Be Skeptical of Census Data: That's the advice of Justin Wolfers on the New York Times' Freakonomics Blog. Wolfers points to a new paper, Inaccurate age and sex data in the Census PUMS files by Trent Alexander, Michael Davern and Betsey Stevenson, and its conclusion that errors in the information used by researchers (the public use microdata samples) is not representative of the population at individual ages for those ages 65 and over. The authors found errors in the 2000 Decennial Census, the American Community Survey, and the Current Population Survey. Wolfers reports that the erroneous microdata is used in "thousands of studies and countless policy discussions." He believes that areas of studies focusing on seniors "--retirement, social security, elder care, disability, and medicare--will need to be revisited."
Weighing in on Presley v. Georgia: On PrawfsBlog, Lyrissa Lidsky comments on the Supreme Court's per curiam decision in Presley v. Georgia, the Sixth Amendment case holding that the "right to a public trial extends to the voir dire of prospective jurors." Lidsky, a Professor at University of Florida's Levin College of Law, was shocked by the Georgia courts "blatant disregard for Supreme Court precedent" and glad to see the Court uphold the right to a public trial. She calls the case "disturbing" because only two state court judges "appreciated the importance of a constitutional right that has been clearly established for 25 years." She worries that certain judges will close courtrooms to the public because they know "that few litigants will have the persistence or resources of Presley to appeal the closure order to the United States Supreme Court."
Supreme Court Review of Courts-Martial: Marcia Coyle reports on Blog of Legal Times that the House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that would expand the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court so that it may review a military service member's challenge to a courts-martial decision. Presently, if the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) refuses to hear a petition, a service member who has not been sentenced to death may not petition the Supreme Court. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), would place service members on the same level as the government, which can petition the Court in any case referred to the CAAF.
The Untapped Resource of Inmate Labor: Today, Women in Crime Ink writer, Donna Pendergast, posts on successful inmate work programs that have saved counties "millions of dollars" while providing "a positive way to teach inmates a work ethic, and provided them a chance to give back to the community at no cost to the county." One such program? The Maricopa County Animal Safe Hospice (MASH), which pays inmates 28 cents an hour to walk, feed and care for abused and neglected animals in Maricopa County, Arizona. Pendergast believes that similar programs might be a good way for states to address ballooning deficits and rising prison costs.
Weighing in on Presley v. Georgia: On PrawfsBlog, Lyrissa Lidsky comments on the Supreme Court's per curiam decision in Presley v. Georgia, the Sixth Amendment case holding that the "right to a public trial extends to the voir dire of prospective jurors." Lidsky, a Professor at University of Florida's Levin College of Law, was shocked by the Georgia courts "blatant disregard for Supreme Court precedent" and glad to see the Court uphold the right to a public trial. She calls the case "disturbing" because only two state court judges "appreciated the importance of a constitutional right that has been clearly established for 25 years." She worries that certain judges will close courtrooms to the public because they know "that few litigants will have the persistence or resources of Presley to appeal the closure order to the United States Supreme Court."
Supreme Court Review of Courts-Martial: Marcia Coyle reports on Blog of Legal Times that the House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that would expand the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court so that it may review a military service member's challenge to a courts-martial decision. Presently, if the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) refuses to hear a petition, a service member who has not been sentenced to death may not petition the Supreme Court. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), would place service members on the same level as the government, which can petition the Court in any case referred to the CAAF.
The Untapped Resource of Inmate Labor: Today, Women in Crime Ink writer, Donna Pendergast, posts on successful inmate work programs that have saved counties "millions of dollars" while providing "a positive way to teach inmates a work ethic, and provided them a chance to give back to the community at no cost to the county." One such program? The Maricopa County Animal Safe Hospice (MASH), which pays inmates 28 cents an hour to walk, feed and care for abused and neglected animals in Maricopa County, Arizona. Pendergast believes that similar programs might be a good way for states to address ballooning deficits and rising prison costs.
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