S1EP16: The False Promise of Criminal Legal Reform, with Eve Hanan, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research at UNLV School of Law
Eve Hanan wrote a law review article called Terror and Tenderness in Criminal Law that blew my mind. She makes the argument that opportunities for leniency in the criminal legal system — parole, clemency, compassionate release — seduce us into believing the system is just and merciful, when in reality, the system is far too […]
Justice Heros
Dear Friends, I know we are all reeling from the daily barrage of bad news, designed to distract and overwhelm us from the devastation that this administration is causing, both here and abroad. But many of you reading this refuse to be cowed. You are engaged in acts of daily resistance. Maybe you’ve called your representatives. Maybe you […]
S1EP15: Prosecution Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) and Wrongful Convictions, with Marissa Bluestine, former innocence lawyer and Assistant Director of the Quattrone Center
This week on Just Justice we talk with Marissa Bluestine, Assistant Director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Marissa is a former innocence lawyer and one of the nation’s leading experts on Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs). CIUs are specialized units within prosecutor offices […]
S1EP14: Unpacking the Pardon Process with Law Professor and National Clemency Expert Rachel Barkow
This week on Just Justice we peel back the curtain on the inner workings of the federal clemency process with law professor Rachel Barkow, a nationally-recognized expert in the field. Professor Barkow walks us through the stunningly complex and inefficient pardon application process, rates Presidents Obama, Biden and first-term Trump in their pardon efforts, and speculates […]
S1EP13: Kelly Savage-Rodriguez, A Survivor
Kelly Savage-Rodriguez defines survivor. She survived years of abuse as a child and later extreme domestic violence in her marriage. She survived being criminally prosecuted and convicted in 1998, along with her abusive husband, for the murder of her son — a crime she did not commit or intend. She survived years in a California […]
S1EP12: Beyond Guilt, with Steve Zeidman, Co-Director of the Second Look Project
Steve Zeidman is a criminal defense hero who has spent his entire career fighting for people with nowhere else to turn. In this episode, Steve walks us through some of his most compelling efforts to gain freedom for people who would otherwise spend their lives in prison. Steve’s zealous advocacy for second chances will leave you […]
Clemency, New Podcast Episodes and LA Fires
Dear Friends, Last year ended on an impossibly high note, when New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the first of his clemency grants. He commuted the prison terms of three women who had served decades behind bars and are now finally home with their families and communities. He also pardoned 33 others. I am deeply honored to […]
S1EP11: After a Brutal Assault, Dina Windle Fights for Grace and Mercy
One night, in November 1994, Dina Windle was coming from law school in Little Rock, Arkansas when she was abducted and raped. The man who assaulted her was sentenced to die for a different rape and murder. In this episode of Just Justice, Dina shares the story of her assault, the trial and its aftermath, […]
S1E10: Forgiveness After Murder, with Dr. Kristen Discola
Have you ever wondered about forgiveness after a murder? How do surviving family members forgive the person who murdered their loved ones? Who gives forgiveness? Who gets it? What makes one person forgive and another not? Join me in conversation with Dr. Kristen Discola, author of Redefining Murder, Transforming Emotion: An Exploration of Forgiveness after […]
Take Action for Justice
Dear Friends, This year, instead of my annual criminal justice wish list, I’ve made a criminal justice action plan. Join me in donating, signing petitions, or sending books and holiday cards. There are many ways to make a difference. 1. Support the Innocent and Exonerated Far too many innocent people are released from prison with nothing […]