Cobert discusses a recent Pew Research poll which found, for the first time in more than forty years of polling, that a majority (52%) of Americans now favor the legalization of marijuana.
I first saw this story on sentencing guru Doug Berman’s blog, Sentencing Law and Policy. If you are interested in sentencing law, it is a must read.,,
Remembering…or More Importanly… Not Forgetting Sandy Hook
Last Sunday night on 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley interviewed the families of Newtown victims. Although the Newtown families have been successful in pushing for comprehensive gun control measures in Connecticut (which were signed into law last Thursday), they face Republican opposition in the Senate. Republican lawmakers, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), have vowed to filibuster any gun control bills that are introduced to the Senate. Yesterday, President Obama spoke in Newtown to make what Politico calls a “last gun control push.” The President stated that a gun control filibuster is just “not right.”
Last night, the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer featured a story on Syracuse Truce (3:30 minutes), an innovative collaboration between law enforcement, social service agencies and the community. Syracuse Truce is designed to reduce gun crime and gang violence. The message of Syracuse Truce is simple: if you or someone in your gang engages in gun violence, the entire gang will be held responsible.
Syracuse Truce is based on a careful analysis of what is causing violence in Syracuse. The violence in Syracuse is driven by a very small population of people – less than 1% of the population – involved in drug crews, gangs, and other street groups. Syracuse Truce directly focuses on the individuals engaged in this behavior. As such, it represents the most cost-efficientive way of dealing with gun violence.
Hero or Arsonist: Wrongful Conviction?
Last night, 60 Minutes told the story of Louis Taylor. In 1970, Taylor was charged with setting the historic fire that led to the destruction of the Tuscon, Arizona landmark, the Pioneer Hotel. The fire killed twenty-eight people including some who jumped to their deaths in order to avoid being burned alive. That night, Taylor helped fireman by knocking on doors and alerting hotel guests of the fire. The next morning, the sixteen-year-old Taylor was charged with twenty-eight counts of murder. Although the evidence against Taylor was very weak, he was convicted on all counts.
Subsequent investigation demonstrated that Taylor was likely “railroaded.” Using new advancements in fire science, scientists who have reassessed the evidence of the Pioneer Hotel fire have determined that the fire was not the product of arson. Also, the original fire investigator, a key witness at the trial, recently made some racially questionable statements that would appear to indicate that his investigation was tainted.
The segment runs 13:04 minutes.
Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!… That’s interesting an sentence
On last week’s episode of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the panel discusses an unorthodox sentence. I won’t say too much because I don’t want to ruin the game. This segment of “Bluff The Listener” runs 7:37 minutes.