-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Marty & Stephanie on “You’re in the wrong place!”
- Dave Leshtz on “You’re in the wrong place!”
- Gogo Skywalker Payne on The Big Ten
- Marty & Stephanie on George’s cherry tree
- Pam Olson on George’s cherry tree
Archives
Our Friends
Issues
- General (157)
- Food (4)
- Issues (118)
- Criminal Justice (34)
- Death Penalty (12)
- Fairness (44)
- Medical Cannabis (4)
- Open Meetings/Public Records (9)
- Privacy (12)
- Substance Abuse and Alcoholism/War on Drugs (5)
- Voting Rights (4)
- Youth (12)
- General (157)
Category Archives: Criminal Justice
A Horrible Decision
On Monday, the Court said it was constitutionally okay to take a sample of “skin cells”. They might just as well take an arm or a leg, your heart, your brain, or your medical records. Continue reading
Posted in Criminal Justice, Fairness, Issues, Privacy
Tagged DNA, Fourth Amendment, Justice Ginsburg, Justice Kagan, Justice Scalia, Justice Stotomayor, Maryland v. King
Leave a comment
Enhancing Minority Disproportionate Incarceration Rates In Iowa
A minority impact statement is a significant portion of a fiscal note prepared by the nonpartisan Fiscal Division of the Iowa Legislative Services Agency. In cooperation with the Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning of the Department of Human … Continue reading
Posted in Criminal Justice, Fairness, Issues
Tagged Fiscal Division - Iowa Legislative Services Agency, House File 528, Iowa County Attorneys Association, Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, Iowa Senate Judiciary Committee, Rep. Dave Dawson, Sen. Charles Schneider, Senate File 384, The Sentencing Project
Leave a comment
Oral Arguments: Please Pardon the Pun
In an unusual move, the Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., told the Supreme Court that he was not going to argue the case for the federal government because he believes the Third Circuit got it wrong. Continue reading
Invasion of the Judicial and Legislative Branches
On Monday, July 16, Governor Terry Branstad issued a commutation to 38 of Iowa’s lifers. That group of lifers consists of those felons who are serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed as … Continue reading
Posted in Criminal Justice, Fairness, Issues, Youth
Tagged cruel and unusual punishment, Des Moines Registser, Eighth Amendment, Governor Terry Branstad, Graham v. Florida, Iowa Board of Parole, Iowa Constitution, Iowa Legislature, Miller v. Alabama, Roper v. Simmons, United States Supreme Court
Leave a comment
Jumping Off Perfectly Good Bridges
Kids used to break legs and arms all the time. It was like wearing a plaque, a medal, or a trophy. Continue reading
No Slam Dunk
Last September I wrote that the United States Supreme Court was about to hear oral arguments in a case called Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders. As you’ll recall, this is what I had to say about it: Albert Florence … Continue reading