Death, Jeronimo Yanez, and a Not Guilty Verdict

In St. Paul, Minnesota the end of a tragic event has finally happened.  A police officer,jeronimo yanez Jeronimo Yanez, shot and killed Philando Castile in a traffic stop in a suburb of St. Paul.  It triggered protests, questions, and crying.  It forced a searing look at the interactions between police and citizens.  Statistics show that the chances of anyone …

Why the Criminal Justice System is Better Now

criminal justice systemLately, the media has been bashing the criminal justice system—starting with cops’ behavior in the streets to the broken child protection system that doesn’t protect children.  Is the system really this broken?  I’ve worked for almost forty years as a prosecutor and Public Defender.  Here are five reasons why the criminal justice system is better now:

  1.  Juries are