Criminal Procedure Commons^™

Fit To Be Tried By Jury, But Not To Be A Juror: The Dilemma Faced By “Adults” Under Age 21, Kenneth Bell

SLU Law Journal Online

This article, “A Time To Speak: A Lifer’s Assessment of the Sentence of Death by Imprisonment” appeared in the 2025 Special Edition of The Writer’s Block under the longer title, “A Time To Speak: A Lifer’s Assessment of the Sentence of Death by Imprisonment and the Application of Roper v. Simmons and Miller v. Alabama.”  It is a four part discussion of the nature and continued viability of the sentence of life without parole particularly the need to end the imposition of that sentence upon persons between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, i.e., emerging adults. This shorter piece extends …

Book Talk: Cnn Legal Analyst Elliot Williams On Five Bullets, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law, Criminal Law Society, Elliot Williams, Jessica A. Roth

2026 Event Invitations

Join the Jacob Burns Center for Ethics in the Practice of Law and the Cardozo Criminal Law Society for a conversation with Elliot Williams about his new book, Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation. This book revisits the infamous Goetz case and its broader legal and cultural impact. Mr. Williams will be joined in conversation by Professor Jessica Roth.

People V. Goetz, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law, Cardozo Criminal Law Society

2025–2026 Flyers

Author Elliot Williams will discuss his new book, Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation. The Goetz case will be familiar to Cardozo students from1L Criminal Law curriculum and the discussion will highlight the case's broader social and cultural impact. Five Bullets is a New York Times & Washington Post "Most Anticipated Book of 2026"

Professor Gary Galperin, Cardozo Criminal Law Society

2025–2026 Flyers

Come hear Professor Gary Galperin discuss his work as a New York County Assistant District Attorney, including prosecuting landmark terrorism cases under New York's post 9/11 anti-terror laws.

Liam Malanaphy: 18-B Attorney Speaks!, Cardozo Criminal Law Society

2025–2026 Flyers

Former prosecutor turned defense attorney. Learn about defending indigent clients and life as an 18-B attorney.

A Discussion Of The History Of Punishment And Democracy, National Lawyers Guild, Cardozo Chapter, Cardozo Center For Rights And Justice

2025–2026 Flyers

Cardozo NLG Abolition Week Event

Criminal Appellate Defense, Cardozo Criminal Law Society

2025–2026 Flyers

Join us for an insightful vent from the talented and accomplished Kayla Kelly, who will discuss her work in criminal appellate defense and law school advice.

The Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice And The Death Penalty And Criminal Defense Clinic Present A Screening Of The Oscar-Nominated Film: The Alabama Solution, Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice At Cardozo Law, Death Penalty And Criminal Defense Clinic

2026 Event Invitations

The Alabama Solution is a groundbreaking, critically-acclaimed HBO documentary released in 2025, documenting prison conditions in Alabama from footage recorded by people experiencing incarceration. The screening will be followed by a panel led by Perlmutter Center Deputy Director Derrick Hamilton.

Panelists

• Jose Saldana: Director, Release Aging People in Prison Campaign

• Dr. Donna Hylton: Founder and CEO, A Little Piece of Light

• Alex Duran: Co-Producer of Academy Award Nominated Film, The Alabama Solution

• David Garlock: Reentry professional and criminal justice reform advocate

• Sumeet Sharma: Director, Policy and Communications at the Correctional Association of New York

Special Screening And Panel: The Alabama Solution, Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice, Death Penalty And Criminal Defense Clinic

2025–2026 Flyers

No abstract provided.

Civil And Criminal Justice Remedies For Intimate Partner Violence, Demetrice M. Lopez, Anika Ramos

Hunter Center Publications

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a persistent public health problem that impacts the physical and mental health of millions of people each year. The United States has historically relied on the legal system as the primary means of addressing IPV as a criminal or civil infraction. This chapter begins with a review of the history of IPV in the context of the legal system. It then considers the dynamics of IPV and its influence on the legal response. The chapter then looks at the broader impact of IPV and remedies for survivors in the justice system. Finally, it considers the …

California Public Defense Workloads And Staffing, Malia N. Brink, Pamela R. Metzger, Andrew L.B. Davies, Cynthia G. Lee

Deason Center Reports

This report assesses the current workloads and staffing of California public defense providers. The report concludes that California’s public defense attorneys are almost universally burdened by workloads that far exceed nationally recommended standards. Additionally, compared to district attorneys’ offices in the same jurisdictions, public defender offices typically have 20-45% fewer attorneys.

This report also details how public defense providers in California also lack the appropriate support staff – investigators, social workers, paralegals, and administrative assistants – necessary to efficiently and effectively represent their clients. At their current workload and staffing levels, public defense attorneys simply cannot do all that their …

August 2025 Annual Report, Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice At Cardozo Law

Perlmutter Center Reports

The August 2025 Annual Report documents the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice’s work at Cardozo Law during Spring and Summer 2025, highlighting major legal victories, partnerships, student clinical programs, policy advocacy, community outreach, and staff achievements. Prepared for The Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Foundation, it details the Center’s efforts to address wrongful convictions, challenge flawed forensic science, expand pro bono collaborations, and advance criminal justice reform, while also providing staff updates, financial information, and program impact summaries.

Solving The Public Defense Crisis In Kansas, Malia N. Brink, Pamela R. Metzger

Deason Center Reports

Kansas has a constitutional obligation to provide counsel to any arrested person who cannot afford to hire a private attorney. But attorney shortages in Kansas threaten this core constitutional right. According to the American Bar Association, there are an average of four attorneys per 1,000 people nationwide. However, only six of Kansas’s 105 counties have two or more attorneys per 1,000 people. In 44 counties, there is just one attorney or fewer per 1,000 residents. The situation is particularly worrisome in rural Kansas. In 2023, nearly half of Kansas’s population lived in rural counties, but 80% of its lawyers lived …

Voices For Justice: Firsthand Accounts Of Innocent People Fighting For Access In New York’S Post-Conviction Process, Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice At Cardozo Law

Perlmutter Center Reports

In 2018, the New York State Court of Appeals’ decision in People v. Natascha Tiger created an insurmountable obstacle for wrongfully convicted individuals pursuing innocence claims. The ruling held that a guilty plea precluded persons accused of crime from challenging their conviction in the absence of newly discovered, exculpatory DNA evidence. This is a troubling fact given 97% of felony convictions and 99% of misdemeanor convictions in New York State are resolved by guilty plea. The National Registry of Exonerations documented that 24% of all exonerated people across the United States pled guilty to crimes they did not commit. According …

Ending Arkansas’ First Appearance Crisis, Malia N. Brink, Pamela R. Metzger, Claire Buetow, Terrence Cain

Deason Center Reports

Arkansas law is clear: every arrested person has the right to an attorney’s help the first time they see a judge. But across the state, people often face a judge at first appearance without a lawyer by their side. Even worse, a shortage of attorneys means people sometimes wait months for a lawyer’s help. The Constitution promises that every person in jail will have access to the courts and to counsel. Yet far too often, Arkansas allows people to languish in jail alone, afraid, and undefended.

This policy brief outlines research-based solutions for Arkansas to honor the Constitution’s promises by …

Spring 2024 Symposium: Stop Cop City And The Criminalization Of Social Movements, Cardozo Journal Of Equal Rights And Social Justice

2023–2024 Flyers

No abstract provided.

I Object, Douglas E'Vonne Dawkins

Writing Beyond the Prison Living Archive

Poetry on social justice; criminal justice system; policing; systemic racism, Black genocide;

Department Of Corruption, Rashad El

Writing Beyond the Prison Living Archive

Poem on Prison Life, Mental Health; Rehabilitation; Policing; Sentencing; Popular culture (film)

Sarah Chu, Director Of Policy And Reform At Pclj Joined Advocates Calling On Gov. Hochul To Sign The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act, Sarah Chu

Cardozo News 2023

Sarah Chu, Director of Policy and Reform at Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo Law, joined advocates on Thursday, December 21, at Governor Kathy Hochul's NYC office, calling on the Governor to sign the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act.

Clemency: A Tool For Extreme And Discriminatory Sentences, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Cardozo News 2023

This article appeared in the 2023 edition of Cardozo Life magazine.

For Joaquin Winfield, April 7, 2023, will forever be a day to remember. That is when he was granted clemency by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul after serving 26 years in prison for possession of 4.6 ounces of crack. The disparity in sentences given to people from different races for similar crimes has been widely written about in recent years. Winfield was sentenced under the now-repealed Rockefeller Drug Laws of the 1970s and 1980s. He was sentenced to 37.5 years to life, one of the longest prison sentences in …

A Conversation With Tom Dybdahl, Author Of “When Innocence Is Not Enough: Hidden Evidence And The Failed Promise Of The Brady Rule”, Cardozo Criminal Defense Clinic

2023 Event Invitations

The Supreme Court’s Brady rule of 1963 requires prosecutors to share favorable evidence with defendants. Dybdahl’s book reveals how a series of legal decisions have made it ineffective. Hear what’s at stake when prosecutors conceal evidence, and what can be done about it.

When Innocence Is Not Enough: A Conversation With Tom Dybdahl, Author Of “When Innocence Is Not Enough: Hidden Evidence And The Failed Promise Of The Brady Rule”, Cardozo Criminal Defense Clinic

2023–2024 Flyers

No abstract provided.

How To Solve The Initial Appearance Crisis, Malia N. Brink, Pamela R. Metzger, Jiacheng Yu

Deason Center Reports

Across the United States, people are arrested and held behind bars for days, weeks, and sometimes even months, without ever seeing a judge or attorney. These delays violate the United States Constitution’s promise that an arrested person—who is innocent unless proven guilty—will have prompt access to the courts, the assistance of counsel, and a fair and speedy trial.

These due process milestones begin at initial appearance: the first time an arrested person sees a judge about their case. At an initial appearance, the judge should inform an arrested person of the charges against them. The judge should also make an …

Shielded Book Launch, Center For Rights And Justice, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

2023 Event Invitations

Professor Alexander Reinert, Director of the Center for Rights and Justice, will moderate a discussion on Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable. He will be joined by the author, Joanna Schwartz, Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles. Schwartz is one of the country's leading scholars on policing.

In Shielded, Schwartz explores how the legal system protects the police from being held accountable, with insightful analyses about subjects ranging from qualified immunity to no-knock warrants. By weaving true stories of people seeking restitution for violated rights, cutting across race, gender, criminal history, tax bracket, and …

Guide To Bill Of Attainder Clauses In Article I, Sections 9 And 10, Matthew J. Steilen

Contributions to Books

These are commentaries on the Bill of Attainder Clauses in Article I, sections 9 and 10. Each is 2000 words long. They are forthcoming in the 3d edition of Heritage Guide to the Constitution. Topics covered include the history of English bills of attainder, the meaning of "bill," "notorious," "attainder," and other key terms, bills of attainder passed against loyalists during the American revolution, the Josiah Philips case, the legislative history of the clauses in the Philadelphia Convention, early Supreme Court decisions involving bills of attainder, and the modern doctrine. Inline citations and a short bibliography are included. The author …

The Fiscal Impact Of Marsy's Law: A Financial Analysis Of Victims' Rights Policy In Nevada, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio

Undergraduate Research Symposium Lightning Talks

Since 2008, the "Marsy's Law" campaign has sought to embed in state constitutions a specific and lengthy set of victims' rights. In 2018, voters ratified "Question 1" in Nevada which broaded the definition of the term victim to any person directly and 'proximately' harmed by a criminal offense. As a result, Marsy's Law opens the door to the interpretation of the word "crime" and the word "victim."

Innocence Project Clinic Information Session, Innocence Project, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

2022–2023 Flyers

No abstract provided.

Cardozo Launches The Perlmutter Center For Legal Justice, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

2022 Event Invitations

The Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo Law will be comprised of two components:

The Perlmutter Forensic Science Educational Program, an ambitious legal education program in scientific evidence for practicing attorneys.

The Perlmutter Freedom Clinic, seeking justice for the unjustly incarcerated, will fight wrongful convictions based on the misuse of scientific evidence and work to obtain clemency for individuals that have been unjustly incarcerated.

The Center will be led by prominent civil rights attorney and criminal justice reform advocate Josh Dubin, who will serve as Executive Director. The Deputy Director will be Derrick Hamilton, a formerly incarcerated individual who …

Greening Criminal Legal Deserts In Rural Texas, Pamela R. Metzger, Claire Buetow, Kristin Meeks, Blane Skiles, Jiacheng Yu

Deason Center Reports

Texas’ rural communities urgently need more prosecutors and public defense providers. On average, Texas’ most urban areas have 28 lawyers for every 100 criminal cases, but rural areas only have five. Many rural prosecutor’s offices cannot recruit and retain enough staff. The Constitution’s promise of equal justice for all remains unfulfilled. Rural Texans charged with misdemeanors are four times less likely to have a lawyer than urban defendants. In 2021, only 403 rural Texas lawyers accepted an appointment to represent an adult criminal defendant. In 65 rural counties, no lawyer accepted an appointment. And the problem is getting worse. Since …

Grading Injustice: Initial Appearance Report Cards, Malia N. Brink, Jiacheng Yu, Pamela R. Metzger

Deason Center Reports

Arrested people across the United States often wait in jail for days, weeks, or even months before seeing a judge or meeting an attorney. In November 2021, the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center published Ending Injustice: Solving the Initial Appearance Crisis, a comprehensive report about this ongoing crisis in pre-trial due process. That report described the devastating consequences of delayed and uncounseled initial appearances.

Now, these Initial Appearance Report Cards offer a closer look at the laws governing post-arrest procedures in each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While the Deason …