Links of Interest: June 11-15, 2012
Judicial Performance and Elections
- Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center participated in a US News and World Report Debate Club forum about voter fraud claims, “Voter Fraud Claims are Smoke without Fire.”
Earlier this week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the State of Florida over its purge of purportedly ineligible voters in advance of this year’s elections.
Criminal Justice
- The Sentencing Project reported on steps taken by the Louisiana state legislature to reduce incarceration rates for nonviolent offenders.
- The Chicagoist reported on a speech by Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy at the Union League Club, highlighting the disconnect between public perceptions of crime rates and actual crime rates.
Other Links of Interest
- The Illinois Supreme Court announced (.pdf) formation of a commission to remove barriers to court and improve ease of interacting with courts for persons who cannot afford attorneys to represent them in civil cases. Sometimes called the “Civil Gideon” movement, the concern for protecting the rights of unrepresented litigants in non-criminal cases is of increasing importance to judicial governing bodies. Recent cuts to Legal Services Corporation funding are likely to create significant gaps in legal services available to people with lower incomes, as we have mentioned previously.