The victim’s statement in the Stanford Rape Case made headlines in 2016 because the victim described what it was like to go through the process of reporting her assault, be probed for evidence and then endure a trial. It isn’t a new concept, even in the wake of #metoo, that sexual assaults are underreported. The ordeal described in the Stanford Rape Case – as well as stories about victims who later commit suicide – contribute to victims’ reluctance to report or press charges.

Justice Anthony Kennedy retired from the Supreme Court on July 31, 2018. He was often the swing vote of many of the most ideological decisions, including issues regarding criminal justice and the death penalty. If President Trump’s rhetoric provides any indication, then his nominee Brett Kavanaugh may reject any challenges to capital punishment. Kennedy was often the key vote in slowly limiting death penalty practices. But if Kavanaugh is appointed, will those practices resur