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The Growth And Need For Veterans Treatment Courts, Chad Lennon

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pro-Prosecution Doctrinal Drift In Criminal Sentencing, Margaret Truesdale

Northwestern University Law Review

Federal criminal sentencing doctrine is growing increasingly favorable to the prosecution. This Note identifies two factors that contribute to this “doctrinal drift.” First, district courts rarely issue written opinions in the sentencing context. Second, prosecutors, unlike defense attorneys, can strategically forego appeal in an individual case to avoid the risk that the lower court’s pro-defense reasoning will be affirmed and become binding precedent. In fact, 99% of all appeals of sentencing decisions are defense appeals. When defendants appeal pro-prosecution lower court decisions, the appellate court usually affirms, in part due to deference. The result is a one-sided body of case …

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Dynamics Of The Courtroom Workgroup, Paige Chretien

Honors Projects

The roles and responsibilities of the various members included in the courtroom workgroup were evaluated in determining the prevalence of ordinary injustices. The dynamics among such members were found to be the basis under which lax adversarialism, and ultimately injustice within the criminal justice system, dominates. Prosecutorial discretion and inadequate public defense systems were observed to compromise justice on several occasions.