Judging Crimes (and law blogs)

[madmusic]

A fascinating blog by an excellent, and I do mean excellent writer:

Judging Crimes isn't a right-wing rant against judicial activism. I'm a Democrat, in the mainstream of the party on most issues. On the hot-button issue conventionally used to separate the sheep from the goats, I don't support capital punishment, for reasons I'll eventually get around to detailing in the blog. I don't handle death penalty cases, but New Mexico's death penalty is mainly theoretical anyway.

I think my views on democracy and the criminal law are consistent with the values of modern liberalism. The United States is several times more violent than any other developed nation. One reason, I believe, is that victims of violent crime are overwhelmingly the poor, members of minority groups, the disabled and the mentally ill. As Richard Hofstadter demonstrated half a century ago, social Darwinism remains the template for American attitudes about the proper role of government. Judging Crimes explores the strange paradox that the social Darwinist -- or, to phrase it more politely, the libertarian -- view has come to be considered "liberal" in one isolated area of American public life: the administration of the criminal law. (A Slate contributor actually treats "liberal" and "libertarian" as synonyms in this comparison of Scalia's and Alito's records in criminal cases.)

http://www.judgingcrimes.com/welcome/

If anyone else is trying to get a grasp of what this "Nation of Laws" concept is all about, give it go.

Another favorite that most of you are probably aware of is talkleft.com, and another is http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy">Sentencing Law and Policy. Whats is great about the blogs is that law and what goes on in legislatures and courts throughout the country has until recently been a sort of Mt. Olympus, beyond mere mortal understanding. The blogs remedy that to a great extent.

Any other lawblog suggestions?

[mom cat]

1. Thanks for the links!

[madmusic]

4. You're wlecome.

I find them as fascinating as reading a good novel, uh, sometimes.

[Kagemusha]

2. Well, Glenn Greenwald

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/

He's not confining himself to just legal issues but has presented some wonderful analysis on the major legal-political issues of our time such as habeas corpus and the so-called terrorist surveillance act.

And Balkinization at http://balkin.blogspot.com/

I mean, they link to each other but, I've already bookmarked both the blogs you cite for when I really want to read some good writing about current issues. I mean, once upon a time, a lot of constitutional law and separation of powers stuff was relatively well settled. Nowadays, with so much fundamental stuff being challenged by this administration, a mortal understanding of these issues is crucial for any educated, but non legal expert, person. So keep spreading the word - it can't hurt :)

[madmusic]

5. Thanks for the links and tips.

True, too, I think law is the real battle ground. Better to be brushed up rather than run over.

[Robbien]

3. My favorites are

as you mentioned, Talkleft

and some of the others I read on a regular basis:

http://blog.citizensforethics.org/

http://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/whitecollarcrime_blog/

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/

http://www.acsblog.org/

[madmusic]

6. Bookmarked, and thanks.

Some of those I'd never heard of.