criminal justice system
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If Democratic Lawmakers Get Their Way, 1 Million Convictions in California Could Be Expunged
After being released from prison, those who were once incarcerated often experience tremendous difficulty getting re-acclimated to society, but if Democratic lawmakers get their way, California citizens still being punished for mistakes from their past will be able to get a new lease on life. The Associated Press reports that after moving to automatically expunge…
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91 Percent of Inmates Freed by First Step Act Were Black. Should We Give Republicans Credit?
As soon as the U.S. Sentencing Commission released its new report on the effects of criminal justice legislation promoted by Jared Kushner, introduced by Republicans and signed by Donald Trump, the GOP immediately began taking credit. Trump will undoubtedly count the report showing that the First Step Act significantly reduced the sentences of more than…
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America’s Public Defenders’ Offices Are Broken. Here’s How to Fix Them
As a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, I saw our legal system at its best when we pursued justice and stood up for victims of murder, rape, and other serious crimes. It made me feel proud. But I also saw the parts of our criminal justice system that were failing—including overworked and underpaid…
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Philadelphia DA Accuses Judge of Bias, Says Meek Mill Should Get New Trial
Meek Mill’s legal woes have not only been lengthy, but have provided a textbook example of just how deeply flawed our criminal justice system is. But after years of bad news, the Maybach Music signee might finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. USA Today reports that on Wednesday, Philadelphia District…
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100 Black Moms Freed on Mother’s Day Thanks to Nationwide Bail Out Campaign
In their largest bail out effort to date, the National Bail Out collective announced Tuesday morning that their third annual Mother’s Day campaign freed 100 black mothers—and raised an additional $1 million to set even more incarcerated women free. The organization’s landmark achievement was part of the third annual Black Mama’s Bail Out campaign. In…
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Fed Up With the Criminal Justice System, Man Acts as His Own Attorney and Gets Acquitted After Serving 13 Years for Murder
Philly native Hassan Bennett had always maintained his innocence, but unfortunately, our faulty criminal justice system ensured it would take him four trials and 13 years to finally prove it. The Washington Post reports that on September 22, 2006, Bennett was accused of orchestrating the murder of his friend Devon English, 19, over a $20…
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Kevin Sneed Acquitted of 'Attempted Murder' of Maryland Cop Who Jumped Into His Car [Corrected]
Kevin Sneed of Prince George’s County, Maryland, was pulled over for a broken taillight. He ended up with an attempted murder charge. But after a two-year battle, and with help from local advocacy groups, Sneed can continue being a freed man. Sometimes the justice system gets it right. According to NBC Washington 4, the officer…
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From Defendant to Defender: Theo Shaw, Once Almost Railroaded by the Justice System as One of the Jena 6, Is Now Officially a Lawyer
A Louisiana man whose life was almost thrown away by the criminal justice system when he was overcharged in a case that came to be known as the “Jena 6” is now officially a lawyer. Theo Shaw was sworn in to the bar of the District of Columbia on Friday, according to the New Orleans…
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C.J. Wallace, Son of Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans, Launches Cannabis Line to Benefit the Prison Arts Project
“Smoking blunts was a daily routine, since 13,” Biggie once famously rapped. But now his son, C.J., is showing the public that marijuana use goes far beyond the typical “Party and Bullshit” of most rap lyrics. C.J. Wallace is best known for playing the role of his iconic father in 2009’s Notorious biopic. Now, 10…