Prosecutors wield tremendous power in the U.S. justice system, yet overzealous and unethical prosecutors contribute to a system that is broken and unfair.
Introducing In Justice Today, a Journalism Partnership with Medium
by Fair Punishment Project | June 14, 2017 | Overzealous Prosecutors | 0 Comments
Who are the most powerful people in your community? Many people may think it is the mayor, a major tech executive, the owner of the local sports team, or maybe even the superintendent of schools. Rarely do people think about the locally elected prosecutor, but in...Tonight’s Historic Victory In Philadelphia Shows That Voter Backlash Against America’s Most Overzealous Prosecutors Continues
by Rob Smith | May 16, 2017 | Overzealous Prosecutors | 0 Comments
“Forward thinking candidates winning local district attorney elections reflects a powerful and encouraging trend, but Larry Krasner winning tonight in Philadelphia is something of a revolution.” Robert Smith, Director of the Fair Punishment Project at...Five Criminal Justice Reforms the Louisiana Legislature Should Pass Immediately
by Fair Punishment Project | April 13, 2017 | Juvenile Life Without Parole, Other Excessive Punishments, Overzealous Prosecutors | 0 Comments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Louisiana locks up more people per capita than anywhere else in the country — nearly double the national average. It sends people to prison for drug, property, and other low-level offenses at an alarming clip. This desire to lock people...Case Spotlight: Can St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana Shake its Reputation and “St. Slammany” Moniker?
by Fair Punishment Project | November 22, 2016 | Overzealous Prosecutors | 0 Comments
In a decision handed down from a Louisiana appellate court this week, prosecutors from St. Tammany Parish, also known as “St. Slammany” Parish, Louisiana, have once again shown that their office’s win-at-all-costs attitude results in a pattern of misconduct. The case,...Compromising the Public’s Trust in the Justice System
by Fair Punishment Project | November 7, 2016 | Overzealous Prosecutors, Racial Exclusion and Bias | 0 Comments
Introduction Elected prosecutors wield an enormous amount of discretion and power. They decide who to charge with a crime, and what charges to bring. The community relies on them to be fair, honest, and trustworthy in the pursuit of justice. The public’s...What Happens When Prosecutors Refuse to Admit Mistakes?
by Fair Punishment Project | November 7, 2016 | Overzealous Prosecutors, Wrongful Convictions and Executions | 0 Comments
Introduction According to University of Michigan Law School’s National Registry of Exonerations, there have been 1,909 exonerations in the U.S. since 1989, when the Registry began counting these cases. Of those exonerations, over half involved police or prosecutorial...Meet Four Elected Prosecutors Still Fighting The War on Weed
by Fair Punishment Project | November 4, 2016 | Other Excessive Punishments, Overzealous Prosecutors | 0 Comments
Introduction Four states–Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington—and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana. Next week, California, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada will decide whether to join their ranks. The most recent...Charging Drug Overdoses as Homicide
by Fair Punishment Project | November 4, 2016 | Other Excessive Punishments, Overzealous Prosecutors | 0 Comments
Introduction In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared the beginning of the “war on drugs,” which set in motion the proliferation of draconian sentencing laws for drug-related offenses and contributed to a new era of mass incarceration. More than forty years later,...California at Forefront on Prosecutorial Accountability
by Fair Punishment Project | October 19, 2016 | Overzealous Prosecutors | 0 Comments
California has just passed, and Governor Brown has signed, a law that will increase penalties to up to three years in prison for prosecutors who either hide or intentionally tamper with evidence that could be potentially beneficial to defendants. In explaining the...New Report Calls Wayne County an ‘Extreme Outlier’ on Juvenile Life Without Parole, Criticizes D.A. Kym Worthy’s Decision to Seek Life Without Parole Sentences in 1 out of 3 Cases
by Fair Punishment Project | July 27, 2016 | Juvenile Life Without Parole, Overzealous Prosecutors | 1 Comment
A new report released today highlights Wayne County’s frequent use of juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences, calling the county an “extreme outlier” in its use of the punishment. The report also criticizes D.A. Worthy’s decision, which was announced Friday,...