“No government official in America has as much unreviewable power and discretion as the prosecutor,” many scholars agree . While prosecutors decide  whether to initiate criminal proceedings, what charges to bring, and what sentencing recommendations to make, they also bear the enormous responsibility of having essentially no checks on their decisions. As one author has said , “the presumption that prosecutors act in good faith has made the charging power virtually immune from

Mandatory arrest laws in the domestic violence context were originally well-intentioned , meant to simplify decision-making  for officers and to emphasize the seriousness  of domestic violence. However, mandatory arrest laws have disproportionately harmed the LGBTQ+ community due to their failure to account for the unique dynamics of same-sex relationships. This failure has led to higher dual arrests and wrongful arrests  of victims. Specifically, this blog focuses on mandat

Trigger Warning: Mentions of Suicide The issue of mass incarceration  has persisted in the United States and is often discussed through legal and policy lenses. However, the psychological toll of prolonged isolation within prisons is equally critical. Solitary confinement in particular has devastating effects  on mental health, emotional well-being and cognitive functioning. This piece explores not only the harm caused by isolation but also the reform and intervention that ca

On January 10th, 2024, Russian forces conducted a massive strike  on the Ukrainian power grid, coordinating over 40 missiles and around...

Twenty years ago, the “Contacts” app on the iPhone didn’t exist. iPhones themselves didn’t even exist . It was the age where you memorized your loved one’s phone numbers because there were no other alternatives. Flash forward to 2025, nearly one in three Americans  do not have their emergency contact numbers memorized. This percentage will likely just get worse, considering that the older you are, the more likely you are to have somewhere between two and five  phone numbers m

“ Diddy  recruited his kids for birthday singing video in an attempt to sway potential jurors.”   “What is jury nullification, and what does it mean for Luigi Mangione’s defense?”   “ OJ Simpson : The First Trial of the Digital Century.”   Over the past few decades, the rise of media and digital platforms has strongly influenced our decision-making. The court of public opinion  often decides a celebrity’s fate before a trial begins. High-profile criminal cases involving cele

Trigger Warning: Violence, child abuse, mentions of suicide The month of February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. In the United...

According to the U.S. Department of Justice,  reducing recidivism  is one of the best ways to prevent crime. Over the past 16 years,...

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, nineteen states have banned abortion or restricted abortion to early-in pregnancy. However,...