his crime or how thoroughly it demonstrated contempt for law.Second, he wants to increase the number of Democratic voters in Virginia to help his pal Hillary in the forthcoming Presidential election.Third, he knows something.
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