One of the many disturbing things that came to light after the Ferguson police shooting of Michael Brown was the City’s abuse of court fines and fees in order to create what is essentially a modern day debtors’ prison. This is a problem plaguing many cities, big and small, around the country: a prison-for-debt world… Read More
Our criminal justice system is premised in part on the idea that if you commit a crime, you pay a price: the fear of spending years in prison and paying back the money you stole should deter you from stealing in the first place. But, of course, this type of deterrence only works if the… Read More
It’s 2015, and those of you who are not criminal trial attorneys might be shocked and offended to learn just how frequently and intentionally prosecutors in some parts of the country exclude black people from juries, trying to obtain all white juries. Of course, that’s supposed to be unconstitutional, but the system to prevent race… Read More
Denver Police Retaliated Against Levi Frasier for Recording Their Use of Excessive Force Against Unarmed Civilian & Pregnant Woman DENVER, August 14, 2015 – A witness to an unlawful police beating filed a federal civil rights suit today against Denver police for violating his 1st and 4th Amendment freedoms by threatening him with arrest if… Read More
Tony Robinson, Jr., Shot to Death by Officer Matthew Kenny, Despite Posing No Threat August 12, 2015 – The family of Tony Robinson, Jr., an unarmed 19-year-old killed in a hail of bullets by a Madison police officer, will lead a rally announcing the filing of a federal civil suit against the City of Madison… Read More
August 11, 2015 – In what is believed to be the third largest settlement for a wrongful conviction in Indiana history, attorneys for Mr. Billy Julian today announced that their client had agreed to a $3 million settlement today with the Town of Frankton and Madison County, IN. Julian, through his attorneys Mike Kanovitz, Elizabeth… Read More
How the Blue Wall works: Police Officer James E. Griffin’s colleagues vandalized his locker, calling him a rat, after he reported a fellow officer for misconduct. Griffin was ostracized from his Department and his successful career was derailed. (Photo credit NY Times) When the press tries to minimize high-profile police shootings, they talk about how… Read More
A fellow blogger quipped, “There are three kinds of people in this world: Those who’re outraged by civil forfeiture, those who don’t know what it is, and those who profit from it.” Well, I’m going to explain it to you, and let’s see if you will join me in the outraged camp. Civil forfeiture, also… Read More
Another tragic, senseless jail death—this one got no media attention because, let’s face it, the mainstream media doesn’t pay attention mental illness in jail. But Ken Hobson’s sad and easily avoidable death underscores the dire need for mental health screenings in jails. The forty-three year old died of dehydration after 16 days’ of incarceration at… Read More
