Civil rights attorney. Longtime public defender. Dad. Executive Director, Zealous: Fighting to topple the imbalance of power & voice in justice policy & media.
THREAD: My newest op-ed is out. "If we have any hope of ending the inhumane era of mass criminalization, we cannot overlook or underestimate the role of the media in perpetuating it." In it I offer a critique but also roadmap for more just journalism. More:
7. If arrest, bail, prosecutions, and jail/prison were the answer, why didn't that fix or deter him or protect society over the last 19 arrests?
8. We must stop calling for more caging based on outlier tragedies. Literally what got us into mass incarceration.
There was another horrifying shooting on the NYC subway this week. Leading the news is fact that a judge freed him on an earlier case. Important note: He was eligible for bail under bail reform. Prosecutors requested $15k. Bail reform has nothing to do with this. Stop this.
3. Even if bail had been set on this lowest level non-violent felony, jail is temporary.
4. He would've been out in days, weeks, months tops. Case would be over.
5. And once out--he'd only be more damaged than when he went in.
6. More likely to be rearrested.
Some facts on judge's decision to release the subway shooter weeks ago:
1. There is no crystal ball.
2. Few, if any, judges would have set bail in the earlier case.
3. It was an E (lowest) non-violent felony that would've likely ended w/ time served or dismissal.
Continued:
1. Bail reform allowed a judge to set bail.
2. Prosecutors requested $15,000.
3. Judge exercised discretion she had before & after bail reform to release him to supervised release.
4. Bail reform has nothing to do with this.
5. Stop weaponizing a tragedy.
1. Bail reform allowed a judge to set bail.
2. Prosecutors requested $15,000.
3. Judge exercised discretion she had before & after bail reform to release him to supervised release.
4. Bail reform has nothing to do with this.
5. Stop weaponizing a tragedy.
There was another horrifying shooting on the NYC subway this week. Leading the news is fact that a judge freed him on an earlier case. Important note: He was eligible for bail under bail reform. Prosecutors requested $15k. Bail reform has nothing to do with this. Stop this.
55 people have died in Santa Rita, CA jail. Most recently, a mom received a call *5 days after her son's death* only to ask her about harvesting his organs. The response from lawmakers: More funding for jail. From Sheriff: "We strive to have zero deaths."
In this video that should be archived at the Hague, the Sheriff in charge of a jail where 58 human beings have been killed since 2014 says "we strive to have zero deaths."
26 years ago, a gunman entered Dunblane Primary School in Scotland, killing 16 kids and a teacher. The UK govt responded by enacting tight gun control legislation. In the 9400+ days since, there have been a total of 0 school shootings in the UK.
#Uvalde
Ten days ago it took the Senate about twenty minutes to unanimously pass a bill extending security protection to the family members of Supreme Court justices when it looked like a house might be picketed.
Know this: Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it is perfectly Constitutional to imprison and execute people, *even those who have evidence of their innocence & inadequate counsel.* Not just that: They ruled the Constitution prohibits even evidentiary hearings to look into it.