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Monday, March 24, 2014
What procedural rights should juve killers have at parole proceedings?
The question in the title of this post is prompted by this intriguing article in the Boston Herald headlined "Killers convicted as teens could make bids for parole concessions." The piece highlights some of the intriguing and potentially controversial procedural issues that necessarily arise if and whenever a state has to figure out just what it means to give serious juvenile offenders a meaningful chance to secure parole release from a life sentence. Here are the details:
A killer whose court victory cleared the way for dozens of lifers convicted as teens to seek freedom is expected to make new demands before a judge today, including giving cons the opportunity to cross-examine anyone who argues against their release. But Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said Gregory Diatchenko — who was 17 in 1981 when he plunged a knife through the face and heart of 55-year-old Thomas Wharf in Kenmore Square while screaming, "Give me your money, you (expletive)," — is asking too much.
"What he's asking for would essentially give him a new trial on a first-degree murder charge for which he was already found guilty. This is a case of a convicted killer being given an inch and now demanding a mile," Conley said.
The Supreme Judicial Court, in a controversial bombshell decision dropped on Christmas Eve that mirrored a 2012 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled that keeping teen killers behind bars without a chance of parole was cruel and unusual punishment because children under age 18 lack the ability to appreciate their crimes. The court, ruling on an appeal by Diatchenko, found teen killers should be given a "meaningful opportunity to be considered for parole suitability" after 15 years of incarceration.
A single SJC justice, Margot Botsford, will hear Diatchenko's arguments today for new Parole Board rules for those convicted of murder as teens. Lawyers for Diatchenko and the Parole Board did not respond to requests for comment. Conley's office said Diatchenko's requests include having an appointed hearing attorney, expert defense witnesses, and the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against him.
Conley contends, "The SJC has determined that this defendant is entitled to a parole hearing. He shouldn't also be afforded an unprecedented array of tactics to use at that hearing."
Steve Brodie of Groveland, whose daughter Beth was bludgeoned to death in 1992 at age 15, told the Herald he is alarmed to learn hearings could include cross- examination. "We don't know where it ends," Brodie said. Richard Baldwin, 37, who was 16 when he killed Beth Brodie, is among 61 lifers whose hearings for parole are expected to begin soon.
Personally, I do not view a defendant's request for an attorney and an opportunity to present and cross-examine witnesses at a significant sentencing proceeding to amount to a demand to "be afforded an unprecedented array of tactics." But then again, it is easy for a lawyer and law professor like me to say that the traditional trial procedures secured for defendants by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments ought to be given very broad application in parole proceedings.
The US Supreme Court has never thoroughly considered or carefully articulated exactly which traditional trial rights defendants retain or lack throughout traditional parole decision-making, though SCOTUS jurisprudence suggests that all defendants retain at least some minimal due process rights in parole proceedings. Critically, though, these important procedural issues have not (yet) been seriously explored in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent substantive and procedural Eighth Amendment decisions in Graham and Miller concerning limits on juve LWOP sentencing.
March 24, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Ohio Supreme Court explains how Miller is to be applied in discretionary juve LWOP system
The Ohio Supreme Court this morning handed down a lengthy split decision in Ohio v. Long, No. . 2014-Ohio-849 (March 12, 2014) (available here), which explain how the Eighth Amendment rules in Miller, which only formally declare conconstitutional a mandatory juve LWOP sentencing scheme, are to be applied in a system that already gave sentencing judges discretion in cases in which juve killers were made eligible for an LWOP sentence. Here is the start and some additional excerpts from the majority opinion:
In this case, we are asked whether a trial court violates the Eighth Amendment by imposing a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for an aggravated murder committed by a juvenile. We hold that a court, in exercising its discretion under R.C. 2929.03(A), must separately consider the youth of a juvenile offender as a mitigating factor before imposing a sentence of life without parole in light of Miller v. Alabama, ___ U.S. ___, 132 S.Ct. 2455, 183 L.Ed.2d 407 (2012)....
As applied to a juvenile found guilty of aggravated murder under R.C. 2929.03(A), then, Ohio's sentencing scheme does not fall afoul of Miller, because the sentence of life without parole is discretionary. Nor is our criminal procedure flawed under Graham and Miller by failing to take into account that a defendant is a youthful offender. Nevertheless, for clarification we expressly hold that youth is a mitigating factor for a court to consider when sentencing a juvenile. But this does not mean that a juvenile may be sentenced only to the minimum term. The offender's youth at the time of the offense must still be weighed against any statutory consideration that might make an offense more serious or an offender more likely to recidivate. Yet because a life-without-parole sentence implies that rehabilitation is impossible, when the court selects this most serious sanction, its reasoning for the choice ought to be clear on the record....
Although Miller does not require that specific findings be made on the record, it does mandate that a trial court consider as mitigating the offender's youth and attendant characteristics before imposing a sentence of life without parole. For juveniles, like Long, a sentence of life without parole is the equivalent of a death penalty. Miller, 132 S.Ct. at 2463, 183 L.Ed.2d 407. As such, it is not to be imposed lightly, for as the juvenile matures into adulthood and may become amenable to rehabilitation, the sentence completely forecloses that possibility...
The United States Supreme Court has indicated in Roper, Graham, and Miller that juveniles who commit criminal offenses are not as culpable for their acts as adults are and are more amenable to reform. We agreed with this sentiment in In re C.P., 131 Ohio St.3d 513, 2012-Ohio-1446, 967 N.E.2d 729. Miller did not go so far as to bar courts from imposing the sentence of life without the possibility of parole on a juvenile. Yet because of the severity of that penalty, and because youth and its attendant circumstances are strong mitigating factors, that sentence should rarely be imposed on juveniles. Miller, ___ U.S. ___, 132 S.Ct. at 2469, 183 L.Ed.2d 407. In this case, the trial court must consider Long's youth as mitigating before determining whether aggravating factors outweigh it.
March 12, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Scope of Imprisonment | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
"The Supreme Court and the Rehabilitative Ideal"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new paper by Chad Flanders now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Graham v. Florida was a watershed decision, not least because of the centrality of the so-called "rehabilitative ideal" to its holding that life in prison for juveniles convicted of nonhomicide crimes was cruel and unusual. The Court's emphasis on rehabilitation was surprising both in terms of the Court's previous decisions on punishment, in which rehabilitation was barely included as a "purpose of punishment," but also in terms of the history of academic and legislative skepticism if not hostility toward the idea of rehabilitation (which includes two recently decided sentencing cases, Tapia and Pepper). Courts and commentators have struggled to make sense of both the meaning and the scope of Graham's rehabilitative holding. Their struggle is one about defining how (and whether) rehabilitation should play any substantial role in sentencing.
My essay places Graham in the context of the recent history of rehabilitation, and views its attempt to "rehabilitate" rehabilitation in light of that history. The rehabilitative ideal encompasses not just one model, but three: the mostly discredited model of rehabilitation as treatment, a more modest model of rehabilitation as training, and an older model of rehabilitation as reform. Both the language and the result of Graham show it to be squarely in the tradition of the third model, where rehabilitation is not something the state provides, but something the offender is supposed to undergo, through a process of reflection, remorse, and atonement. Rehabilitation as reform is notable because it is compatible with a suspicion that prison in general is a bad place for rehabilitation and that it is unlikely that the state can do anything to positively aid the offender in reforming. At best, the state must get out of the way. Whether we want to extend Graham or reject it depends on whether we find its ideal of rehabilitation as reform appealing.
February 26, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Prisons and prisoners, Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing, Scope of Imprisonment, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
"The Illusory Eighth Amendment"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new article by John Stinneford now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Although there is no obvious doctrinal connection between the Supreme Court's Miranda jurisprudence and its Eighth Amendment excessive punishments jurisprudence, the two are deeply connected at the level of methodology. In both areas, the Supreme Court has been criticized for creating "prophylactic" rules that invalidate government actions because they create a mere risk of constitutional violation. In reality, however, both sets of rules deny constitutional protection to a far greater number of individuals with plausible claims of unconstitutional treatment than they protect.
This dysfunctional combination of over- and underprotection arises from the Supreme Court's use of implementation rules as a substitute for constitutional interpretation. A growing body of scholarship has shown that constitutional adjudication involves at least two distinct judicial activities: interpretation and implementation. Prophylactic rules are defensible as implementation tools that are necessary to reduce error costs in constitutional adjudication.
This Article contributes to implementation rules theory by showing that constitutional interpretation, defined as a receptive and non-instrumental effort to understand constitutional meaning, normally must precede constitutional implementation. When the Supreme Court constructs implementation rules without first interpreting the Constitution, the rules appear arbitrary and overreaching because they do not have a demonstrable connection to constitutional meaning. Such rules also narrow the scope of the Constitution itself, denying protection to any claimant who does not come within the rules. The only way to remedy this dysfunction and provide meaningful protection across a broad range of cases is to interpret the Constitution before implementing it.
February 11, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Death Penalty Reforms, Graham and Sullivan Eighth Amendment cases, Jackson and Miller Eighth Amendment cases, Recommended reading, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Friday, January 24, 2014
Notable early Massachusetts legislative response to elimination of juve LWOP
This Boston Globe article, headlined "Bill seeks at least 35 years for young killers," reports on a proposed statutory response to the recent ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (discussed here) which declared that that "all life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders, whether mandatory or discretionary, violate art. 26 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights." Here are the basics:
A group of state lawmakers is proposing legislation that would require juvenile murderers to serve at least 35 years in prison before being eligible for parole, in direct response to a Supreme Judicial Court ruling that struck down life sentences without the possibility of parole for young killers.
The bipartisan bill would also require the state Parole Board, in deciding whether to grant early release, to consider whether a teenager convicted of murder had the maturity and sense of responsibility of an adult when carrying out the crime.
The bill was based on the recommendation last week of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association and was meant to fill a legal void left by the Supreme Judicial Court decision in December that eliminated sentences of life without parole for juveniles, even those convicted of the most horrendous crimes. "It's about the injustice this would mean for the victims' families," said state Senator Barry Finegold, a Democrat from Andover and one of the sponsors of the legislation.
Senator minority leader Bruce Tarr, a Republican from Gloucester who cosponsored the bill, added that he has spoken with the families of murder victims and "their loss is no less because their suffering was at the hands of a juvenile."...
According to state officials, approximately 66 prisoners who were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed as juveniles could now be eligible for parole. No hearings have been scheduled.
Joshua Dohan — director of the youth advocacy division for the state Committee for Public Counsel Services, the state's public defender agency — questioned how the state legislators reached the 35-year mark. Dohan pointed out that international standards, agreeing that teenagers have mindsets that are different from those of adults, call for juvenile sentences of, on average, no more than 20 years in prison, even for murder.
He said legislators are reacting quickly to a sensitive issue, but that they should slow down the process. He called for lawmakers to give judges discretion to hand out punishments, so they could consider a teenager's culpability in a crime. "These are really important decisions that are going to affect the defendant, but also their families and the families of their victims," he said....
Tarr and Finegold, flanked by a group of legislators who sponsored the bill, said the 35-year limit is a balance between holding a teenager accountable for his or her crimes and preserving the constitutional issues cited by the courts. Other states, reacting to the US Supreme Court decision, have passed a variety of laws: Wyoming, for instance, offers parole after 25 years.
"While it's not an ideal situation, we hope this will bring a measure of comfort to the victims' families," said Finegold, who said he was working on behalf of Colleen Ritzer, the Danvers High School teacher who was killed in October, allegedly by a student.
A few other recent related posts:
- Extending Graham and Miller, Massachusetts SJC bars LWOP for all juve offenders
- One tale (of thousands) of a juve LWOPer now with a glimmer of hope
- Years after Graham and Miller, Florida still working on its legislative response
- A victim's perspective from Iowa on the aftermath of Graham and Miller
- "Juvenile Lifers and Judicial Overreach: A Curmudgeonly Meditation on Miller v. Alabama"
- "Review for Release: Juvenile Offenders, State Parole Practices, and the Eighth Amendment"
January 24, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
"Review for Release: Juvenile Offenders, State Parole Practices, and the Eighth Amendment"
The title of this post is the title of this informative and interesting new paper by Sarah French Russell now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:
State parole boards have historically operated free from constitutional constraints when making decisions about whether to release prisoners. Recent Supreme Court decisions subject states to a new constitutional requirement to provide a "meaningful opportunity to obtain release" for at least some categories of juvenile offenders. Using original data collected through a survey, this Article provides the first comprehensive description of existing parole board release procedures nationwide and explores whether these practices comply with the Court's Eighth Amendment mandate.
The Court's recent decisions in Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama prohibit sentences of life without the possibility of release (LWOP) for juvenile offenders in nonhomicide cases and forbid mandatory LWOP sentences in homicide cases. States must now provide nonhomicide juvenile offenders with a "meaningful opportunity to obtain release" and give judges the option of imposing a sentence with the chance of release on homicide offenders. Around the country, state courts, legislatures, and governors have started to respond to Graham and Miller. Yet there is little scholarship focusing on a central issue raised by these cases: What constitutes a meaningful opportunity to obtain release under the Eighth Amendment? The Court has declined to provide detailed guidance on the matter, stating that "[i]t is for the State, in the first instance, to explore the means and mechanisms for compliance."
Viewed in the context of the Court's earlier Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, the meaningful opportunity for release requirement appears to encompass three distinct components: (1) a chance of release at a meaningful point in time, (2) a realistic likelihood of release for the rehabilitated, and (3) a meaningful opportunity to be heard. For the most part, states have responded to Graham and Miller by making juvenile offenders eligible for release under existing and long-standing parole board procedures. To date, the debate in the states has focused primarily on the first component of the meaningful opportunity requirement-when a juvenile offender should be eligible for release. Most states have paid little attention to whether existing parole board practices satisfy the other two components of the meaningful opportunity requirement. These practices, which were designed for a different purpose, may not offer a realistic chance of release and meaningful hearings for juvenile offenders.
Parole procedures in every state are different, and many parole boards operate under unwritten and unpublished rules. To understand existing practices, I sent a survey to every parole board in the country. The survey results revealed procedures that, while adequate for adult offenders, may not survive Eighth Amendment scrutiny when applied to juvenile offenders under Graham and Miller. Such procedures include (1) preventing prisoners from appearing before decision makers, (2) denying prisoners the right to see and rebut evidence, and (3) limiting the role of counsel. I conclude that some states may not be able to rely on their existing parole board practices to provide a meaningful opportunity for release, and may need to craft special rules for considering release of juvenile offenders serving lengthy sentences.
January 21, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Recommended reading, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Monday, January 20, 2014
One tale (of thousands) of a juve LWOPer now with a glimmer of hope
Former federal judge and law professor Nancy Gertner authored this notable Boston Globe commentary concerning a former client of hers who might now benefit from how Massachusetts courts are responding to the Supreme Court's new Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. The piece is headlined "Locking up kids for life? A new court decision takes a step toward juvenile justice reform," and here are excerpts:
Three decades ago, Edward Palmariello, 17, and his 21-year-old friend Bruce Chambers were arrested in the murder of Edward's mother, Marion. Then a defense attorney, I represented Edward at trial. The jury found both men guilty and the sentence was mandatory — life in prison without any possibility of parole....
The Commonwealth's story in court was simple: Edward and his mother fought all the time. He had said things to her like "Shut up or I'm going to cut you up and put you into the toilet bowl," and he once waved an open switchblade at her....
There was another narrative about Edward and his mother, one the jury never heard. The mother had abused Edward's sisters and brother. The abuses were reflected in Department of Social Services records. In fact, each one had moved out — "escaped," as one sister put it — as soon as he or she could. Edward, the youngest, had no place to go. His mother abused him physically, but when he grew stronger than she was, her abuse became psychological. Still, as a defense lawyer, I was reluctant to offer the complete DSS records (even if they were admissible). While they explained the family's dysfunction, there was a risk that a prosecutor, bent on conviction, would spin them as a motive for murder.
With the first-degree murder conviction, there would be no opportunity for testimony from the social workers who knew the family or even the family members themselves who had "escaped." Only one sentence was possible: life without parole. On appeal, the Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Edward's conviction (one judge dissented). All other appeals failed.
In most countries, Edward's sentence would have been impossible. Juvenile life without parole is prohibited by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a measure that has been ratified by every UN nation except the United States and Somalia (Somalia announced in November that it will ratify). Edward has spent the past 32 years in jail. He had no hope, no future. Perhaps, until now.
In 2012, in Miller v. Alabama, the US Supreme Court held that a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole on any offender under 18 is contrary to the constitutional prohibition on "cruel and unusual punishments." While the decision's implications were momentous, it focused only on the mandatory nature of the punishment.
But on December 24, 2013, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts went further. In Diatchenko v. District Attorney for the Suffolk District, the court held that the state constitution barred the imposition of life without parole altogether for defendants under age 18 at the time they committed murder....
In language that resonates for Edward, the US Supreme Court criticized sentencing that "prevents taking into account the family and the home environment that surrounds [the offender] — from which he cannot usually extricate himself — no matter how brutal or dysfunctional. It neglects the circumstances of the homicide offense, including the extent of his participation in the conduct and the way familial and peer pressures may have affected him." It "disregards the possibility of rehabilitation even when the circumstances most suggest it."
Edwards's case, along with some 60 others, will now go before the Massachusetts Parole Board. Will this be a real review or just a Kabuki ritual? Governor Deval Patrick dismissed five of the seven board members after a parolee killed a Woburn police officer in 2010. Parole rates have dropped dramatically. Perhaps that was why three SJC justices wrote a special commentary urging a "real meaningful opportunity to obtain release" for the juveniles affected by the decision. Parole Board, take heed.
At the very least, for Edward Palmariello, the board will finally hear the whole story.
Meanwhile, as this new front-page New York Times article highlights, the stories of hope for juve LWOPers in Massachusetts may be more of an exception than the rule in the wake of Miller. That article, which is headlined "Juveniles Facing Lifelong Terms Despite Rulings" spotlights that "most states have taken half measures, at best, to carry out the rulings [in Graham and Miller], which could affect more than 2,000 current inmates and countless more in years to come, according to many youth advocates and legal experts."
January 20, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Saturday, January 04, 2014
"Juvenile Lifers and Judicial Overreach: A Curmudgeonly Meditation on Miller v. Alabama"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new paper now available on SSRN and authored by Frank O. Bowman III. Here is the abstract:
This Article considers with a skeptical eye the Supreme Court's decision in Miller v. Alabama, 132 S. Ct. 2455 (2012), finding unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause all laws subjecting murderers who killed before their eighteenth birthdays to a sentence of mandatory life without parole ("LWOP").
Miller and Graham v. Florida, 130 S. Ct. 2011 (2010), in which the Court voided statutes imposing life without parole on juveniles who committed non-homicide crimes, are striking for several reasons. First, they impact juvenile justice because the Court has continued down the path it took in Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005), when it ruled the death penalty cruel and unusual for juveniles, regardless of the crimes they committed, and declared categorically that the relative immaturity of juveniles made them less culpable for crime and thus both ineligible for certain very harsh punishments and subject to different procedures than adults for others. Second, the Court's reasoning in Miller and Graham has potentially far-reaching implications for the sentencing of adults. These opinions extend to non-capital crimes the unique body of Eighth Amendment law the Court had hitherto restricted to death penalty cases. And the language of Justice Elena Kagan's majority opinion in Miller casts at least some doubt on the power of legislatures to impose any mandatory sentence, whether of death or a term of imprisonment.
This Article contends that, while the results of Miller and Graham are gratifying as sentencing policy, the opinions announcing those results are troubling as a constitutional matter because they are badly theorized and because they are two strands of a web of decisions in which the Court has consistently used doubtful constitutional interpretations to transfer power over criminal justice policy from the legislatures – state and federal – to the courts.
January 4, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (22) | TrackBack
Thursday, January 02, 2014
A victim's perspective from Iowa on the aftermath of Graham and Miller
This notable local article from Iowa, headlined "As juvenile re-sentencing looms, murder victim's family speaks out," provides a useful reminder of the folks other than juvenile offenders who are very concerned with how the Supreme Court's rulings in Graham and Miller are going to be implemented in the states. Here are excerpts:
34 Iowa criminals currently sit in prison cells who, once sentenced to life in prison as juveniles, can file for the possibility of parole. In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled sending a juvenile to life in prison without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional. Gov. Branstad then commuted those life sentences to 60 years in prison. 2012, however, brought the Iowa Supreme Court to rule 60 years as still unconstitutional.
"Because of the nature of the crimes that these individuals have committed, it has a very serious impact on the criminal justice system," said Black Hawk County Attorney Tom Ferguson.
The ripple effect of these two court rulings extends past those just sitting in prison cells. Karen Salisbury was murdered in her Evansdale home in 1998. 17-year-old Matthew Payne was charged with the killing; a first-degree murder charge that, back then, sent him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Salisbury's three daughters — Rhonda Hoffman, Marsha DeWiese and Vicky Bolin — said they wrestled with those 1998 images of their mother's death for years. Now — they must relive the nightmare. Payne, along with the other 33 Iowa criminals, can file to correct a now illegal sentence, hoping for parole. "I don't ever want to have to go into the grocery store or somewhere and run into him," Hoffman said.
Attorneys said parole, however, is not guaranteed. A judge could grant the possibility of parole, or not at all. Nevertheless, these parole hearings are annual; potentially bringing families back to the court room year after year. "Every year if that comes up every year I will be there and I will make sure they hear my voice and they don't let him out," Bolin said.
The daughters said the possibility of parole for Payne is extremely concerning for them; a thought that is nearly unbearable. "What good are they in this society when they've been in prison for so long and know nothing else," DeWiese said.
Hoffman said if Payne is ever granted parole, she hopes she never has to see him. "Don't come back to Waterloo, I'd go somewhere else."
January 2, 2014 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Sentences Reconsidered | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBack
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Extending Graham and Miller, Massachusetts SJC bars LWOP for all juve offenders
Thanks to this Christmas night post at How Appealing, I just discovered that on Christmas eve the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts issued two big related rulings (available here and here) which not only held that the Supreme Court's Miller ruling is to be applied retroactively but also that "all life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders, whether mandatory or discretionary, violate art. 26 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights." Because I am on the road today, I will not have the chance to consume this significant rulings fully, but I can here link to and quote from this lengthy report on the rulings from the Boston Globe:
The state's highest court struck down life sentences without parole for juveniles on Tuesday, saying scientific research shows that lifelong imprisonment for youths is cruel and unusual because their brains are "not fully developed."
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision is retroactive, meaning that, as one example, John Odgren, the suburban special needs student who stabbed 15-year-old James F. Alenson in the bathroom at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School on Jan. 19, 2007, and received a mandatory life sentence, now could have a chance of parole one day.
"We are very hopeful that the parole board is going to examine these kids' lives carefully and will be giving them a real meaningful opportunity for release," said Patty Garin, Odgren's attorney. But some district attorneys said they were concerned about the ruling and would argue against parole in some cases.
The decision is a marked reversal for Massachusetts, where juveniles found guilty of murder have faced some of the harshest laws in the nation. The decision also is notable for its reliance on the growing field of research into the juvenile brain.
"Simply put, because the brain of a juvenile is not fully developed, either structurally or functionally, by the age of eighteen, a judge cannot find with confidence that a particular offender, at that point in time, is irretrievably depraved," the court wrote. "Therefore, it follows that the judge cannot ascertain, with any reasonable degree of certainty, whether imposition of this most severe punishment is warranted."...
The ruling goes farther than the Supreme Court decision in 2012 that struck down automatic sentences of life without parole for juveniles.... Because the Massachusetts high court's decision is retroactive, prisoners sentenced as juveniles will "at the appropriate time" be afforded a parole hearing.
Lawyers said such inmates will have to have served at least 15 years before being considered for parole. There are currently 63 inmates in Massachusetts who were sentenced when they were juveniles to life sentences without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder....
The decision drew immediate praise from Governor Deval Patrick, who in September signed legislation that raises the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 17 to 18 and has pushed to reduce the number of teenagers sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. "I applaud today's Supreme Judicial Court's ruling," the governor said in a statement. "Young people, even ones who commit terrible crimes, are developmentally and now constitutionally different from adults. Our SJC has wisely held that, while violent felons will be held accountable, youthful ones deserve every opportunity for rehabilitation."
Some district attorneys questioned the decision. Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett said the ruling will strip away the closure that victims' families believed they had gained. "I am concerned for families who thought they had finality about their loved ones being murdered," said Blodgett, who is president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association. "Now they have to go through these parole hearings."
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement, "We are mindful of the literature on young adults' brain development, and we already exercise great discretion in charging juveniles with murder. But we're also keenly aware of the cases at issue here. Some fact patterns demand life imprisonment. Some defendants do not deserve parole. We will argue — as often and as forcefully as necessary — against parole in those cases."
For years, Massachusetts has had some of the most punitive penalties in the country for juvenile offenders convicted of murder. Two decades ago a series of brutal murders galvanized public demands for harsher penalties. In 1996, legislators responded with a law that mandated that juveniles 14 years and older charged with murder be tried as adults.
Because Massachusetts' penalties for first-degree murder is mandatory life without parole juveniles found guilty of that crime faced a lifetime of incarceration. As a result, Massachusetts became a leader in the number of youths facing life sentences without parole.
As of last year, the majority of youth with such sentences were concentrated in Massachusetts and four other states: California, Louisiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, according to the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. "People thought if we have an extreme response, kids would stop doing bad things, and that has not turned out to be true," said Naoka Carey, executive director of Citizens for Juvenile Justice, a nonprofit based in Massachusetts.
Carey said the SJC ruling brings Massachusetts back to the middle — she noted that other states that have abolished life without parole for juveniles include Wyoming, Colorado, and Texas. "We're in some conservative company," she said.
State legislative leaders said they plan to move quickly to overhaul juvenile sentencing laws that might conflict with Tuesday's ruling. "The legislation currently pending that require the eradication of such sentences will be fast-tracked to ensure constitutional compliance with the ruling of the SJC," said Representative Eugene L. O'Flaherty, a Chelsea Democrat who is the House chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Carey said there are currently a number of legislative options, but that any law will have to give meaningful opportunity for parole.
The SJC's ruling came in the case of Gregory Diatchenko, who was 17 in 1981 when he murdered a man in a car in Kenmore Square. He has been in prison for more than three decades. The court ruled that he was eligible to be considered for parole immediately....
"I'm happy that Gregory Diatchenko is going to have a meaningful opportunity for release, which he deserves. He's a living embodiment of what the [Supreme Court] case was all about. He does not deserve to die in prison. He's not who he was when he was 17," said Benjamin Keehn, Diatchenko's attorney. Keehn was on his way to see his client at MCI Norfolk on Tuesday to relay the news. He said his client is 49 years old, two credits shy of a bachelors degree, and has been a Buddhist for over 10 years.
The court also ruled in the separate case of Marquise Brown, who was convicted of first-degree murder in a 2009 slaying. He has not been sentenced. The court ruled that because Brown was 17 at the time of his crime, he cannot be sentenced to life without parole.
The Diatchenko ruling was unanimous. In a concurring opinion, Justices Ralph Gants, Barbara Lenk, and Fernande R.V. Duffly, emphasized that defendants need to have a "meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation." They urged that decisions on parole be informed by an attention to the "distinctive attributes of youth.
December 26, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Prisons and prisoners, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Monday, December 02, 2013
What sentencing issues should SCOTUS be taking up to fill out its docket?
I have noted (and been disappointed by) the relative paucity of major sentencing cases on the Supreme Court docket this Term. But, as highlighted by this new Washington Post article, headlined "Supreme Court busy looking for cases — but finding fewer than usual," SCOTUS is now facing a relative paucity of all cases on its docket.
That all said, this recent Politico article, headlined "Digital era confounds the courts," spotlights that a number of cases concerning the intersection of the Fourth Amendment and new technology likely to be on the SCOTUS docket soon:
[T]he nation's top court is set to consider whether to take up three key related cases ... [with] big tech issues that could finally get decided:...
Lower courts have been split on the authority of police to search your technology [incident to an arrest]. Currently, court rulings have required warrants to search a cellphone in six states, while they are not required in 20 other states, according to a map put together by Forbes and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.....
In the age of encryption and passwords, law enforcement officials can obtain a warrant for a hard drive, but they may not be able to access the material on it. So can police compel someone to provide a password or to unlock an account or decrypt a file? Courts have in some cases ruled that individuals can refuse to provide a password under their Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves....
Another nettlesome issue brought up in part by the ubiquity of cellphones and smartphones is the ability of police to track a person's movements. While the Supreme Court ruled last year that police cannot affix a GPS tracking device to a car without a warrant, it decided U.S. v. Jones based on a question of trespassing, which doesn't apply when police get location information from a suspect's devices or service provider.
The courts are also split on this issue. In July alone, two courts made opposite rulings: The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas found that law enforcement may get cell location data from service providers without a warrant. In a New Jersey case, a very different result -- the state supreme court held that the state's constitution requires a warrant.
Like all criminal procedure issues, these constitutional search question are sure to have eventual sentencing echoes. But, of course, hard-core sentencing issues are the ones that really get me excited, and I think there are plenty the Justices should be taking up to fill out their docket.
Some of the most obvious sentencing issues seemingly ready for SCOTUS review are follow-ups to its recent Eighth Amendment work in Graham and Miller. Lower courts are deeply split over the retroactivity of Miller and also concerning what kinds of crimes and sentences fit within the categorical ban of juve LWOP sentences for nonhomicide offenses announced in Graham.
In addition, plenty of federal sentencing issues in the post-Booker world are still roiling district and circuit courts. I personally would like to see the Justices throw some more dirt on the worst guidelines by taking up, and then reversing as unreasonable, a poorly-justified, within-guideline sentence based on guidelines widely recognized to be badly broken (e.g., the crack or CP or fraud guidelines). But I doubt many Justices are eager to spend their spring further fighting with Justice Breyer over the mysteries of his Booker remedy.
I could go on issue spotting here for the Justices, but I am really eager to hear from informed readers about the question in the title of this post. What issues do folks working day-to-day in the sentencing vineyards believe the Supreme Court should take up ASAP?
December 2, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Years after Graham and Miller, Florida still working on its legislative response
As reported in this local article, Florida is continuing to struggle with how it wants to respond legislatively to the Supreme Court's determination that the state cannot be so quick to give so many juvenile offenders life without parole. Here are the details:
After a stinging defeat last year on the floor of the Senate, Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican, has again filed legislation to align Florida's juvenile-sentencing laws with recent United States Supreme Court rulings.
In 2010, the Supreme Court said it's unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile to life in prison without the possibility of parole, though it allowed exceptions for juveniles convicted of murder. Ever since, lawmakers have failed to pass legislation changing Florida's juvenile sentencing laws to comply with those opinions. There are 265 inmates in custody of the Department of Corrections that were given life sentences as juveniles.
Additionally, without a tweak to state law, courts across the state have been left to interpret the Supreme Court's decisions differently. "We owe it to our courts to provide guidance," Bradley said. "It's the Legislature's job."
During the 2013 legislative session, Bradley, a private attorney, ushered a proposed legislative fix through three committee stops, but halted his own bill on the Senate floor after opponents tacked on an amendment he opposed. Bradley's bill would have required a judge to consider factors like background and ability for rehabilitation during a mandatory hearing before sentencing a juvenile convicted of murder to life in prison.... Bradley's bill also capped at 50 years the sentence a judge could give a juvenile who did not commit murder.
The amendment, offered by state Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, would have allowed a parole hearing every 25 years for juveniles given life sentences for non-fatal crimes and for those who committed murder. "Why not give that judge the ability to review a case after 25 years?" Garcia asked during April floor debate.
This year, Bradley's legislation offers parole hearings after 25 years for juveniles convicted of non-fatal crimes, and caps sentences for those offenders at 35 years. It does not offer hearings for juveniles convicted of homicide. "The bill I filed still does not offer hearings to murderers," Bradley said.
November 30, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
"Reducing Incarceration for Youthful Offenders with a Developmental Approach to Sentencing"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new paper by Samantha Buckingham now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Current sentencing practices have proven to be an ineffective method of rehabilitating criminal defendants. Such practices are unresponsive to developmental science breakthroughs, fail to promote rehabilitation, and drain society's limited resources. These deficiencies are most acute when dealing with youthful offenders. Incarcerating youthful offenders, who are amenable to rehabilitative efforts, under current sentencing practices only serves to ensure such individuals will never become productive members of society.
Drawing on the author's experiences as a public defender, studies in developmental psychology and neuroscience, and the Supreme Court's recent line of cases that acknowledge youthful offenders' biological differences from adult offenders, the author proposes a restorative-justice approach to replace current sentencing practices. This solution includes tailoring a youthful offender's sentence to his or her developmental level and offering a community-based mediation between victims and offenders.
The proposal counteracts a major deficiency of current sentencing practices — the failure to offer youthful offenders an opportunity to truly understand their crimes. Only by providing an opportunity to learn from an offense will a youthful offender be in a position to rehabilitate. This Article responds to possible critiques of the proposal, including concerns about the ability to accurately measure the success of a restorative-justice sentencing model, the fear of implicating the offender's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and the cost of implementing mediation-based efforts. Ultimately, this Article determines that a developmentally appropriate, community-based sentencing scheme — with restorative justice overtones — best addresses the unique situation youthful offenders find themselves in. A sentence for a youthful offender should — indeed, must — present meaningful opportunities for the youthful offender to rehabilitate, and age-appropriate sentences grounded in restorative-justice principles will do this effectively.
November 27, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Thursday, November 14, 2013
"Misconstruing Graham & Miller"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new piece by Cara Drinan now up at SSRN. Here is the abstract:
In the last three years the Supreme Court has decreed a sea change in its juvenile Eighth Amendment jurisprudence. In particular, in its Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama rulings, the Court struck down a majority of the states' juvenile sentencing laws, outlawing life without parole for juveniles who commit non-homicide offenses and mandating individualized sentencing for those children who commit even the most serious crimes. An examination of state laws and sentencing practices, however, suggests that the Graham and Miller rulings have fallen on deaf ears. After briefly describing what these two decisions required of the states, in this Essay, I outline the many ways in which state actors have failed to comply with the Court's mandate. Finally, I map out a path for future compliance that relies heavily upon the strength and agility of the executive branch.
November 14, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Clemency and Pardons, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Can and should brain science research become a regular (and regulated) part of sentencing decision-making?The question in the title of this post is prompted by this notable new NPR segment (misleadingly?) headlined "The Case Against Brain Scans As Evidence In Court." Here are excerpts from the piece:
It's not just people who go on trial these days. It's their brains.
More and more lawyers are arguing that some defendants deserve special consideration because they have brains that are immature or impaired, says Nita Farahany, a professor of law and philosophy at Duke University who has been studying the use of brain science in court.
About 5 percent of murder trials now involve some neuroscience, Farahany says. "There's a steady increase of defendants seeking to introduce neuroscience to try to reduce the extent to which they're responsible or the extent to which they're punished for a crime," she says.
Farahany was a featured speaker at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego this week. Also featured were several brain scientists who are uncomfortable with the way courts are using brain research....
The approach has been most successful with cases involving teenagers, Farahany says. "It seems like judges are particularly enamored with the adolescent brain science," she says. "Large pieces of their opinions are dedicated to citing the neuroscientific studies, talking about brain development, and using that as a justification for treating juveniles differently."...
So judges and juries are being swayed by studies showing that adolescent brains don't function the same way adult brains do. One study like that was presented at the neuroscience meeting by Kristina Caudle, a neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medical College. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, used a technology called functional MRI to look at how the brains of people from 6 to 29 reacted to a threat.
"The typical response — and what you might think is a logical response — is to become less impulsive, to sort of withdraw, to not act when there is threat in the environment," Caudle says. "But what we saw was that adolescents uniquely seemed to be more likely to act. So their performance on this task became more impulsive." And Caudle found that in adolescents, an area of the brain involved in regulating emotional responses had to work much harder to prevent an impulsive response. This sort of study is great for understanding adolescent brain development in a general way, Caudle says.
"What it doesn't do is allow us to predict, for example, whether one particular teenager might be likely to be impulsive or to commit criminal behavior," she says. And Caudle worries that a study like hers could be used inappropriately in court. "Jurors tend to really take things like MRI scans as fact, and that gives me great pause," she says.
When it comes to nature versus nurture, brain scientists think both matter. A lot of the neuroscience presented in court is simply unnecessary, says Joshua Buckholtz, a psychologist at Harvard. "Anyone who's every had a teenager would be able to tell you that their decision-making capacities are not comparable to adults," he says.
And relying on brain science to defend juveniles could have unexpected consequences, Buckholtz says. For example, he says, if a prosecutor used an MRI scan to show that a 16-year-old who committed a capital crime had a very mature brain, "Would we then insist that we execute that juvenile?"
The task of integrating brain science into the judicial system will in large part be the responsibility of judges, Buckholtz says. And how it works will depend on how well judges understand "what a scientific study is and what it says and what it doesn't say and can't say," he says.
I do not see anything in this piece which suggests that brain scans amount to "junk science," and thus I do not fully understand why NPR thinks this segment reveals a "case against" against brain science as evidence in legal proceedings.
Of course, I fully understand concerns expressed by scientists about the potential misuse or misunderstanding of their nuanced brain scan research. But juries and judges are drawn to scientific research largely because the decision-making alternative is to rely more on gut feelings, emotions, instincts or biases. Unless brain scans provide a worse foundation for making judgments than gut feelings, emotions, instincts or biases, it seems to me they ought to have a role in legal decision-making.
As the question in the title of this post suggests, I think the really tough questions here are not whether brain science is worthy of consideration, but rather when and how brain science should be considered by judges and juries. Indeed, the Supreme Court's Eighth Amendment rulings in Roper and Graham and Miller have already given brain science research some constitutional import, and thus I hope both scientists and law professors will now turn their attention to debating how the legal system might most fairly and effectively operationalize what the brain research is telling us about the scientific realities of human behaviors and personal development.
November 12, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack
Thursday, November 07, 2013
State judge in Pennsylvania finds lifetime sex offender registration for juve offenders unconstitutional
As reported in this local article, "a York County judge has ruled unconstitutional a two-year-old Pennsylvania law that imposes lifetime registration requirements on juvenile sex offenders." Here is more:
Senior Judge John C. Uhler issued his ruling against the juvenile registration provisions of the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act while weighing the cases of seven county teens adjudicated as having committed serious sex crimes.
Uhler found that the registration mandate "unconstitutionally forecloses a court's considerations of the many unique attributes of youth and juvenile offenders" under age 18 and improperly treats them the same as adult sex offenders. SORNA, as the act is known, also doesn't take into account the greater capacity juvenile offenders have to reform, he noted.
The state law was passed by the Legislature in late 2011 to comply with a federal law, the Adam Walsh Act. The state faced a loss of federal funding if it didn't adopt a measure compatible with the Walsh Act.
Uhler's ruling is in reply to a challenge mounted on behalf of the seven York County youths by the county public defender's office, the Juvenile Law Center and the Defender Association of Philadelphia. The children involved were subject to registration after being found to have committed crimes including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and aggravated indecent assault. They were ages 14 to 17 when the offenses occurred.
In a statement issued Thursday, officials of the Juvenile Law Center and the defender association called Uhler's decision a "landmark ruling."
"It is our hope that this decision will result in similar findings across the commonwealth," said Riya Saha Shah, a staff attorney with the law center. "To impose this (registration) punishment on children is to set them up for failure."
County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Tim Barker said his office is reviewing Uhler's decision for a possible appeal to the state Supreme Court. A decision is expected next week, he said. "We're thoroughly going through everything," Barker said.
Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed, president of the Pennsylvania District Attorney's Association, predicted an appeal is likely. Prosecutors are well aware of arguments for and against the juvenile sex offender registration requirement, he said. "I'm not surprised that the judge would rule this way," Freed said. "We'll see what happens in the appeals courts."
The full 40+ page ruling reference here is available at this link, which I found via this helpful page from the helpful folks at the Juvenile Law Center.
November 7, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Collateral consequences, Criminal Sentences Alternatives, Offender Characteristics, Reentry and community supervision, Sex Offender Sentencing | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Monday, October 14, 2013
Florida legislature told to "End confusion on juvenile sentencing"The title of this post is drawn from the headline of this effective recent editorial from the Tampa Bay Times, which makes these points about the post-Miller mess in Florida:
By reinstating the original sentence of life in prison without parole for Nicholas Lindsey on Friday, a Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court judge entered muddy legal waters. Lindsey and other juveniles convicted of murder continue to be sentenced under a state statute that is now unconstitutional as applied to them. There is no clear road map for judges, because the Florida Legislature has failed to bring state law into conformance with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Lindsey's reconsidered sentence for shooting and killing a St. Petersburg police officer will likely be challenged, wasting resources and prolonging the pain for the victim's family. Had the Legislature acted responsibly, the courts would not be operating in the dark and creating law as they go.
State courts are puzzling through what to do with juveniles who were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced under state law that provides for a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Minors cannot be sentenced to death because of a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Last year, the court ruled that a life sentence without parole cannot be mandatory for juvenile offenders — people who committed their crime before reaching 18 years old. The court said that in light of a young person's lack of maturity and capacity to change as he grows up, courts must be permitted to take these circumstances into account in sentencing. Florida law gives judges no discretion to impose a lesser sentence....
Other circuit court judges have ruled inconsistently. A judge in Hillsborough County recently resentenced Amer Ejak, now 20 years old, to life without parole for clubbing and strangling a man in 2009 — the same sentence Ejak originally received. But compare that to a teen murderer in Pasco County who was sentenced last month to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years, even though state law makes no provision for it. An August ruling by the 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach said that the only legal sentence for juveniles guilty of capital murder is life with the possibility of parole after 25 years, but that decision is only controlling precedent for part of the state.
The Florida Legislature surely knew that by not rewriting state law to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court ruling and giving judges the opportunity to impose lesser sentences it would cause confusion and result in disparate treatment of juvenile offenders across the state. Lawmakers shifted their responsibility to the courts. The Florida Supreme Court will have to bring clarity to the law. In the meantime, trial courts faced with resentencing some of Florida's more than 200 inmates who were convicted and sentenced on murder charges should follow the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling as best they can.
October 14, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Scope of Imprisonment, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Monday, September 30, 2013
Detailing Florida's continuing struggle to deal with Graham and MillerThis lengthy and interesting local article, headlined "Lawmakers committed to solving juvenile sentencing," highlights how legislators in the Sunshine State have been struggling to fix its sentencing laws in the wake of two Supreme Court rulings concerning limits on LWOP sentences for juvenile offenders. Here are excerpts:
With the courts threatening to intercede, Florida lawmakers say they are committed to finding a solution to sentencing juveniles under U.S. Supreme Court rulings that restrict the use of life sentences. The issue is likely to be a focal point of debate in next year's legislative session and could affect two local cases.
But lawmakers have failed to find an agreement for the last three years, leaving Florida Supreme Court justices to suggest earlier this month that they could impose a parole system to review lengthy sentences for juveniles in light of the Legislature's inaction....
Heading toward their 2014 session, lawmakers must address two groups of juvenile offenders. One group is juveniles convicted of non-homicide crimes — for which the U.S. Supreme Court banned life sentences in 2010. The other group is juveniles convicted of murder, who can be sentenced to life but their punishment must follow protocols outlined by the nation's highest court in a 2012 ruling.
In the 2013 session, the sentencing legislation failed when [Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, a former state prosecutor] advanced a bill capping sentences at 50 years for non-homicide juvenile crimes and establishing a sentencing procedure for juvenile murderers, who would face a minimum 50-year sentence if they were not sentenced to life. But senators, who believed the bill was still too harsh, amended the bill in 20-19 vote, calling for a sentence review at 25 years for the juvenile offenders. In response, Bradley killed the legislation.
He and other lawmakers say they understand the frustration of the state's highest court — where two cases are pending involving juveniles who received 70- and 90-year sentences for non-homicide crimes — but they said they hope to resolve the issue without putting the burden on the court....
Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, who sponsored the House version of the sentencing bill, said he understood why the courts are not happy with the lack of legislative action. "They're pushing us to do something," Pilon said. "I think it was kind of travesty that we couldn't come to a compromise last year. I'm certainly hopeful that we do this year. It's our responsibility."
There has been tension between the Legislature and the court in recent years, with some legislative leaders suggesting the justices have intruded into the legislative arena. But some lawmakers say the failure to act on the juvenile sentencing would leave the court little choice. "If we're lawmakers we need to make the law," said Rep. Dave Kerner, D-Lake Worth, a member of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, which would initiate the juvenile sentencing legislation. "We talk a lot about judges acting outside their authority. But it's hard to blame them when we don't write the laws."...
Lawyers for an Orlando juvenile facing a 90-year sentence have suggested the state Supreme Court re-impose a parole system — which was abolished for non-capital crimes in 1983 and for all crimes in 1995 — to review lengthy juvenile sentences. In their questioning during oral arguments on the case, several justices talked about using the Parole Commission, which still exists to handle prisoners sentenced before parole was abolished.
But reviving the parole system would likely meet resistance from lawmakers. "Parole has become a dirty word in Florida," said House Criminal Justice Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach. "I don't know that there is enough momentum to sort of change that cultural shift that has occurred in our state."
Nonetheless, lawmakers generally agree that they may have to come up with some review process for the non-homicide juveniles since the U.S. Supreme Court has said they must be given "some realistic opportunity to obtain release" before the end of their prison term. "We can call it whatever you want but we have to have that ability to go back and look," Kerner said.
While acknowledging a review process for the non-homicide juveniles is necessary, Bradley said he would strongly resist any type of review for the juveniles convicted of murder. He said that would impose an emotional burden on the families of the crime victims, calling it unfair "to bring them back for a hearing and to go relive the crime over and over again."
Under Bradley's previous legislation, juveniles could be sentenced to a life sentences for murder if the judge weighed some 10 factors in the sentencing, including the offender's level of maturity and the nature of the crime. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling has called for "individualized sentencing decisions" for juveniles based on the argument that they were different from adult offenders.
September 30, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Scope of Imprisonment, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sunday, September 29, 2013
"Life Without Parole as a Conflicted Punishment"The title of this post is the title of this lengthy and notable new article available now via SSRN and authored by Craig Lerner. Here is the abstract:
Life without parole (LWOP) has displaced the death penalty as the distinctive American punishment. Although the sentence scarcely exists in Europe, roughly 40,000 inmates are serving LWOP in America today. Despite its prevalence, the sentence has received little academic scrutiny. This has begun to change, a development sparked by a pair of Supreme Court cases, Graham v. Florida (2010) and Miller v. Alabama (2012), which express European-styled reservations with America's embrace of LWOP. Both opinions, like the nascent academic commentary, lament the irrevocability of the sentence and the expressive judgment purportedly conveyed -- that a human being is so incorrigible that the community brands him with the mark of Cain and banishes him forever from our midst. In the tamer language of the Graham opinion, LWOP "forswears altogether the rehabilitative ideal."
This Article tests whether that phrase is a fair characterization of LWOP today, and concludes that the Graham Court's treatment of LWOP captures only a partial truth. Life without parole, the Article argues, is a conflicted punishment. The community indulges its thirst for revenge when imposing the sentence, but over time softer impulses insinuate themselves. LWOP is in part intended as a punishment of incalculable cruelty, more horrible than a prison term of many years, and on par with or worse than death itself. In practice, however, LWOP also emerges as a softer punishment, accommodating a concern for the inmate's humanity and a hope for his rehabilitation.
September 29, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Prisons and prisoners, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing, Scope of Imprisonment | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Linda Greenhouse reflects on changing crime culture changing SCOTUS jurisprudenceLinda Greenhouse's new commentary piece at the New York Times "Opinionator" blog is focused on crime and punishment issues. The lengthy piece, headlined "Winds of Change," is worth a full read and here are excerpts:
Back in 1991, the Supreme Court upheld a Michigan man's prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole for possessing more than 1.5 pounds of cocaine. The sentence did not represent the third strike of a three-strikes law: the prisoner, Ronald A. Harmelin, 45, had no previous criminal record. The police found the drugs when they stopped him for running a red light. Since simple possession was enough to trigger Michigan's mandatory life-without-parole sentence, the prosecution didn't even have to bother trying to prove that Mr. Harmelin intended to sell the cocaine.
In upholding the sentence, the court rejected the argument that it was so disproportionate to the crime as to violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The three justices who then occupied the middle of the court (yes, there was a multi-justice middle back then) — Anthony M. Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor and David H. Souter — voted with the 5-to-4 majority.
In "Five Chiefs," the very interesting (and underappreciated) Supreme Court memoir he published in retirement, Justice John Paul Stevens reflected on the Harmelin decision, from which he dissented. Those three justices were all relatively new to the court at the time, he wrote. The justices they had replaced — Lewis F. Powell Jr., Potter Stewart and William J. Brennan Jr. — were all long-serving veterans who Justice Stevens speculated would have voted to invalidate the sentence. It may be, he added, that "the views of individual justices become more civilized after 20 years of service on the court."
That was an intriguing thought, and when I had a chance last year to interview Justice Stevens, I asked him to say more. He said he still thought about the case "a lot." He was "quite sure" that Justice Kennedy would come to the opposite conclusion today, and that the other two probably would as well if they were still on the court. Nonetheless, he added, "the precedent is still there, and it's really a very unfortunate case."
I've been thinking a lot myself about the Harmelin decision in light of recent events. First there was the announcement last month by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. that the Justice Department was revising its prosecution strategy in order to avoid the impact of mandatory minimum sentences for low-level drug offenses. That was followed by the announcement that the federal government wouldn't sue to block state laws that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use. Either policy shift would have been greeted with amazement not too many years ago, but neither provoked anything approaching a fuss....
Something is clearly in the wind. I've also been thinking about the New York City mayoral primary. It's impossible to read the election outcome as other than, at least in part, a public repudiation of the Bloomberg administration's law-enforcement policies, particularly the administration's embrace of stop-and-frisk. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg not only denounced Federal District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin's ruling last month that stop-and-frisk as the police were using it was unconstitutional, but he also attacked the judge herself as an "ideologically driven" judicial activist.
Unlike the days when politicians could score easy points by attacking courts as soft on crime, however, the mayor got no traction. Bill de Blasio, the Democratic primary winner, ran as the non-Bloomberg, making opposition to stop-and-frisk a centerpiece of his campaign. An exit poll indicated that black New Yorkers and white New Yorkers were equally supportive of Mr. de Blasio, who also received nearly identical support across the income spectrum — a fascinating development. People so often separated by race and class, seemed to unite around the conclusion that enough was enough.
The question is what this shift in public attitudes might mean for the courts, the Supreme Court in particular. The Supreme Court operates inside the mainstream culture — which is, after all, where the justices live — influenced not by the "weather of the day" but by the "climate of the age," as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg likes to say, quoting the great constitutional scholar Paul Freund....
In his reflection on the Harmelin decision, Justice Stevens offered the tantalizing idea that longevity on the bench makes justices "more civilized." Can that prediction apply not only to individual members of the court, but also to the court as a whole? As the Roberts court begins year nine, that may be a distant hope, but one worth clinging to.
The recent SCOTUS Eighth Amendment rulings in Graham and Miller reflect, in my view, the impact of these "winds of change." But it remains to see whether and when these winds will blow hard enough to knock over the problematic precedent set by the Harmelin decision 22 years ago.
September 19, 2013 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Mandatory minimum sentencing statutes, Scope of Imprisonment, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences? | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBack


text:
This really is a question without a right answer. Fundamentally it depends how idiosyncratic your needs are (therefore how much original thought/coding etc) and how much work you are able and prepared to do yourself.
For me the answer was £400 (c $600 US) to have www.photography001.com developed and put up with my chosen webhost. But
I did all the work on images myself. All the designer had to do was load them. I think most people who cared what their photography looks like online would want to do that.
I had no e-commerce aspect at all, though I think a lot of the freeware/shareware that web designers use has this built in so it could be a nil cost extra.
The basic creative concept-backgrounds, colours, was adapted from a previous site not started from scratch. That does get the cost and input levels down because you don't need to have a stage of briefing designers, and having them come up with several (usually) creative interpretations of your brief. If its been hard to settle on a "look" then this is an area where website development costs can run up quite quickly if ( for example) the designer based his estimate on putting up 4 ideas one of which gets chosen, but ends up producing lots more candidates and variants before the client is happy.
In addition to scanning and image prep. there was a significant workload on me during the development phase. You can write the best brief in the world yet are still a myriad things to sort out on the hoof that your designer will want you to approve or decide between alternative treatments.
Finally do make sure that the site is designed so it can be updated by you in terms of adding new images, new portfolios and so on. Otherwise it will be one of the myriad websites conceived as dynamic but which never actually changes and eventually dies of boredom.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Entertainment News Archive - August 17, 2011
Pioneers For A Cure - Songs To Fight Cancer, the largest online showcase of cancer charities, releases two all-new podcasts featuring musical artists raising funds for cancer research. New York, NY (PRWEB) August 16, 2011 Pioneers For A Cure - Songs to Fight Cancer announces the release of two new podcasts to help raise funds for cancer research, co-produced by Jon Kalish and Marty Goldensohn, veteran broadcast journalists based in New York. The video podcast can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRnVf7ywCyI. The audio podcast can be found at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pioneers-for-a-cure-podcasts/id314968608. Both podcasts feature coverage of Pioneers For A Cure's Songs To Fight Cancer Gala concert in Tel Aviv in February 2011, which featured over a dozen artists singing pioneer songs to raise crucial funds for the cancer research charities they selected.
Liqueo announced today that it has signed with Mercedes Benz of Tysons Corner, part of the Penske Automotive Group, to provide a QR code-based mobile marketing solution designed specifically for vehicle dealerships. Vienna, VA (PRWEB) August 16, 2011 Built on its cloud-based platform, Liqueo's mobile marketing solution integrates with the dealership's existing database, automatically generating a custom mobile advertising campaign for each new and pre-owned vehicle on their lot.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County's ISD Now Forum is a free event open to the community. Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) August 16, 2011 UMBC's ISD Now Forum and Workshop will be held on Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7, 2011, respectively. Presenter: Dr.
With Over 650,000 Daily Video Chat Sessions, One Million Monthly Active Members and a New Integration with Screenr, Rounds is The Place to Hang Out Live with Friends! (PRWEB) August 16, 2011 Rounds is happy to announce that upon surpassing 1,000,000 monthly active users, it is adding recording capabilities to the application.
Global digital media network receives widespread praise for Global Editorial Meetings (PRWEB) August 16, 2011 Digital Journal, a global digital media network with contributors in 200 countries, reported a strong response to its series of Global Editorial Meetings, ushering in a new precedent for how newsrooms interact with their audience and how editorial content is produced. Online story meetings were open to the public, taking place throughout July.
Global Editorial Meetings provide insight into news consumer habits, likes and dislikes (PRWEB) August 16, 2011 After receiving widespread praise for its Global Editorial Meetings, Digital Journal today released feedback to give newsrooms and editors a chance to hear about the types of content people are looking for. Throughout the month of July, Digital Journal hosted online story meetings that were open to the public.
Lasertron's proprietary metal decoration process is suitable for panel sizes up to 48â€x 96†and does not use toxic chemicals, thereby maintaining Lasertron's policy of "green†manufacturing.
New phone support hours will better serve, benefit Miva Merchant community. San Diego, CA (PRWEB) August 16, 2011 Technical support questions don't always occur on a nine-to-five schedule, and no one knows this better than leading ecommerce software company Miva Merchant who recently made the move to 24/7 technical phone support in order to better meet the needs of their customers.
Moreover Technologies has rolled out three versions of its award-winning Newsdesk media monitoring and news sharing solution to serve all types and sizes of business, and starting at just $1995 per year.
With all the pressures on the fabric dyeing industry to use less water and since the release of the report by Greenpeace on Fabric Dying in China, Katmandu and Critical Masses' phones, emails and fax machines have been ringing from companies within the United States, the E.U., Latin America, China, India, the Middle East, and South Africa.
- To say in too many words; to express verbosely.
- To express in too many words: sometimes used reflexively.
- The leading idea or a repeated phrase, as of a song or ballad; the refrain; burden.


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Public, town talk water
Citizens' questions got answers during a public hearing on proposed water rate changes on June 17.
Mayor Chuck Cariker thanked people for attending to express their concerns and share their opinions. Cariker said the move to change water and sewer rates stemmed from a 2009 Attorney General's opinion stating that municipalities can not charge any less than what it costs to operate their water systems.
"This administration and the previous administration have been working to come up with a way to bring us into compliance with that," Cariker said, noting that the town has been supplementing the system's operating costs by $600,000 to $700,000 a year.
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More than 30 third graders may not be promoted Tunica County...
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Mon-Fri: 7am-1am EST / Sat-Sun: 7am-11pm EST
ApplianceGeneral Electric Refrigerator
Level of DifficultyA Bit Difficult
Time to do repair15 - 30 mins
Age of Appliance1 - 4 years
NutdriverPliersScrew drivers
Turn off refrigerator. Remove the plastic air flow cover, styrofoam channel and metal panel inside freezer compartment, remove hex nuts holding motor mount, unplug connector, remove old grommets, remove compression ring, (note 1/4 inch extension of shaft through fan) carefully pull fan blade off motor shaft and put on new motor shaft, leaving 1/4 inch of shaft extending through, replace compression ring. If your new fan motor has a female snap connector and the old motor has a male connector (as mine did) you will have to cut the wires on both new and old motors, splice and solder the male connector onto the wires of new motor, wrap carefully with premium electrical tape (or shrink tubing). Replace the 2 grommets, Reconnect the fan and bolt back into place. Make sure all the bolts around the mount are tight. Replace the metal panel. Manually spin the fan making sure it is free of the shroud. If it binds in the shroud, physically move the motor and mount till it rotates freely. Turn on refrigerator and test fan operation. If it's all good, replace the styrofoam and plastic cover.
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Part Number: PS284555
Part Number: PS1015726
Part Number: PS6011778
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Copyright © 1999-2015 , Eldis Group Partnership. All rights reserved.


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- About
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We just found our forever home with a great bunny named Hank and his people!
My name is Sam (short for Samantha). I am a pretty, spayed little girl who is bonded with Pony, also from SFACC and Marin Humane Society.
We are now here at SaveABunny because Pony is having some unexplained medical issues. We almost lost him and that would make me so incredibly sad, because I really love him.
Pony has digestive issues and "cow poop", a condition that is often observed in black and white spotted bunnies. It results in abnormal fecal output and a fragile digestive system.
We almost lost Pony recently , but he appears to have bounced back so far. We are seeking a miracle home or adopter to care for us. Pony is very fragile and I am afraid to lose him.
We're not great with our litter box, but hope you will overlook it in order to help us.
Won't you please love and HELP US?
"Reflection Of Compassion" is a lovingly commissioned series of original watercolor and gouache illustrations created especially for SaveABunny Rabbit Rescue by artist Elizabeth Koval Maffeo. (All images copyright 2008 SaveABunny. All rights reserved.)


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UPDATE: Good news! The Von Ormy animal control officer, Michael Suarez, said all the shelter dogs have now been placed in homes. Suarez, whose last day on the job is Friday, says he will continue to take in stray dogs on his own. Expect more fallout over this issue.
Von Ormy has suspended their volunteer animal control program.Strays now have more of a chance of being euthanized today than they did yesterday.
The town of Von Ormy has a $4,000 budget for animal control, and for the past two years they have had volunteers work as officers for no pay.
As of Friday there will be no animal control in Von Ormy.
Michael Suarez, Von Ormy animal control officer said, Last night the Von Ormy City Council voted 3 to 2 to eliminate animal control. With that being said, these dogs have really no place to go and the end result would be euthanasia.
The mayor, Art Martinez De Vara, says they will now have to find other volunteers or call Bexar County. He says Von Ormy is plagued with strays and that the town is a dumping ground for people that don t want their pets. According to De Vara, people go to the edge of the city - to the first place that looks like the country - and abandon their unwanted pets. Von Ormy's location just off I-35 has become that dumping ground, he said.
Suarez said councilwoman Trina Reyes thought he was selling inoculations paid for by the city to pet owners, then pocketing the profit for his nonprofit shelter.
One council member just didn t understand how that I've always had a supply of shots than what the city bought, and I didn t use shots for my own benefit for my nonprofit, said Suarez.
According to the mayor there was an issue about Suarez holding vaccination events for pets through his nonprofit, and that it wasn t clear if the events were city-sponsored.
There were some questions about paperwork and finances.We did an internal audit. We didn t find anything misplaced, said De Vara.
He said audits showed that there were more shots used than the city actually paid for and that Suarez s receipts showed that he was buying 3 to 4 times more inoculations than the city. paying for them out of his own pocket.


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It is not uncommon for wheels on these vehicles to be very easily bent or otherwise damaged, often to the point of requiring replacement. This can happen even with no apparent damage to the tire.
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Corrosion may develop on the fuel filler door requiring replacement of the damaged door.
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The drivers power seat may not adjust properly or develop a noise issue when adjusting. This is commonly caused by a damaged drive cable which will require replacement.
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Vehicles with convertible tops may develop a fluttering type noise with the windows partially opened. This is commonly caused by the fabric top becoming loose at one of the metal bow supports. Our technicians tell us that the headliner must be lowered to access the retaining strips to tighten them.
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Cahill outdueled as D-backs' win streak ends
SEP 24, 2012 9:40p ET
Tyler Chatwood pitched effectively into the sixth inning, Andrew Brown homered and the Colorado Rockies beat the Diamondbacks 4-2 on Monday night to end a nine-game losing streak.
Jason Kubel hit his 30th homer of the season for the Diamondbacks, who fell 5 games behind St. Louis with nine remaining in the race for the second NL wild card.
"We're going to try to win as many games as we can," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "We've been in that mode for some time. It's disappointing when you lose. We understand what it means. We'll try to win every last game that we play."
Tyler Colvin and Charlie Blackmon had two hits each for Colorado. Rafael Betancourt worked the ninth for his 30th save.
For one night, at least, the Rockies (59-94) avoided tying the franchise record for losses in a season with a solid performance from Chatwood. Colorado's pitchers had allowed 33 runs on 48 hits through the first three games of this series before holding the Diamondbacks to five hits Monday.
Chatwood (5-5) gave up three hits and two runs before three relievers combined to retire 10 of the final 12 Arizona batters.
"He was throwing hard and keeping it somewhat elevated sometimes, not all the time, and that made it kind of hard to catch up to," said Kubel, who connected off Chatwood in the fourth. "After that first round of at bats, he started to go to more breaking stuff and kind of kept us off balance."
Kubel said he got hold of a changeup from Chatwood for his homer, a two-run shot that landed in the second deck beyond the right field wall.
"He left it out over the plate," Kubel said. "Fortunately for me, that was my bat speed tonight and I hit it and it went out. But he looked pretty good today."
Betancourt set down his first two in the ninth before yielding consecutive singles. John McDonald lined out to right field to end the game.
"Tough loss but we'll move on," said Diamondbacks starter Trevor Cahill (12-12). He allowed three runs -- two earned -- on nine hits and struck out six in six innings.
While their playoff hopes dimmed, Cahill wasn't ready to write them off.
"Crazier things have happened," Cahill said. "Our approach is to go out and win every game, bottom line. That's all we can do."
Colorado led 1-0 entering the fourth when Kubel became the 11th player in franchise history to hit at least 30 homers in a season.
The Rockies responded in their half of the inning. Colvin led off with a single, Chris Nelson walked and Matt McBride singled to load the bases.
Colvin scored on a groundout by Brown, and Nelson scored on DJ LeMahieu's groundout to make it 3-2.
Brown hit a solo home run -- his fourth of the season -- in the eighth to make it 4-2.
The Rockies got the first two on in the fifth but couldn't cash in.
Colvin's RBI single in the first gave Colorado a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: Gibson announced after the game that Tyler Skaggs had been scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday against San Francisco and replaced by Josh Collmenter. Gibson said the move was an organizational decision. ... Arizona 2B Aaron Hill was out of the lineup due to sickness. ... Rockies OF Dexter Fowler (right wrist) did not start but came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth. ... OF Carlos Gonzalez (tight left hamstring) was not in the starting lineup for the fifth straight game. Gonzalez came in as a pinch-hitter Saturday and Sunday.
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We've been seeing quite a bit of the sextastic minx Sara Jean Underwood of late, but quite a bit just isn't nearly enough for this alluring hottie.
In her brand new pictorial for Men's Fitness magazine, the G4TV hostess and former Bunny shows off an entirely new and outrageous level of hotness, all kinds of boxer sweaty and sideboob hot at the gym. Sometimes, a little bit of clothing can be quite a tease, and this is, no doubt, a very little bit of clothing.
Sara Jean Underwood has got a special gift for bringing warm feelings to men (and you ladies out there we know our ogling quietly right alongside us). We hope she never forsakes her special gift. Enjoy.


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We tried several times, but failed every single time. There always seemed to be something faulty in our technique or our positioning. During one of the first attempts, the people on the base layer were spaced too wide apart and we couldn't stay stable. Another time, most of us were having trouble carrying the weight, so we never made it past the second level. Despite our unfaltering efforts, we didn't succeed.
On July 29th, SCA's community crews in New York City and New Jersey came together 100 members strong to celebrate the midpoint of their summer crews with a project at New York City's most famous green space: Central Park.
SCA's Sandy Recovery crews wrapped up their first week on the job with an Environmental Education Day on Randall's Island — a unique park and recreational space which sits at the confluence of the East River, the Harlem River, and Long Island Sound in New York City.
This week, 118 high school students are headed into the field in New York City and New Jersey to help continue the storm recovery process after Hurricane Sandy.


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It's time to save water now
Although our earth is made of 20% land and 80% water, 97% of the water is salt water and only 3% of the water is fresh water. However, 3% of water contains 2% frozen water, which means there are only 1% of the water we can use. Water crisis is becoming a more serious now. 36% of the world's population lacks access to improved sanitation. 780 million people live without access to save drinking water. Mortality rates remain hight without fresh, potable drinking water. Each year 3.6 million people die from water related disease. It's time to save water now. What can we do? In fact, we can do more things to protect our planet.


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The World Investment Report (WIR) of UNCTAD finds the prospects for global foreign direct investment (FDI) gloomy during this year — it is expected to drop below $1.2 trillion from $1.7 trillion in 2008. A modest recovery is forecast in 2010 when the aggregate inflows are expected to be around $1.4 trillion. FDI flows are likely to gain momentum only during 2011 and touch $1.8 trillion. Since capital flows correlate with economic activity, the WIR's estimates of cross-country capital flows are broadly in line with the growth forecasts of international organisations. Recovery, expected to start later this year, will initially be feeble and gain traction only towards the end of 2010. Developed countries as a bloc are expected to fare worse than the fast-developing emerging economies, especially China and India. The WIR says that FDI to the developing countries has held out better, while the flows to the developed countries have slipped. In the last quarter of 2007, the developed countries received 80 per cent of the world's FDI, but their share fell to less than two-thirds of the total by the first quarter of this year. FDI inflows to developed countries were lower by 29 per cent in 2008, compared to 2007. Despite this, the U.S. remained the world's largest recipient followed by France, China, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation.
The FDI outflows from developed countries fell less sharply in 2008. The U.S. retained its top place as the largest exporter of capital. In the case of developing countries, they continued to grow although the trend was uneven across regions. Transnational companies from China embarked on a significant outward expansion while capital outflows from West Asia were relatively muted. The WIR attributes the decline in global FDIs to growing divestment by transnational companies world wide. Taking the form of repatriated investments, reverse inter-company loans and so on , they exceeded the gross FDI inflows in several countries. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) which have traditionally contributed to the FDI growth fell sharply in 2008 as the financial markets collapsed during the second half of the year. Private equity firms had a relatively lean year. Only sovereign wealth funds bucked the trend and recorded a rise in FDI in 2008. Despite the financial turmoil and massive government interventions, there has no been no significant trend towards investment protectionism. As the crisis recedes, the exit of government from ailing industries could provide a significant opportunity for mergers and acquisitions and the concomitant FDI flows.


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Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 110 projects made from this pattern and much more? join Ravelry now What am I missing?
© 2009 Tara Wheeler
Doctor Who Scarf - Season Twelve in Nature Spun Sport (Archived)
This pattern is available for free.
For more information, see: http://web.archive.org/web/20130112211424/http://wit...


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JANUS et Cie
Marbella Dining Table (59" DIA)
- Color:
- brown
Please select an available size.
Please select a size.
Share This Item: Email
Description: Marbella Dining Table:
- Slatted folding round dining table
- Oiled castillo wood construction
- Features a stainless steel hardware
Measurements: 59" DIA x 28¾" H
Delivery charge includes delivery to your home, placement of items, and removal of all packing materials. You will be contacted to schedule a delivery time. Please note that this item can not be delivered to Hawaii and Alaska.
Material: Oiled castillo wood, stainless steel
Care: Wipe with a damp cloth
Brand: JANUS et Cie
Origin: Imported


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Communication will continue to lead us over the bridge to success
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CK17: Prairie PRA1 Silverby Nourison Rugs
Item # 45333
1. Select Your Color: - Silver (selected)
Call 1-866-784-7444
You May Also Like
- Brand: Nourison Rugs
- Collection: CK17: Prairie
- Color: Silver
- Material: Cowhide
- Weave: Hand Tufted
- Style: Solid / Tone On Tone
- Additional Style: Solid / Tone On Tone Stripes
- Origin: India
- Model: PRA1 Silver
Rug Description
This collection of special skin rugs brings the beauty of nature inside. The cowhides, contrasting hues and alternating hair direction add to the design and sophistication of this unique all natural collection. Consumer note: This is an all natural animal skin product that with regular wear will change in look over time. This product is not recommended for high traffic areas such as dining rooms, and special care should be exercised when moving furniture.
Rug Sale was established in 1999 and has a proven track record for the best value and a top rated customer service staff. Rug Sale ships rugs directly from the Manufacturer to your door. All items are first quality. Call us 1-866-784-7444 M-F 10a to 5p Eastern Time zone and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have and to assist you in placing your order.
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If you are looking for stunning, handmade area rug collections for your home décor, look no further than Nourison Rugs. They are the most prominent area rug manufacturers in the United States. Nourison is the overall leading multi-category resource in today's floor covering market. They boast comprehensive lines such as the best-selling area rugs of Ashton House to designer lines like Calvin Klein. They also offer the enviably chic Nourison 3000 rug collection.