Marijuana Policy

Thanks for everyone that came to Monday's Lacey lunch and yesterday's race and justice discussion.

One of the things that was touched on at both events was U.S. drug policy. This appears to be on the minds of many Americans these days - at least in regard to marijuana legalization.

Washington state will be voting on legalizing recreational marijuana this November. Other local initiatives have been pursued elsewhere.

A study by a Harvard Business School professor recently released finds that legalization could save the federal government up to $13.7 billion a year. 300 economists have signed a petition to start a discussion on legalization.

A former U.S. federal prosecutor who helped put Canada's "pot king" in jail is calling for an end to prohibition in Canada and the U.S.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration is pushing back against calls for serious reform both here and abroad. The DEA also raided and shutdown Oaksterdam University, an Oakland trade school of medical marijuana. A protest is planned tomorrow in Oakland, among others I am sure.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/economists-marijuana-legalization_n_1431840.html?ref=mostpopular

http://www.globaltvbc.com/us+attorney+who+jailed+marc+emery+calls+for+legalization+of+marijuana/6442623665/story.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/28/us-marijuana-initiative-washington-idUSTRE80R07F20120128

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/obama-war-on-weed-richard-lee-oaksterdam-raid_n_1427435.html

http://blog.sfgate.com/djsaunders/2012/04/18/drug-czar-hits-pro-legalization-solons/

Continuing our Discussion on Trayvon Martin & Beyond

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Trayvon Martin & Beyond forum, and to our speakers and the staff that made this event possible!

It seemed as though the discussion had only gotten started when we had to end, and we wanted to give everyone a chance to get to the topics that they were hoping to discuss, or to add their own perspective. We invite you to reply to this post with your comments, reflections, and questions.

We have also provided a list of the questions we were not able to get to at the event to the speakers, who may be able to offer their thoughts on some of them. I have pasted that list here - please feel free to comment on any of these questions too!

Additional discussion questions:

• What are the underlying race dynamics that affect criminal law?
• What role should race play in a criminal trial?
• What kinds of laws or protocols have criminal justice systems put in place in different states to counter race bias?
• How do gun laws play a role in these issues?
• So, if racial dynamics influence the “reasonable fear” of a person under self-defense law, does that mean that people of different races have different standards of self-defense?
• Where are conversations of race not occurring in the criminal justice system, where they really need to? Who is not talking about these issues?
• How can lawyers and courts ensure that their work does not promote racial inequality?
• How can lawyers work to counter media influences?
• What do defense attorneys and prosecutors need to be aware of when vetting a jury? Is it possible to get an untainted jury in high profile cases like these?
• Should defendants include media in their thought process when considering plea agreements?
• More broadly, how should a defender counsel a client who has come under media heat?
• Does a prosecutor have any ethical obligation to correct incorrect allegations made in the media that are particularly damning for a defendant?
• How does a defendant who is acquitted but condemned by the media deal with that stigma?
• In this case, media altered the 911 call in order to make Zimmerman appear to have volunteered information about Trayvon’s race on his own, rather than after the 911 operator had asked him, and this alteration has come under a lot of criticism. A few questions follow from this issue:
• While acknowledging issues of race in criminal law is important, what kinds of media practices are more damaging to social justice causes than others?
• What can or should defense attorneys and prosecutors do when the media comes out with misleading presentations of evidence on their cases?
• Should 911 calls be available to the public?
• How can an attorney promote appropriate media coverage of their case, or discourage inappropriate coverage?
• How can we recognize inappropriate or unreliable coverage of a case when we see it?
• What role should media take in criminal cases?

Trayvon Martin Forum on Race, Media & Criminal Law this Wednesday:

What are the underlying race dynamics that affect criminal law? In what ways do media present issues of race and law - appropriately, and inappropriately? How can lawyers and courts ensure that their work does not promote racial inequality? How can lawyers work to counter media influences?

Wednesday, April 18th, 10:00am-11:00am

Mondale Hall Room 25

229 19th Avenue S

Minneapolis, MN 55455

Our forum discussing the issues surrounding Trayvon Martin / George Zimmerman case in the media will touch on these questions and more. We gather not to debate the merits of this particular case, but the learn about and troubleshoot the social and legal issues that influence this and many other cases.

Email us at mnjusticeleague@gmail.com to submit your questions to the panel!

About our speakers:

Judge Pamela Alexander; grew up in South Minneapolis and graduated from the UMN Law School. She has served as a criminal defense attorney, a prosecutor, and a District Court Judge, and is currently the President of the Council on Crime and Justice. She will speak on race & the criminal justice system and initiatives on eliminating race bias in the criminal justice system in Minneapolis.

Prof. Michele Goodwin is the Everett Fraser Professor in Law at UMN and has written extensively on the cognitive bias surrounding the images of persons of color. She will speak on the development of cognitive bias connecting criminality with communities of color, and their fallout effects on youth of color.

Jon Hopeman is is a trial and appellate attorney in state and federal courts and teaches at UMN. He has also served as an Assistant United States Attorney. He will speak on the practical aspects of implementing bias-elimination practices as a practitioner, both as a prosecutor and a defense attorney, and the influence of media on attorneys’ decision making

Prof. Perry Moriearty teaches at UMN and co-directs the Child Advocacy and Juvenile Justice Clinic at UMN. She has written on the the interaction of media, bias, color, and juvenile juvenile justice.

Professor Carl Warren teaches in UMN's Civil Practice Clinic. He managed the Human Rights Division of the Minnesota Attorney General's Office for two years, and is a UMN Law School graduate. He will speak on the historical foundations of current patterns of race in the criminal justice system and their influence on ongoing civil rights concerns.

Shy Cunningham is a second year law student at the University of Minnesota currently conducting research on the Trayvon Martin situation and its broader implications. She is a NAACP LDF Warren Scholar, Fredrikson & Byron Minority Scholar, Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers McGee Scholar.

Volunteer Opportunity: Ban the Box

The Council on Crime and Justice is joining up with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to investigate compliance with the 2009 Ban the Box legislation, and we would appreciate CJL’s assistance.

BTB prohibits public employers from inquiring into the criminal history of a job applicant until that applicant has been selected for an interview. Minn. Stat. 364.021. By banning the box, employers must consider the qualifications and merit of each applicant, rather than judging each solely upon a criminal record. However, in a survey conducted by CCJ in 2010, approximately half of responding county seats and counties in the state reported implementing the change. We would like to again audit these public employers and more, over the course of the next few months.

Students interested in assisting with the audit would pull public employment applications from online postings, accessing websites such as:

https://statejobs.doer.state.mn.us/JobPosting

http://www.indeed.com/ and

https://www.governmentjobs.com/display.cfm?SubCatID=1

After we have culled together a critical mass of applications, students will work with the Department and CCJ to interview and educate the agencies to ensure immediate compliance.

Please email mnjusticeleague@gmail.com if you would like to help.

Spring 2012 Criminal Records Service Campaign

CJL teams up with UMN Diversity Clubs this semester to serve our local community with the Council on Crime and Justice.

Read on about two volunteer opportunities this semester with minimal time commitments but big impacts and sign up to participate:

- Expungement Seminars: The Council on Crime and Justice hosts an expungement seminar each month and seeks law students to assist attorneys conducting intake interviews. This position requires no previous knowledge, as the hardest tasks generally involve making copies and greeting participants. But, you get to work through the facts with the lawyers as they interview participants, and learn a lot about criminal records and expungement in the process.

• First Tuesdays of the month, approximately 2pm-5pm
• At the Council on Crime and Justice, about 6 blocks from the law school (address upon RSVP)
• Email mnjusticeleague@gmail.com to sign up for a slot this February 7, March 6, or April 3 (Full! More dates available during summer.) . Sign ups are first come first serve, and your firm commitment is required.

- Criminal Records Clinics: Also in association with the CCJ, these criminal records clinics will be held monthly or bimonthly, depending on participation and demand. Students will talk with clients one on one, helping them to read and understand their criminal records, and discussing the collateral impact of those records. Participating in an expungement seminar prior to a criminal records clinic is recommended, but not required.

• Dates and times TBD
• At the Law School, exact location TBD
• Possible opportunity for service trip to Leech Lake Reservation
• Training: Saturday, 1/28, 12:30pm, room TBD
• Email mnjusticeleague@gmail.com to participate.
• Sign Up Deadline: Thursday, 1/26, 5pm by email

Thank you for serving our community! Both volunteer projects qualify for MJF volunteer service credit.

The Criminal Justice League
Latino Law Students Association
Asian Pacific American Law Student Association
South Asian Law Students Association