Category: Criminal Law
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The Price of Snitching: Holding Informers Liable in Domestic Contexts
By Elaine Gao — An informer network was the modus operandi of totalitarian states in the 20th century, but its legacy presents a legal challenge that remains unresolved. During World War II, the Gestapo relied on more than 100,000 informants…
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Predicting Future Criminals: The Due Process Implications of Recidivism Predictions in State v. Loomis
By Radia Lu — In the era of AI and big data, risk assessment algorithms have increasingly informed significant judicial decisions regarding parole, pretrial detention, and sentencing corrections in the American criminal justice system. Reports find that “over 60 jurisdictions…
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ShotSpotter’s Live Gunshot Detection System Violates New Jersey’s Stop and Frisk Laws
By Aina Marzia — In September 2024, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) removed over 2,000 live gunshot alert systems from ShotSpotter (later renamed to SoundThinking). For the first time in six years, no live sound feed was being s
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What Makes a Doctor a Criminal? Preventing the Criminalization of Medical Errors
By Dabeluchi Isiofia — When a physician walks into a room, the patient need not say anything. There is an unspoken assumption that the physician is there to help them. It is well understood that even when a physician does…
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The Unconstitutionality of Modern Plea Bargaining: Curbing Prosecutorial Vindictiveness
By Ava Chen — Plea bargaining is a central fixture of the American justice system—an estimated 98% of criminal cases are resolved through guilty pleas, with only 5% of defendants exercising their right to a jury trial. According to a…
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Originalism and Jury Nullification in America: A Legal Basis for the Restoration of a Lost Right
By Lawson Wright — A peal of alarm bells shattered the brisk yet tranquil Saturday morning in Boston on February 15, 1851. A mob had stormed the local courthouse in an effort to rescue fugitive slave Shadrach Minkins from being…
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Smoke Without a Fire: Gainer’s Overextension of Pennsylvania Gun Law
By Anna Ferris — Commonwealth v. Gainer (2010) came before the Superior Court of Pennsylvania to determine how gun operability ought to factor into judgments for defendants accused of unlawfully possessing a firearm. Tarvus Gainer was found guilty of owning…
