Criminal Law Commons^™

Steering Loan Modifications Post-Pandemic, Pamela Foohey, Dalie Jimenez, Christopher K. Odinet

Articles

As part of federal and state relief programs created during the COVID-19 pandemic, many American households received pauses on their largest debts, particularly on mortgages and student loans. Others may have come to agreements with their lenders, likewise pausing or altering payment on other debts, such as auto loans and credit cards. This relief allowed households to allocate their savings and income to necessary expenses, like groceries, utilities, and medicine. But forbearance does not equal forgiveness. At the end of the various relief periods and moratoria, people will have to resume paying all their debts, the amounts of which may …

Punishment Without Trial: Why Plea Bargaining Is A Bad Deal, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law

2021 Event Invitations

When Americans think of the criminal justice system, they picture a trial. The right to a trial by jury is supposed to undergird our entire justice system – but that bedrock constitutional right has all but disappeared thanks to plea bargaining. In 2018, more than 97 percent of defendants pleaded guilty.

In Punishment Without Trial: Why Plea Bargaining Is A Bad Deal, Carissa Byrne Hessick makes the case against plea bargaining and illustrates why we need to fix it if we ever hope to achieve lasting criminal justice reform.

Join the Jacob Burns Center for Ethics in the Practice …

War & The Constitution: Chemical Agents And The Rights Of Protestors, Yomidalys GüIchardo Morel

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Myth Of Autonomy Rights, Kathryn E. Miller

Cardozo Law Review

Supreme Court rhetoric, scholarly discussion, blackletter law, and ethical rules have perpetuated a myth that individual rights protect the autonomy of defendants within the criminal legal system. To expose this myth, I examine six rights that the Court has enshrined as essential decision points for criminal defendants due to the rights’ purported expressive and consequential functions: (1) the right to self-representation; (2) the right to plead guilty; (3) the right to waive a jury; (4) the right to testify; (5) the right to waive appeals; and (6) the right to maintain innocence at a capital trial. I conclude that each …

A Screening Of Attica And A Conversation With Tyrone Larkins And Akil Killebrew, Cardozo Criminal Defense Clinic, Cardozo Public Service Scholars Program, Cardozo Civil Rights Clinic, E. Nathaniel Gates Scholars Program

2021 Event Invitations

Join us for a screening of the film in conjunction with a panel discussion featuring Tyrone Larkins and Lawrence Akil Killebrew, both of whom are formerly incarcerated people and were in their early twenties when they were serving their sentences at Attica Prison in 1971. They are survivors of the brutality that was witnessed at Attica between September 9 and September 13, 1971.

General Body Meeting, Cardozo Criminal Law Society

2021–2022 Flyers

No abstract provided.

Bleeding From The Holes In The Theory: How Flawed Deterrence In Federal Tort Claims Enables Police Brutality, Andrew Reisman

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that federal tort laws, particularly the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and Bivens actions, are ineffective in deterring police brutality due to structural flaws that prevent individual accountability. It proposes reforms to strengthen these legal mechanisms and promote transparency and accountability within federal law enforcement agencies.

A New Age Of Surveillance: Facial Recognition In Policing And Why It Should Be Abolished, Annslee Perego

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that facial recognition technology in policing is fundamentally flawed due to its racial bias, erosion of privacy, and suppression of democratic participation. It advocates for the abolition of facial recognition in law enforcement, citing its inherent inaccuracies and societal risks, and proposes regulatory measures to limit its use if outright abolition is not feasible.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: How New York’S Bail Reform Saga Tiptoes Around Addressing Economic Inequality, Daniel Chasin

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Immigration Enforcement, Peter L. Markowitz

Articles

As the nation turns the page away from the dark chapter of President Trump's relentless assault on immigrants, it is time to take stock of the nation's unprecedented immigration enforcement regime. During its relatively short existence, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has deported more than twice as many people as were deported in the entire previous history of the United States. The human and fiscal costs of ICE's mass deportation agenda are astronomical, and there is almost universal agreement across the political spectrum that the United States' immigration enforcement apparatus is badly broken. That, however, is where the …

Certifying Second Chances, Cara Suvall

Cardozo Law Review

Policymakers around the country are grappling with how to provide a second chance to people with criminal records. These records create collateral consequences—invisible punishments that inhibit opportunity in all facets of a person’s life. Over the past seven years, states have repeatedly tried to legislate new paths for people trying to move on with their lives. State legislators passed more than 150 laws targeting collateral consequences in 2019 alone.

But what happens when these paths to second chances are littered with learning, compliance, and psychological costs? The people who most need these new opportunities may find that they are out …

A Critique Of Federal Rule Of Criminal Procedure 23(B)(2)(B) And A Proposal To Level The Playing Field For Defendants, Zachary Buda

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Defining Necessary Deadly Force For Police: A Framework For Interpreting California’S A.B. 392, Alison Goldman

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Kate Levine

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Policing Pregnancy Loss: Misuse Of Abuse Of A Corpse Laws, Monica Siwiec

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The note examines the misuse of abuse of a corpse laws to criminalize pregnant persons for pregnancy loss, arguing that such prosecutions violate constitutional principles, including the void-for-vagueness doctrine and equal protection. These laws, originally designed to regulate corpse desecration and mistreatment, are increasingly being applied in ways that disproportionately target marginalized groups, particularly women of color. The analysis highlights how the broad and vague language of these statutes enables arbitrary enforcement, undermining legal clarity and perpetuating reproductive injustice.

Dignity, Freedom, And Digital Rights: Comparing American And European Approaches To Privacy, Virginia Kozemczak

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The note examines the contrasting approaches of the United States and the European Union to digital privacy, emphasizing how the US prioritizes liberty while the EU focuses on dignity. It argues that US privacy law, particularly under the Fourth Amendment, struggles to adapt to technological advancements, as seen in cases like Carpenter v. United States. In contrast, the EU's framework, guided by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, offers more comprehensive protections by addressing the broader context of data collection and processing. The author suggests that the US could enhance its privacy protections by adopting elements …

Prostitutes And Policing - Analysis Of Tactics Used To Reduce The Demand For Sex, Morgan Helfman

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The note critically examines the tactics used to reduce demand for commercial sex, focusing on the Nordic Model and its implementation in the U.S. It argues that while these tactics aim to deter buyers through shaming and criminalization, they raise ethical, legal, and practical concerns, particularly regarding police misconduct and the impact on marginalized communities. The analysis advocates for a shift toward education and rehabilitation over punitive measures to address the root causes of prostitution.

Changing The Way We See Modern Policing: Abolition Or Reform, Kathryn Miller, Marbré Stahly-Butts, Mecole Jordan-Mcbride, Kate Levine, Benjamin Tucker, Kumar Rao

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The symposium examines the historical and systemic roots of mass incarceration in the United States, tracing its origins to the 13th Amendment, Black Codes, convict leasing, and the war on drugs. It critiques the prison industrial complex as a system of oppression rooted in racism, capitalism, and heteropatriarchy, and advocates for transformative reforms to dismantle policing and incarceration. The analysis emphasizes the need to move beyond superficial reforms and instead adopt abolitionist approaches that address the root causes of systemic violence and inequality.

Protecting The Children Of Indian Country: A Call To Expand Tribal Court Jurisdiction And Devote More Funding To Indian Child Safety, Adam Crepelle

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that the legal framework governing Indian country, particularly the Supreme Court's decision in *Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe*, has failed to protect Indian women and children from violence, perpetuating a crisis of sexual assault, child abuse, and murder. It contends that affirming tribal sovereignty and expanding tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians are essential to addressing these issues and ensuring the safety and well-being of Indian children.

Deportation Arrest Warrants, Lindsay Nash

Articles

The common conception of a constitutionally sufficient warrant is one reflecting a judicial determination of probable cause, the idea being that the warrant process serves to check law enforcement. But neither the Constitution nor the Supreme Court has fully defined who can issue arrest warrants within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment; the constitutional significance of arrest “warrants” that are not; or when (if ever) warrants of any type are constitutionally required for deportation-related arrests. In that void, the largest federal law enforcement agency—the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—is on pace to issue over 150,000 administrative “warrants” annually, authorized by …

Entitlement To Punishment, Kyron J. Huigens

Articles

This Article advances the idea of entitlement to punishment as the core of a normative theory of legal punishment's moral justification. It presents an alternative to normative theories of punishment premised on desert or public welfare; that is, to retributivism and consequentialism. The argument relies on H.L.A. Hart's theory of criminal law as a "choosing system," his theory of legal rules, and his theory of rights. It posits the advancement of positive freedom as a morally justifying function of legal punishment.

An entitlement to punishment is a unique, distinctive legal relation. We impose punishment when an offender initiates an ordered …

W(H)Ither Judgment, Elias Leake Quinn

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

Textualists complain that loose rules of statutory interpretation inject uncertainty and inconsistency into judicial resolutions of statutory ambiguity. But by employing an incomplete theory of meaning, pure textualists fail to shore up their decisions. And by disparaging the judgement necessary to navigate complex questions of meaning, they erode trust in the judicial process—the very foundation of the rule of law.

The Assassin Was Not Insane: The Acquittal Of The Assassin Of A Genocide's Architect As Symbolic Jury Nullification, Christian G. Ohanian

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

The acquittal of Soghomon Tehlirian for assassinating Talaat Pasha, a key architect of the Armenian Genocide, represents a significant instance of symbolic jury nullification. This verdict symbolically addressed the moral and legal failure to hold Talaat Pasha accountable, influencing the development of international human rights law and figures like Raphael Lemkin.

The Fourth Amendment At The Border, Daniel Farrell

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The note addresses the tension between the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and the border search exception, focusing on electronic devices. It argues that despite the border exception, which allows warrantless searches, electronic devices should be treated differently due to the vast personal data they contain. The author advocates for a uniform standard requiring probable cause for invasive searches of electronic devices at the border to balance privacy rights with national security concerns.

Post-Etherdelta: Clarifying Liabilities For Cryptocurrency Exchanges And Market Participants, Robert Sistoso

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

The rise of cryptocurrencies has led to the development of both centralized and decentralized exchanges, which face significant regulatory challenges under U.S. securities laws. The SEC has applied the Howey test to determine whether tokens qualify as securities, and its enforcement actions, such as against EtherDelta, highlight the need for clarity on the liabilities of developers, operators, and users in decentralized systems. The article advocates for the SEC to refine its regulatory approach to balance investor protection with the promotion of innovation in blockchain technology.

Police Prosecutions And Punitive Instincts, Kate Levine

Articles

This Article makes two contributions to the fields of policing and criminal legal scholarship. First, it sounds a cautionary note about the use of individual prosecutions to remedy police brutality. It argues that the calls for ways to ease the path to more police prosecutions from legal scholars, reformers, and advocates who, at the same time, advocate for a dramatic reduction of the criminal legal system’s footprint, are deeply problematic. It shows that police prosecutions legitimize the criminal legal system while at the same time displaying the same racism and ineffectiveness that have been shown to pervade our prison-backed criminal …

Re: The Pretrial Risk Assessment-How New Jersey's Bail Overhaul Is Shaping Bail Reform Across The Country, Andrea Coppola

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that cash bail systems disproportionately affect low-income and minority defendants, leading to unnecessary pretrial detention. It advocates for the adoption of risk-based algorithms, such as New Jersey's Public Safety Assessment (PSA), to determine pretrial release, promoting fairness and efficiency. The PSA uses nine factors, excluding socioeconomic elements, to assess flight risk and public safety. The note also highlights Alaska's tailored approach, demonstrating the effectiveness of such tools when adapted to specific state needs. It concludes that widespread adoption of these algorithms, with proper safeguards, could reduce incarceration rates and enhance justice system equity.

Medication-Assisted Treatment: Statutory Schemes & Civil Rights Implications, Melissa Koppel

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that the denial of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to prisoners with opioid use disorder (OUD) violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It contends that states must implement MAT programs in prisons to comply with federal law, reduce recidivism, and improve public health outcomes. The analysis emphasizes that MAT is a medically recognized standard of care for OUD and that withholding it constitutes discrimination and cruel and unusual punishment.

Child Abuse And Cannabis Use: How A Prima Facie Standard Mischaracterizes Parental Cannabis Consumption As Child Neglect, Jasmine Harris

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Prosecutorial Declination Statements, Jessica A. Roth

Articles

This Article examines how prosecutors convey to various audiences their decisions not to charge in discrete cases. Although prosecutors regularly issue public statements about their declinations—and anecdotal evidence suggests that declination statements are on the rise—there is an absence of literature discussing the interests that such statements serve, the risks that they pose, and how such statements are consistent with the prosecutorial function. Prosecutors also operate in this space without clear ground rules set by law, policies, or professional standards. This Article attempts to fill that void. First, it theorizes the interests potentially advanced by such statements—characterized as signaling, accountability, …