News out of the Circuits

“‘Mumia Exception’s’ ugly head again” : The Philadelphia Inquirer has this story about Third Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro’s dissent in the Mumia Abu-Jamal case which reads, in part, “Our court has previously reached the merits of Batson claims . . . where the petitioner did not make a timely objection during jury selection . . . and I see no reason why we should not afford Abu-Jamal the courtesy of our precedents.”

“[Enhanced] Sentence of man who solicited teen upheld in appeals court”:  The Sioux City Journal reports here Eighth Circuit upholds district court’s enhanced sentence where defendant provided false testimony at his sentencing hearing and denied attempting to recruit a fellow inmate to kill the victim.

Posted on April 2, 2008 at 06:39AM