Junk Science and Judicial Arrogance Are Killing Us

Source: newrepublic.com 11/26/24 Too many jurisdictions continue to abide by wholly discredited forensic techniques and pseudoscientific nonsense, which are leaving legal mayhem in their wake. While they remain a singularly popular pop-culture genre, the police and court procedurals that draw the eyes and attention of television viewers on a daily basis have, unfortunately, given most people an idealized view of how our legal system works. This is never more true than in how the public has come to view the role that science and forensic evidence play in criminal proceedings.…

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Trump’s ‘Bipartisan’ Nominees to Sentencing Commission Tilt Conservative

[thecrimereport.org] President Donald Trump’s four nominees to the U.S. Sentencing Commission include three well-known conservatives who may be inclined to support tougher sentences in federal criminal cases. The White House announcement Thursday described it as a “bipartisan group” of nominees, but if all of them are approved by the Senate, the voting majority of the six-member commission (two of whom serve as ex-officio, nonvoting members), could tilt rightward, according to observers. The commission, an independent judiciary agency, was created by Congress in 1984 “to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency…

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