Sentencing Law and Policy

Features news, issues, commentary and provides resources related to sentencing law and policy.

Author: Douglas A. Berman, a law professor at The Ohio State University, founded Sentencing Law and Policy. He also one of the primary editors of Law School Innovation and maintains and frequently updates The Golf Blog. He is the co-author of a casebook, Sentencing Law and Policy: Cases, Statutes and Guidelines and is a managing editor of both the Federal Sentencing Reporter and the Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law. He also sometimes serves as a consultant to lawyers working on important or interesting sentencing cases.

Blawg Related Categories: Criminal Justice • Sentencing/Post Conviction • Law Professors • The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law • Law Professor • Blawg 100

Recent Posts from Sentencing Law and Policy

Boston Globe noticing crime dogs not barking in 2008 campaign
With all due respect to McGruff the Crime Dog (who has his own blog), I have been intrigued, somewhat amazed and consistently disappointed by how quiet the 2008 election season has been on issues of…
A first sentencing echo from the economic meltdown?
This new article from Corporate Counsel may reveal a first sentencing echo from some of the ugly doings on Wall Street. The piece is headlined, "Former Gen Re Lawyer Could Face Life in Prison: Federal…
Eighth Circuit closes week with two notable sentencing opinions
The Eighth Circuit issued two notable sentencing opinions today, and here are the unofficial summaries from the Circuit's website: United States v. Spikes, No. 08-1489 (8th Cir. Oct. 10, 2008) (available here): [Hansen, Author, with…
Another defendant opts for a notable shaming sanction to avoid jail time
A helpful reader pointed me to this notable local story from Wisconsin, headlined "Man Chooses To Hold 'I Was Stupid' Sign Instead of Jail Time." Here are the details: A judge gives a man a…
New ACS paper on racial disparities in the death penalty
A new issue brief from the American Constitution Society authored by Scott Phillips addresses disparities in the modern administration of capital punishment. The paper is titled, "Racial Disparities in Capital Punishment: Blind Justice Requires a…
Making financial lemonade out of Lemoine
The Ninth Circuit today issued an interesting technical opinion about restitution to victims in US v. Lemoine, No. 06-50663 (9th Cir. Oct. 9, 2008) (available here). Here is how Lemoine gets started: These consolidated appeals…
A case called Hope
During election season, I love watching old campaign commercials (wonderfully assembled here) and reading old political speeches. Candidate Bill Clinton's speech at the 1992 Democratic convention was titled "A Place Called Hope," and I could…
One area in which bad times are good for business
Last week I asked in this post, "When will the latest economic crisis become a criminal justice story?". Today, the New York Law Journal is on this story with this new piece, headlined "Criminal Prosecutions…
Another interesting attack on retributivism
As noted in recent posts here and here, Adam Kolber's recent scholarly work seems designed to sow discontent with standard retributivist punishment justification. And, as documented by this revised paper appearing anew on SSRN, Professor…
Around the blogosphere
Lots of interesting new stuff for sentencing fans at these always interesting blogs: Crime and Consequences Grits for Breakfast Pardon Power White Collar Crime Prof