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Full-Text Articles in Law
The Urban Crimnal Justice System: A Case Of Fairness, John F. Keenan
The Urban Crimnal Justice System: A Case Of Fairness, John F. Keenan
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This short essay contains the presiding judges recollections of the case People v. Robles as a way to discuss public perception of fairness in the criminal justice system.
The High Cost Of Juvenile Justice, Diane Ridley Gatewood
The High Cost Of Juvenile Justice, Diane Ridley Gatewood
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Essay will discuss the high cost of incarcerating substantial numbers of minority juveniles and will advocate alternatives to detention. The author discusses how minority youth are disproportionately affected at multiple stages of the criminal justice process: arrests, detentions, adjudication, and disposition. The Essay further discusses the increased use of the prison system for juveniles. The Essay concludes with several recommendations for how minority youth can be treated more fairly within the system and recommends alternatives to incarceration.
A Moral Standard For The Prosecutor's Exercise Of The Charging Discretion, Bennett L. Gershman
A Moral Standard For The Prosecutor's Exercise Of The Charging Discretion, Bennett L. Gershman
Fordham Urban Law Journal
The prosecutor's decision to institute criminal charges is the broadest and least regulated power in American criminal law. The judicial deference shown to prosecutors generally is most noticeable with respect to the charging function. This Essay discusses three hypothetical cases that present both realistic and recurring challenges to the prosecutor's charging power. The first case depends on a factual determination of a witness's reliability. The second case depends on a factual determination of the witness's truthfulness. The third case revolves around a legal determination regarding the applicability of a defense. Together, these cases provide a setting in which a moral …
"A Good Murder", Leigh B. Bienen
"A Good Murder", Leigh B. Bienen
Fordham Urban Law Journal
People are profoundly interested in crimes because the law and legal punishments are supposed to address the fundamental human craving for justice. Courts are embedded in this system of law because we do not rust individuals alone or groups to judge fairly. This essay will describe a pattern which emerged when researchers examined all homicide cases in the state of New Jersey during the years immediately after the reimposition of capital punishment in 1982. Particularly relevant is the pattern of capital punishment for urban and suburban murders, and how those cases were regarded by law enforcement, the media, and the …
The Urban Criminal Justice System: Where Young + Black + Male = Probable Cause, Elizabeth A. Gaynes
The Urban Criminal Justice System: Where Young + Black + Male = Probable Cause, Elizabeth A. Gaynes
Fordham Urban Law Journal
We live in a country where one out of four young African-American men is under some form of custodial supervision. In our nation's capital, seven out of ten African-American men can anticipate being arrested and jailed at least once before reaching the age of thirty-five. We live in a city where a black man between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four is far more likely to die of homicide than all other causes combined. The official response to the problem of urban crime by minority youth has been prison, prison, and more prison. This essay provides an overview and examples …