Once again, death has come to Colorado in spectacular fashion. As unforgettable as our Rocky Mountains, this particularly grisly motif arrived in the guise of a red-haired joker wearing $20,000 worth of body armor and an apparent desire to annihilate the hopes and dreams and aspirations of a dozen innocent fellow humans. (Kind of similar [...]
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Archive for July, 2012
TURN BACK THE CLOCK ON JUVENILE SENTENCING: Half a thought on Dark Knight
by administrator on July 24th, 2012
Posted In: Mary Ellen's Blog
It’s happened again. Another mass shooting in Colorado. The first, Columbine, was followed by more tough-on-crime rhetoric and talk about not blaming the guns because “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.“ That same logic is being applied to this horror. Yes, it makes sense. So next time we send troops to war, let’s arm [...]
Prison Sexual Abuse Survivor Speaks Out
by administrator on July 24th, 2012
Posted In: Mary Ellen's Blog
by Alan Prendergast In January 2010, Scott Howard, a 39-year-old federal prisoner, made his way briskly into a hearing room in the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Building in Washington, D.C. He was neatly dressed in blazer, slacks and tie, and quite nervous about what he was about to do. He was determined to not think [...]
Almost There: The Long Journey from Juvenile Life Without Parole
by administrator on July 16th, 2012
Posted In: Mary Ellen's Blog
Tuesday, July 10, 2012 When the U.S. Supreme Court ruling was issued declaring mandatory life without parole for juveniles unconstitutional, I was miles away from my computer and my mountain home. I had been evacuated due to Colorado’s Waldo Canyon fires. Ever one to seek meaning out of chaos, I wondered, Is that to save [...]
One small step against juvenile life without parole sentences
by administrator on July 6th, 2012
Posted In: Mary Ellen's Blog
The U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled that mandatory juvenile life without parole sentences are unconstitutional. Justice Elena Kagan, who wrote the majority opinion, said: “We ‘hold that mandatory life without parole for those under the age of 18 at the time of their crimes violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.’” The ruling is a [...]