Criminal Procedure

Trayvon Martin, Social Media, and Jury Selection

/ Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

Trayvon Martin, Social Media, and Jury Selection

Yesterday, NPR’s Talk of the Nation discussed jury selection in the context of the trial of George Zimmerman for the shooting of Trayvon Martin with Corey Dade, contributing editor to The Root magazine, and Karen Fleming-Ginn, jury consultant with Verdix Jury Consulting in Walnut Creek, California.  

Here is a description of the podcast: 

Jury selection is underway in the George Zimmerman trial. Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida in 2012. Lawyers on both sides are questioning candidates for the high-profile case.

Akhil Amar and Barry Scheck on Maryland v. King

/ Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

Akhil Amar and Barry Scheck on Maryland v. King

In a 5-4 decision, featuring a scathing Scalia dissent, the Supreme Court in Maryland v. King held that the 4th Amendment does not prohibit law enforcement from obtaining and testing DNA samples from arrestees.  Last evening, All in with Chris Hayes discussed Mayland v. King with Barry Scheck, co-founder of The Innocence Project, and Akhil Amar, Yale Law School professor. 

Urban Dictionary in the Courtroom

/ Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

Urban Dictionary in the Courtroom

On NRP’s Talk of the Nation, New York Times reporter Leslie Kaufman and Rutgers law professor Greg Lastowka discuss the use of the website Urban Dictionary in the court room.  

Here is a description of the segment: 

The use of slang in court proceedings can be tricky, especially in criminal cases where an uncommon slang term used by a witness can make a difference in a case. New York Times tech reporter Leslie Kaufman and law professor Greg Lastowka talk about how judges and lawyers have turned to sites like Urban Dictionary to help define slang terms and the legal implications of the trend.

Read Leslie Kaufman’s Story

 

Murder and Mental Illness: “Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde”

/ Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

Murder and Mental Illness: “Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde”

This American Life recently ran a riveting story about a beloved family doctor who bruttally murdered his father. Here is an introduction to the story: 

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer . . . gets a job at a rural clinic. He finds out he’s replaced someone — also named Dr. Gilmer . . .  — who went to prison after killing his own father. But the more Benjamin’s patients talk about the other Dr. Gilmer, the more confused he becomes. Everyone loved the old Dr. Gilmer. So Benjamin starts digging around, trying to understand how a good man can seemingly turn bad.