The news story that captured my attention this week is not exactly, or not entirely, a criminal law story. Mahmoud Khalil, who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, was arrested this week by ICE agents at the university-owned apartment where he lived. (Khalil apparently was a graduate student at the university until December.) Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the United States – that is, a green card holder – but the agents indicated that his status would be revoked as a result of what the Trump administration views as his anti-Semitic advocacy. He remains in custody but has lawyered up, raising interesting questions about the government’s ability to revoke legal permanent residency based on speech. A federal judge has ordered that he not be deported pending further proceedings. The AP has more here and here. Keep reading for more news.
South Carolina completes execution by firing squad. Brad Sigmon was convicted of beating his ex-girlfriend’s parents to death. He was sentenced to death. This week, he was executed by firing squad, an execution method never before used in the state. NBC News has more here. An AP reporter who has seen lethal injections and electric chair executions before describes the firing squad process and his reaction to it here.
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood to lead the Governor’s Crime Commission. Governor Josh Stein has appointed Sheriff Blackwood to lead the 44-member group after eight years as a member. Local news sources Chapelboro has more here. The Commission is an important advisory body and administers millions of dollars in federal grant funds each year.
A new look at the “whole pie” of American incarceration. Each year, the Prison Policy Initiative produces a visual representation of who is locked up in America. Here is this year’s. It shows who’s in jail, who’s in state prison, and who’s in federal prison, all by offense type. It shows how many people are in immigration detention. It shows how many jail inmates have been convicted and how many are awaiting trial. I spend some time pondering it each year. A few things that struck me this time around: Despite some significant efforts in recent years to reduce incarceration, there are still about two million people incarcerated in our country at any given time. Despite a popular narrative to the contrary, there are relatively few drug offenders, especially drug possessors, in prison. Jails hold many more pretrial detainees than convicted offenders. Only 8% of inmates are held in private prisons nationwide. You might have different thoughts and reactions, but the whole thing is worth a look.
Update on litigation over felon voting rights. The Carolina Journal has a story here about an upcoming Fourth Circuit argument over the constitutionality of North Carolina’s statute criminalizing voting by felons whose rights have not been restored. The procedural history appears to be complex: a federal district court judge declared the statute vague and violative of the Equal Protection Clause, but the ruling may or may not be moot as a result of the legislature’s recent amendment of the statute in question. The article also describes recent unsuccessful state court litigation over similar issues.
Four-year-old calls 911 after mom eats his ice cream. A little boy in Wisconsin dialed 911 after his mother allegedly ate his ice cream. He told the dispatcher that “my mommy is being bad,” asked that police “come and get [her]” and explained that she “needed to go to jail.” Police did respond, confirming that there was nothing more sinister going on and eventually returning with a cup of soft serve for the child. USA Today has the story here. No word yet on whether the child has put 911 on speed dial.
The Criminal Justice Innovation Lab is seeking a new director. Founding Director Jessie Smith is retiring from the School of Government and leaving the Lab. Interested in being the next director? It’s a big job but the work is interesting. Check out the full posting here.