by Matt Clarke
On April 25, 2012, Connecticut Governor Daniel P. Malloy signed into law legislation that eliminates the death penalty for future crimes and replaces it with life without parole – part of a trend to abolish capital punishment. [See: PLN, June 2012, p.16].
The signing took place ...
Exonerated Chicago Man Settles Lawsuit for $3.6 Million
By Matthew Clarke
In January 2012, the City of Chicago settled a lawsuit against the city and five Chicago police officers brought by a man who was exonerated after nine years of incarceration for $3,600,000.
Robert Wilson was arrested ...
Pew Center Report Finds Increasing Incarceration Expensive and Ineffective
by Matthew Clarke
On June 6 2012, the Pew Center on the States issued a report on the consequences of the trend toward longer terms of imprisonment in state prisons. The report found that lengthening sentences did not necessarily ...
Medical Neglect Killing Prisoners at CCA-Run Texas Prison?
by Matthew Clarke
Family members and former Dawson State Jail prisoners are alleging medical neglect led to the recent deaths of two prisoners at the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) run prison in Dallas, Texas.
The 10-story high rise ...
Indiana Supreme Court Holds Agreed Court Order with Prosecutor is Binding on DOC
by Matt Clarke
The Supreme Court of Indiana has held that a court order regarding whether a sex offender could be retroactively classified as a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP), and required to register as a sex offender ...
Texas: Clerk May Not Bill Defendant for Attorney Fees Not Ordered by Court
by Matt Clarke
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals held last year that a district clerk may not send an indigent prisoner a bill of costs for court-appointed attorney fees in his criminal case when the court ...
Fifth Circuit Holds Prison Guard’s Injury-Causing Reckless Driving States Nonfrivolous Claim
by Matt Clarke
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held last year that a district court erred when it dismissed a prisoner’s claim that he was severely injured when a guard driving a transport van slammed on the brakes, ...
Eighth Circuit Holds No SORNA Registration Requirement after Leaving U.S.
by Matt Clarke
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals held in August 2013 that the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) does not require a registered sex offender (RSO) who moves to a foreign country to notify the state ...
First Circuit Dismisses Appeal of Court’s Failure to Sanction Federal Prosecutor
by Matt Clarke
On July 22, 2013, the First Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal by the Massachusetts Bar Counsel challenging the failure of a district court and a three-judge disciplinary panel to discipline an Assistant U.S. Attorney ...
Eighth Circuit Upholds Injunction Over Cameras in Restrooms at Civil Commitment Center
by Matt Clarke
In April 2013 the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction granted by a federal district court in a lawsuit challenging the placement of video cameras in bathrooms at the Iowa Civil Commitment ...
