Breaking News: Patricia Krenwinkel Recommended for Parole
Readers of Yesterday’s Monsters who followed the legal drama that accompanied the release of Leslie van Houten might want to know: Patricia Krenwinkel, the oldest female prisoner in California, has
Lone Wolf
Back when I was looking for clips from TV shows to screen in class, I came across a “behind the scenes” interview about the emergence of the Law & Order
Verdict Problems in Karen Read Trial: Jeopardy Bar?
If you are not a true crime aficionado, or if you don’t live in the Northeastern US, you may not have heard about Karen Read’s murder trial. Last year, she
Two Pro-Se Defendants
In Faretta v. California (1975), a defendant who wanted to represent himself was quizzed by the judge about his familiarity with criminal procedure and evidence. Things did not go very
Rock in the Kasvah and Torture in the Kippah: b.Sanhedrin 81-84
The last few pages on the matter of death by fire start off sensibly enough, dealing with questions of dual punishment, and then things get a bit of the rails
Immersion, part III: Can Podcasts and the Criminal Process Meet Halfways?
In Part II of this series I looked at several inherent incompatibilities between true crime podcasts and the criminal process. My underlying assumption is that many true-crime podcasters who investigate
Euthanize the Death Penalty Already: Scenes from Capital Punishment’s Chronic Deathbed
(published: The Green Bag 27(3), Spring 2024) INTRODUCTION J.R.R. Tolkien’s immortal Lord of the Rings tells of the crossing of the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, during which members of the Fellowship
Damages Lawsuits for Prison COVID-19 Neglect Proceed
If you’ve followed this blog during COVID-19, when we were litigating Eighth Amendment cases at Quentin and beyond, or read FESTER (you should!), then you know an unpleasant truth about
Children’s Books About Prisons
Friend, are you heading to a birthday or baby shower? If you like bringing books as gifts, and want the books to be meaningful, I’d steer away from tiresome sloganeering
Left Realism Matters More than Ever in Criminology
Houston, we have a bit of a problem. Having just finished writing my term papers at the GTU, I’ve turned to grading exams (will be done soon! I promise!) and