Criminal Justice
Gave Blood Today
There's apparently a blood shortage, because many blood drives have been canceled, so I thought now was an especially good time.
Advocates and Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration to Release Elderly Inmates Vulnerable to Coronavirus
"They were not sentenced to death, and they should be released immediately."
Sign up for Free Access to "Introduction to Constitutional Law" 11-Hour Video Library
Wolters Kluwer has generously made our entire video library free until May 31 to assist with distance learning
Ninth Circuit Does Oral Argument by Videoconferencing
Seems to have gone well, and I've heard good reports about another case, too.
Law Professors quietly agree with my post on pass/fail grading
"I was just steamrolled by my faculty on this — almost everyone but me joined the copy HARVARD-STANFORD train."
Colorado Officially Repeals the Death Penalty, Commutes Sentences of Death Row Inmates
The reactions to the governor's actions were mixed.
Due Process and the Criminal Law: A Few Thoughts on Kahler v. Kansas
An important Supreme Court decision on how much criminal law doctrine is constitutionally required.
Coronavirus Fears Mount in D.C. Jail After Quarantines
Lawyers, inmates' families, and correctional officers worry the jail is ill-prepared to handle an outbreak.
Allen v. Cooper is an excellent opinion for teaching Sovereign Immunity
Justice Kagan pithily summarized Boerne, Florida Prepaid, and Kimel
The Prison Coronavirus Disaster Everybody Warned About Is Unfolding in New York City
Jail officials urge more and faster releases as the virus spreads between staff and inmates.
PA Governor: Marshmallow Peeps are "Life-Sustaining," production can continue during COVID-19 Emergency
Designating candy as "life-sustaining," but not constitutionally-protected firearms, is irrational
Law schools should not abandon standard grading policies for all students
Only those students with demonstrated hardships should receive a pass/fail option
Divided PA Supreme Court: Governor can shut down firearms dealers during Coronavirus emergency
Dissent for three Justices: "This amounts to an absolute and indefinite prohibition upon the acquisition of firearms by the citizens of this Commonwealth—a result in clear tension with the Second Amendment..."
"It Is Their Care in All the Ages to Take the Buffet and Cushion the Shock."
“It is their care that the gear engages; it is their care that the switches lock. / Raise ye the stone or cleave the wood to make a path more fair or flat; / Lo, it is black already with the blood some Son of Martha spilled for that.”
Is Learning in Corona-time Like Learning in Wartime?
C.S. Lewis' famous sermon may still be appropriate
Grading in the Time of Coronavirus
For most law schools, switching to across-the-board pass/fail grading would be a mistake.
Unicorns, Coronavirus, and Emergencies
"The world is facing a real emergency. Plaintiff is not."
It's Time for the Commission on Civil Rights to Stop Using Words Like "Racism," "Xenophobia," "Hate," and "Hateful" So Indiscriminately
A Statement by Two Commissioners.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Jaguar habitat, CIA black sites, and deadly insurance benefits.
The Trump Administration's Uncooperative Environmental Federalism
The EPA has talked the talk of cooperative federalism, but it's not yet fully walking the walk.
Come for the Judicial Opinion, Stay for the "Additional Views"
A Federal Circuit panel took the unusual step of throwing in some dicta in a separate non-opinion.
Did This Louisiana Deputy Try To Plant Drugs During an Arrest?
Social media users seem to think so. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office says it's "false information."
Sacramento County Releases Inmates Early To Curb Coronavirus Spread
Overcrowded jails are ill-prepared for a coronavirus outbreak.
Keep Coronavirus Out of Jails by Arresting Fewer People in the First Place
Police departments turn to summons instead of processing people into cells—a change they should keep after this is all over.
Ohio Releases 28 Low-Level Offenders To Reduce Spread of Coronavirus
One man was arrested because he didn't have enough bus fare to make his court date.
Maryland Man Killed in No-Knock SWAT Raid Was Shot While Asleep, Family Says
Montgomery County police say Duncan Lemp "confronted" a SWAT team executing a search warrant on his family's house. His family says he was shot in bed.
After a State-Authorized Medical Marijuana Patient Had an Epileptic Seizure and Crashed Her Car, Police Arrested Her for Driving With 'Marjuana in Her System'
The case illustrates the injustice and irrationality of Pennsylvania's "zero tolerance" approach to stoned driving.
