Punch and Jurists

Bosse v. Oklahoma, No. 15-9173 (U.S. Supreme Court) (580 U.S. ___; 137 S.Ct. 1) (October 11, 2016) (Per Curiam) by The somewhat amusing contretemps in this case arose out of the appeal by Shaun Bosse of the death penalty sentence that was imposed after he was convicted on three counts …

Payne v. Tennessee, No. 90-5721 (U.S. Supreme Court) (501 U.S. 808; 111 S.Ct. 2597) (June 27, 1991) (Justice Rehnquist) by Beginning in 1987, the Supreme Court addressed of victim impact statements in three cases. In first two, the Court barred the use at sentencing hearings of victim impact evidence relating …

U.S. v. Blake, No. CR 98-979 (JBW) (E.D.N.Y.) (89 F.Supp.2d 328) (March 15, 2000) (Judge Jack B. Weinstein) by In this case District Judge Weinstein refused to sentence a young woman bank robber to prison because he concluded that incarceration would “debilitate” rather than “rehabilitate” her. Pointing to a number …