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We rarely hear how a judge determines an appropriate sentence for a person who has been convicted of a crime. This process is invisible to the lawyers in a case, the public and even to the criminal defendant being sentenced. In this episode of the Modern Law Library podcast, Judge Frederic Block, a longtime federal district court judge, speaks about sentencing issues, the details surrounding the cases covered in his book "Crimes and Punishments: Entering the Mind of a Sentencing Judge", and the most important case that he has ever handled. https://www.abajournal.com/books/article/podcast-episode-112

PODCAST LISTEN: In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Aya Gruber shares examples of the unintended consequences of feminist criminal law reforms, and discusses her personal experience as a public defender. She also describes how feminists can rethink gender justice advocacy without contributing to a discriminatory, carceral system. https://www.abajournal.com/books/article/podcast-episode-126

It's Friday, so lets take a dive into a famous federal trial... United States v. Guiteau: The first judicial trial of a presidential assassin forces the courts to defend their independence and define the bounds of criminal insanity. The significance? Charles Guiteau's trial was one of the first murder trials in which the defendant's claim of insanity was subjected to the modern legal test: namely, whether or not Guiteau understood that his actions were wrong. Read more of the case in context, media coverage & public debates, and more at the FJC: https://www.fjc.gov//tri/U.S.%20v.%20Guiteau%20final_0.pdf

Warranted Intrusion? Law enforcement is using location tracking on mobile devices to identify suspects, and some say it’s unconstitutional. https://www.abajournal.com//law-enforcement-is-using-locat

An integral part of our justice system is the jury, and although the burden of proof is different between civil and criminal trials, the goal remains the same: to determine the truth by a fair application of the law. While examining their roles, retired lawyer Marcel Strigberger poses the question "How do you deal with 12 individuals you know little more about, other than their occupations?" https://www.abajournal.com/c/article/juries-the-jury-is-out

California regulators issued a $59-million fine to Uber and threatened to suspend the company’s operating license in a Monday ruling. At issue: the company’s ongoing refusal to hand over detailed sexual assault data. In Monday’s order, Administrative Law Judge Robert M. Mason III of the California Public Utilities Commission said Uber’s concerns of publicly disclosing victims’ information and putting their privacy at risk, was premature, considering regulators previously pledged in a January ruling to keep identifying information of victims and witnesses under seal. According to the ruling, Uber has 30 days to appeal. http://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx

PODCAST LISTEN: What's Lost When Jury Trials Vanish? Thirty years ago, between 9% to 10% of federal criminal cases actually went to trial before a jury. That may not seem like a large percentage, but by 2018, only 2% of defendants received a jury trial. To attorney Robert Katzberg, this represents a threefold crisis. First, citizens are unable to participate and observe the judicial system through jury service. Second, trial attorneys are unable to hone their skills in front of a jury. Third, defendants are thus deprived of experienced counsel. In this episode of the Modern Law Library, he explains why jury duty is such a valuable experience. https://www.abajournal.com/books/article/podcast-episode-124