Episode 23
2018/05/05
We have a guest joining us tonight. Joshua B Hoe. Josh is the co-host of the podcast Decarceration Nation which is a podcast about radically changing the way America does criminal justice. He’s recently interviewed gubernatorial candidates in Michigan and book authors on CJ reform. Josh is also a published author. And hard charging his Bars2Ballots campaign.
https://medium.com/@ypsifactj/bars2ballots-4b5f29a5b64b
From NorthJersy.com: Bill Cosby verdict sends ‘strong message’ to victims, NJ experts say
Judge O’Neill allowed for five other accusers to testify as prior bad act witnesses during the retrial, explained Levy. Although prior bad acts are generally not admissible, there are exceptions, he said. “None of these prior bad acts were proven in court,” said Levy. “That’s going to be on this issue of appeal.”
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/27/bill-cosby-verdict-sends-strong-message-experts-say/556363002/
From Criminal Legal News: The Sex Offender Registry: It’s Not What You Think
Sandi, a board member of NARSOL provides a lot of information about the misinformation of what the registry is. Including 40% on the registry committed their crimes as juveniles, for things like ‘mooning’ or ‘playing doctor’. She also presents evidence that 70% of those on the registry would be considered the lowest level of risk followed by 20% fo moderate risk and only 10% would be considered the highest risk.
https://www.criminallegalnews.org/news/2018/apr/19/sex-offender-registry-its-not-what-you-think/
From Maine Public.com – Maine Towns Allowed To Ban Sex Offenders From Parks, Fields
A new law allows municipalities to prohibit sex offenders from coming within 750 feet of such property. Officials in Madawaska had argued that state law only allowed municipalities to ban such individuals who come near property leased to nonprofits.
http://mainepublic.org/post/maine-towns-allowed-ban-sex-offenders-parks-fields
From Missourinet.com – Missouri Supreme Court hears case on prosecutor who targeted letter writers in sexual assault case
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers joined together to submit a Friend of the Court document in support of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel’s proposal to impose sanctions on Prosecutor Zahnd.
https://www.missourinet.com/2018/05/02/missouri-supreme-court-hears-case-on-prosecutor-who-targeted-letter-writers-in-sexual-assault-case/
From The PBS Newshour – Missouri public defenders are overloaded with hundreds of cases while defendants wait in jail. The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees every American facing trial the right to a lawyer, even if they cannot afford one. But across the country, the public defender system is being stretched to the breaking point, and Missouri may be ground zero.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/missouri-public-defenders-are-overloaded-with-hundreds-of-cases-while-defendants-wait-in-jail
From ProPublica.org – Baltimore to Pay Largest Settlement in City History – $9 Million – to Man Wrongfully Convicted of Murder. James Owens, who was featured in a ProPublica investigation last year, sued police detectives for the alleged misconduct that landed him in prison for 21 years. Prosecutors had tried to make him take a controversial plea deal.
https://www.propublica.org/article/baltimore-to-pay-largest-settlement-in-city-history-9-million-to-man-wrongfully-convited-of-murder
Homeless Sex Offenders Are Getting Kicked Out Of Their South Florida Encampment. Now What?
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article210509304.html
Homeless sex offenders living in tents outside Hialeah say they have nowhere to go
https://theintercept.com/2018/05/05/homeless-sex-offenders-florida-miami-dade/
From Appellate Squawk – The Court of Appeals believes the victim (even when the jury doesn’t)
In a 6-1 opinion, with only the redoubtable Judge Rivera dissenting, the Court upheld the lower court decision putting the defendant on the internet Sex Offender Registry for the rest of his life based on acquitted charges.
https://appellatesquawk.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/the-court-of-appeals-believes-the-victim-even-when-the-jury-doesnt/amp/
