The title of this post is the title of this recently published book that was just brought to my attention by the publisher, who offered this audience a discount code: "Order online at www.bloomsbury.com -- use the code GLR BD8...
Douglas A. Berman
Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing
Recommended reading
The title of this post is the title of this recent paper now posted to SSRN and authored by Meghan J. Ryan. Here is its abstract: Time is missing from discussions on the theory of retribution. A colossal body of...
Douglas A. Berman
Procedure and Proof at Sentencing
Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing
Sentences Reconsidered
Who Sentences
The Supreme Court nearly 23 years ago in Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002), ruled that that an execution of persons with intellectual disability would violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments. In so doing, the...
Douglas A. Berman
Death Penalty Reforms
Offender Characteristics
Procedure and Proof at Sentencing
Who Sentences
The US Sentencing Commission has today posted here on its website "FY24 GEOGRAPHIC SENTENCING DATA." As explained on the site, these detailed "reports examine federal sentencing statistics from each judicial district, the districts within each judicial circuit, and the districts...
Douglas A. Berman
Data on sentencing
Detailed sentencing data
Federal Sentencing Guidelines
Who Sentences
The title of this post is the title of this new white paper, authored by Erik Luna and Weldon Angelos, that is now avaialble via SSRN. This paper was produced by the Academy for Justice at Sandra Day O'Connor College...
Douglas A. Berman
Drug Offense Sentencing
Marijuana Legalization in the States
Pot Prohibition Issues
Procedure and Proof at Sentencing
Sentences Reconsidered
Who Sentences
As I noted in this post last week after a recent flurry of grants, Prez Trump has followed up historic clemency activity during his first few days in office by continuing to exercise his broad executive authority to grant pardons...
Douglas A. Berman
Clemency and Pardons
Sentences Reconsidered
Who Sentences
As reported in this AP piece, "U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday that she has directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, following through on the president’s campaign...
Douglas A. Berman
Celebrity sentencings
Death Penalty Reforms
Who Sentences
I tend not to be a big fan of celebrations of April Fools' Day (I often get to feel plenty foolish all year long), but the fokls at the Prison Policy Initiative have a holiday-themed entry that seemed worthy of...
Douglas A. Berman
Prisons and prisoners
The title of this post is the title of this new article authored by Kevin Morrow and now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract: The final decision on the imposition of the death penalty in the United States is...
Douglas A. Berman
Death Penalty Reforms
Procedure and Proof at Sentencing
Who Sentences
The Supreme Court issued this relative short order list this morning which concluded with an interesting dissent from the denial of certiorari authored by Justice Sotomayor and joined by Justice Jackson. Here is how the six-page dissent gets started and...
Douglas A. Berman
Procedure and Proof at Sentencing
Sentences Reconsidered
Who Sentences
The title of this post is the title of this notable new article from multiple authors just published in the journal Legal and Criminological Psychology. Here is its abstract: Criminal legal systems around the world rely heavily on defendants foregoing...
Douglas A. Berman
Procedure and Proof at Sentencing
Who Sentences
The title of this post is the headline of this new Washington Post article. I recommend the full piece, and here are excerpts: Standing in front of a crowd outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 6 defendant Brian Mock...
Douglas A. Berman
Clemency and Pardons
Prisons and prisoners
Who Sentences
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