Prison and Parole/Probation Populations in 2008: Yesterday, on Sentencing Law and Policy, Doug Berman posted on two recent Bureau of Justice Statistics reports examining the numbers of prisoners and individuals under probation or parole supervision in the nation for 2008. Prisoners in 2008 reveals that the number of individuals released from federal and state prisons increased by 2%, and Probation and Parole in the United States, 2008 found that nearly 5.1 million adults were under community supervision at yearend 2008. The report also found that the probation population increased by 36,446, and the parole population increased by 6,992 parolees during the year. Berman's post links to a press release from the National Reentry Resource Center, which states that the number of prisoners released in 2008 "underscore[s] the need for reentry resources and technical assistance to state and local service providers." In other words, if states are seriously considering releasing prisoners to decrease the cost of prison, they will still have to fund the prisoners' reentry programs.
Rounding up Coverage of Pinholster v. Woodford: On SCOTUSblog's Thursday Round-up, Adam Chandler posts on the Ninth Circuit's en banc decision in Pinholster v. Woodford. Chandler links to coverage from Howard Bashman's blog, How Appealing, and Doug Berman's blog, Sentencing Law and Policy. According to Bashman, the Ninth Circuit "voted 8-3 to uphold the federal district court's order setting aside the death sentence." Chief Judge Kozinski was one of the dissenters. In his dissent he predicts that the Supreme Court will reverse the Ninth Circuit yet again. He writes, "Pinholster's death sentence must be reinstated. If we do not do it ourselves, it will surely be done for us."
Cheney Responds to Holder's Decision to Try KSM in New York: Ashby Jones blogs on Wall Street Journal's Law Blog that former Vice President Dick Cheney is publicly criticizing the Attorney General's decision. Tuesday, Cheney appeared on Fox News and called the decision a "huge mistake." According to Jones, Cheney believes Khalid Sheik Mohammed's trial will "generate a whole new generation of terrorists," and make him "a hero in certain circles, especially in the radical regions of Islam around the world." Still, as reported in today's News Scan, Holder appears determined to go forward with the trial. His unannounced visit on Wednesday to federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials in New York established some security plans for KSM's trial.
For Fun: Florida Facebooker's "Watch Who You 'Friend'": Ashby Jones blogs on Wall Street Journal's Law Blog discussing last month's advisory opinion by the Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee that stated that a judge may not "add lawyers who may appear before the judge as 'friends' on a social networking site, and permit such lawyers to add the judge as their 'friend.'" The Committee appeared concerned that the identification of a lawyer as a "friend" could convey the impression that the lawyer was in a position to influence the judge.
Rounding up Coverage of Pinholster v. Woodford: On SCOTUSblog's Thursday Round-up, Adam Chandler posts on the Ninth Circuit's en banc decision in Pinholster v. Woodford. Chandler links to coverage from Howard Bashman's blog, How Appealing, and Doug Berman's blog, Sentencing Law and Policy. According to Bashman, the Ninth Circuit "voted 8-3 to uphold the federal district court's order setting aside the death sentence." Chief Judge Kozinski was one of the dissenters. In his dissent he predicts that the Supreme Court will reverse the Ninth Circuit yet again. He writes, "Pinholster's death sentence must be reinstated. If we do not do it ourselves, it will surely be done for us."
Cheney Responds to Holder's Decision to Try KSM in New York: Ashby Jones blogs on Wall Street Journal's Law Blog that former Vice President Dick Cheney is publicly criticizing the Attorney General's decision. Tuesday, Cheney appeared on Fox News and called the decision a "huge mistake." According to Jones, Cheney believes Khalid Sheik Mohammed's trial will "generate a whole new generation of terrorists," and make him "a hero in certain circles, especially in the radical regions of Islam around the world." Still, as reported in today's News Scan, Holder appears determined to go forward with the trial. His unannounced visit on Wednesday to federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials in New York established some security plans for KSM's trial.
For Fun: Florida Facebooker's "Watch Who You 'Friend'": Ashby Jones blogs on Wall Street Journal's Law Blog discussing last month's advisory opinion by the Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee that stated that a judge may not "add lawyers who may appear before the judge as 'friends' on a social networking site, and permit such lawyers to add the judge as their 'friend.'" The Committee appeared concerned that the identification of a lawyer as a "friend" could convey the impression that the lawyer was in a position to influence the judge.
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