Mourning Jeff Adachi
A great light has dimmed. San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi (Hastings ’85) has died, leaving behind a tremendous legacy of advocacy of the highest quality for the indigent and
Prosecutors in Orange County Sued for Obtaining Unlawful Confessions
More distressing news from the OC. The Guardian reports: Prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies in California’s Orange County used jailhouse informants in an extraordinary and long-running scheme to illegally obtain confessions
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Wry Craigslist ad created in the aftermath of the Malheur takeover acquittal. My first reaction upon hearing of the acquittal of the defendants involved in the armed takeover in Oregon
Foster v. Chatman and the Limits of the Sayable
This morning, the Supreme Court decided Foster v. Chatman, a case involving race considerations in jury selection proceedings in Georgia. There are two types of challenges that the prosecution and
Podcast Review: Serial
On the last episode of the acclaimed podcast Serial, Sarah Koenig speaks to a retired police detective and asks him whether any murder case would raise the difficult questions raised
What Happens If the Court Disallowed Your Attorney from Attending a Batson Hearing?
The Sixth Amendment requires that defendants be tried by a jury of their peers; this raises serious questions when partisan interests bring racial considerations into the choice. Batson v. Kentucky, decided
Public Defender Arrested in Court!
So, this happened today: Two guys were arraigned for petty theft charges. Cops showed up and started asking them questions about an unrelated robbery and taking their pictures. The defense
A Jury Trial in Brazil
On September 3, 2008, Marcos Venicius Amon Barbosa finished his 48-hour shift at the shipyard. Before driving home, he stopped for a drink. Shortly after he resumed his trip, he
Criminal Justice Bills Signed Into Law by Gov. Brown, 2013 Season
Image courtesy NBC San Diego. A month ago we provided a brief overview of the criminal justice bills on Gov. Brown’s desk. With the end of the legislative session, we
Bail: Freedom, Capitalized
This video, produced by the ACLU and Beyond Bars, was posted in a story that appeared this week on The Nation, titled, Should It Cost Less to Get Out of