Are You in a Gang Database? "The bar for being labeled a gang member is low, and the consequences are serious."
American Bar Assn. President Says U.S. Legal System Is Backward, Resistant to Change. "'We need new ideas,' said Martinez. 'We are one-fifth into the 21st century, yet we continue to rely on 20th-century processes, procedures and regulations. We need to retain 20th-century values but advance them using 21st-century approaches that can increase access to justice.'…She did not spare the criminal justice system. In many states, Martinez says, 'overwhelming caseloads and inadequate resources for public defenders severely hamper the Sixth Amendment right to counsel for indigent criminal defendants.'"
The LinkedIn Lawyer: A How-To Guide for Getting Better Results. "With the power to enhance your brand, build your network, and generate referrals, it’s a goldmine of opportunity for the attorney who can spare five-to-10 minutes a day."
Ancestry.com refused court request to give police DNA database access. "Ancestry.com refused to comply with a search warrant pushed by a Pennsylvania court for police to gain access to its database of about 16 million DNA profiles, the company confirmed to Axios via email Monday night.")
Florida Judge Reprimanded for Losing Temper, Insulting Defendant. “'Although the law required a life sentence based on the jury’s recommendation, you made remarks suggesting that the defendant was not worthy,’ Chief Justice Charles Canady told Brevard Circuit Judge Robin C. Lemonidis.”
TV Cop Shows Affect Real-World Policing, Study Says. Police procedurals are standard fare on television. But a recent study says the way TV portrays police and the criminal justice system at large can get in the way of attempts at reform."
I'm A Public Defender, And This Is What I Wear To Work. “Lawyers are consistently judged for what they wear in the courtroom, and it can dramatically affect their clients' lives.”
For the first time, flagship law journals at top U.S. law schools are all led by women. "Only one woman worked on the staff of the Harvard Law Review when Ruth Bader Ginsburg arrived on campus in 1956. It would be another two decades before a woman was elected to lead the school’s prestigious legal journal. The Supreme Court justice this week addressed the current slate of editors in chief from the top 16 law schools in the country. For the first time ever, all are women."
Indictments, Jurisdiction and ‘United States v. Balde’. "In 'United States v. Balde', the Second Circuit distinguished between jurisdictional defects in indictments and non-jurisdictional defects. Its discussion leaves many questions, most importantly whether the distinction is or should be observed."
New Data Suggests Risk Assessment Tools Have Little Impact On Pretrial Incarceration. “A first-of-its-kind database and report documenting the use of risk assessment tools shows little evidence that the tools are leading to reductions in pretrial incarceration rates or eliminating racial disparities in pretrial release decisions. The organizations behind the work, Media Mobilizing Project and MediaJustice, collected data on risk assessment tools from jurisdictions in 46 states, plus the District of Columbia, encompassing more than 1,000 counties across the United States.”