Links of Interest: May 7-10, 2012

Weekly Round-Up ,

Judicial Performance and Elections

  • Justice at Stake’s Gavel Grab reports on how partisan politics which can block the filling of Federal judicial vacancies impact the administration of justice. Earlier this week, the American Constitution Society reported on a White House meeting of legal experts and community activists from 27 states concerned about the vacancies in the Federal courts. The Washington Post ran an in-depth story on the judicial vacancy rate last year and many believe the crisis has not abated.

Chicago Appleseed will be co-hosting a panel discussion with Justice at Stake and the ACS about judicial independence later this month.

Criminal Justice

  • Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, appeared on The Colbert Report this week to talk about ending the War on Drugs.
  • Alexander Napatoff  at Slate writes about the high cost of zero tolerance and the plea system with regard to misdemeanors:

Once charged, misdemeanor suspects have little choice but to plead guilty. As the NACDL study revealed, many of these suspects will not get lawyers, and courts rush cases through in order to clear crowded dockets. Jailed defendants may plead just to go home. As a result, a person arrested for a so-called urban disorder offense is likely to get charged with it and to plead guilty to it, even if there was no real evidence in the first place.

Hat tip: @dan_faichneyUSA

  • President Obama’s administration announced its 2012 Drug Control Strategy (pdf). Drug treatment and diversion make the short list as effective and cost-effective measures.  
 Read more about mass incarceration at the American Constitution Society blog, listen to Bryan Stevens talk on the issue, or check out the ALCU’s infographic.

Other Links of Interest