Posts tagged Washington Post
Could the pope’s call to end the death penalty keep Catholics off juries?

“But because of the anomalous way we select juries in capital cases, greater opposition to the death penalty among Catholics could, counterintuitively, increase the number of death sentences imposed in this country. Such opposition could even solidify judicial support for capital punishment. This paradox is possible because of a process called “death qualification,” in which a judge can disqualify certain prospective jurors who are opposed to executions. The pope’s sharpening of the Catholic position on the death penalty helps reveal the problems with this system.“

Washington Post

January 18, 2019

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JudgesPhillip ReevesWashington Post, Catholic Church, Pope FrancisComment
Georgia’s privatized probation and parole system isn’t working

“In Georgia, 1 out of every 18 people is on probation or parole. That’s a staggering figure. The U.S.average is 1 in 55. The state with the next highest rate after Georgia is Idaho, at 1 in 33. I suppose an advocate for private probation could point to some other state where it’s common, and where the rate of parole and probation is lower. But it’s hard to overcome the fact that Georgia sends more people to private parole and probation companies than any other state — and if the goal is to get people off of state supervision, that system clearly isn’t working.“

Washington Post

October 5, 2018

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ParolePhillip ReevesWashington Post, GeorgiaComment
It’s time for Louisiana to strip white supremacy from its constitution

"The ballot question is entirely nonpartisan. The Louisiana Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties have all endorsed the passage of a constitutional amendment requiring jury votes to be unanimous. Even so, powerful forces in the state are resistant to change, with some district attorneys fighting to hold on to the jury rule because it makes it easier for prosecutors to get convictions."

Washington Post

August 13, 2018

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Mass IncarcerationAnthony BradleyWashington Post, John Legend, Louisiana, Oregon
‘I don’t feel that I’m any safer’: Juror speaks out against 40-year sentence for drug dealer he helped convict

"The judge who sentenced Turner, T.S. Ellis III, called the punishment 'excessive' and 'wrong' at a June sentencing hearing. If he can’t change the sentence, 'why do we have a judge?' St. Louis asked. 'Let’s put that in his hands . . . but instead you heard the judge say his hands are tied, and that doesn’t seem right to me'."

Washington Post

July 26, 2018

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Judges, SentencingAnthony BradleyWashington Post, Sentencing, Juries