Recent Blog Posts
New Jersey State Appeals Court Clears Lower Court’s Decision, Allowing Minor Rape Suspect to Be Charged as an Adult
In July, a New Jersey state appeals court overturned a state Superior Court’s decision not to try a 16-year-old boy accused of rape as an adult reportedly because the boy comes from a “good family” and is “destined for a good college.” The suspect is accused of raping another 16-year-old who was reportedly intoxicated… Read More »
When Algorithms Determine Whether Criminal Defendants Will Spend Decades in Prison
Many people likely do not realize the significant role that criminal sentencing AI plays in our criminal justice system. What this means is that algorithms used to estimate whether a defendant is likely to commit a future crime affects sentencing and other major decisions made by prosecutors and judges, such as the possibility of… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Law That Vaguely Imposes Additional Prison Time for Crimes Committed with Firearms
On June 24, the US Supreme Court made an important decision in striking down a law that imposed additional criminal penalties onto sentences for people convicted of certain crimes that involve firearms. The court maintained that the law was unconstitutionally vague and violated citizens’ due process rights by failing to place people on notice… Read More »
New York Officially Fails to Decriminalize Marijuana
During the week of June 19, New York state lawmakers failed to reach consensus concerning the state’s proposal to legalize (i.e. decriminalize) the recreational use of marijuana. The legislation, titled the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, would have not only decriminalized the recreational use of marijuana, but also addressed the practice of disproportionately policing… Read More »
Will New York Could Soon Decriminalize Sex Work?
Lawmakers in New York recently proposed legislation that would not only decriminalize prostitution, but also allow for criminal records related to a number of sex crimes to be expunged. Specifically, the proposed legislation– titled the “Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act—would remove criminal penalties for these workers with the hope of increasing workplace… Read More »
New York Officially Bans ‘Gay & Trans Panic Defense’ In Homicide Cases
On June 19, New York state lawmakers passed a ban on the use of the gay and trans panic defense in homicide cases. Specifically, the legislation will prevent criminal defendants from justifying murder as a response to discovering a victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation. Historically, criminal defendants have, in some circumstances, been successful… Read More »
Only Two Percent of All Federal Criminal Defendants Go to Trial in America: Why This Should Concern You
According to new data assembled by the federal judiciary and analyzed by the Pew Research Center, trials and acquittals are becoming more and more rare over time, presenting a number of criminal justice issues. Specifically, just in fiscal year 2018, almost 80,000 people were criminal defendants and federal cases, but only two percent of… Read More »
New York City Cracks Down On Alleged Criminal Violations of Food Trucks & Ice Cream Vendors
New York City took strict retaliation actions against dozens of vendors and ice cream truck businesses, towing a number of them in early June after claiming that they owed millions in unpaid parking and traffic tickets. Specifically, the administration claims that, between 2009 and 2017, these trucks engaged in a number of criminal violations,… Read More »
New York & New Jersey Take Action to Legalize Marijuana In New York & New Jersey
Lawmakers at the New York State capital are currently undergoing negotiations concerning legislation to legalize a number of activities with respect marijuana throughout New York, including cultivation, consumption, distribution, sales, and taxation of the product. With only three weeks to go before the 2019 legislative session ends, and New York being the largest illegal… Read More »
New York Still Stalled On Decriminalizing Marijuana & Other Activities—Potentially Short by Two Votes in The Senate
Whether or not New York will finally decriminalize marijuana (for recreational use) could come down to two votes in the state Senate. The current measure would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana, as well as allow for the expungement of records for prior marijuana-related convictions. In order to pass the Senate without first obtaining outside… Read More »