This summer, New York became the sixth state to ban the so-called gay and trans “panic” defense, which asks a jury to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity is to blame for a defendant’s violent reaction, including even murder. Here is an informative MAP showing where different states stand on this issue.… Read More
Collateral Consequences that limit occupational licensing
Navigating the collateral consequences that limit occupational licensing opportunities is daunting even when applicable laws and regulations attempt to be clear about what types of criminal records may be disqualifying. When license eligibility depends upon whether an applicant possesses “good moral character,” predicting the impact of a particular plea is basically impossible. Read about some… Read More
Clock with no hands
Prisoners go to great—and often ingenious—lengths to create tattoos. Read more here.
State v. Evensen
Court affirms first degree sexual abuse conviction. Detective Yerrick, who had, for nearly five years, primarily investigated cases of physical and sexual abuse of children, testified that, in her experience it was younger children (aged 3 or 4) who tended to be more susceptible to “suggestibility” about what happened than older children; that very few… Read More
Consent
A defendant recently appealed a judgment of conviction for second-degree sexual abuse, ORS 163.425, asserting that the trial court erred in instructing the jury that it could convict him of that crime if it found that he acted recklessly or negligently with respect to the victim’s lack of consent. State v. Haltom, 298 Or. App.… Read More