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In defense of indigent defense-how the broken public defense system exacerbates racial disparities

The 6th Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees all citizens the right to representation when accused of a criminal offense. While Supreme Court decisions have clarified this to mean “effective” representation, the system has often failed to live up to this standard. With the majority of criminal defendants turning to the indigent defense system, why [...]

By Dorsey E. Nunn The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco will hear argument today (Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010) in a lawsuit challenging the State of Washington’s denial of the right to vote from people with felony convictions. The legal issue in the case is whether the Voting Rights Act, [...]

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There are disparities in the system of justice in South Dakota that can only be found in other states with large Native American populations. The incarceration ratio for Native Americans in South Dakota is far out of proportion with the total state population. The main prisons in the state are top heavy with Native Americans. [...]

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By Elizabeth Renter The Racial Justice Act, only the second of its kind in the United States, has given inmates sentenced to death in North Carolina a potential route to relief. As of today, 114 death row inmates there have filed motions asserting their sentences were tainted by racial bias. While the individual circumstances in [...]

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Randy Credico is a former comedian turned political activist/drug law reformer who has worked as Director for the William Moses Knustler Fund for Racial Justice the past 12 years. Now, he’d like to take on and challenge Senator Chuck Schumer for his seat in the Senate. Part 1 of my interview with Randy can be [...]

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Randy Credico is a former comedian turned political activist/drug law reformer who has worked as Director for the William Moses Knustler Fund for Racial Justice the past 12 years. Now, he’d like to take on and challenge Senator Chuck Schumer for his seat in the Senate. Kathleen Wells: Randy, talk to me about the challenge [...]

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Incarceration rates are skyrocketing, particularly for men of color. The racial bias in law enforcement and incarceration rates is well-documented. Are we at the dawn of a new civil rights movement?

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The information in this blog has been modified to protect my client and to comply with the Minnesota Rules of Professional Responsibility. When I launched my blog a year ago today I wrote, “My goal is to provide legal assistance to disenfranchised women and their families. This will benefit women who are leaving prison, and their [...]

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I didn’t mean to write a blog post today, I really didn’t. But then I finally read that article my mom sent me two days ago from the New Haven Independent in New Haven, Connecticut. The one entitled Outraged Judge Reverses Murder Convictions. (Bless her good heart, but my mom has a funny way of [...]

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By Madhuri Mohindar and Ishita Srivastava It’s the first time that 1 in every 100 adult Americans is in prison, proof of an exploding prison system that our country can ill afford and a movement away from rehabilitation programs. Even more disturbing are the racial disparities within the prison system. More than 60% of people [...]

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