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A prison sentence should not mean death by COVID-19
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel recently used her position of influence to attempt to distract from the truth of what is happening in our community.
Players in movement to remake Arizona’s criminal justice system
Since conservatives got on board with revamping Arizona’s sentencing laws, bills to do that no longer lay unheard, not considered. And as the movement has taken hold over the past few years, a host of groups and people have made their presence known at the Legislature. Following are some of them.
Panel recommends less prison time for low-level offenders
A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to give people serving time for low-level felonies the opportunity to reduce their sentences by up to 60 percent, but selling the rest of their colleagues on the idea could be tough.
The Breakdown: Have you no honor?
How exactly do you work with someone you believe has betrayed you? That’s a question some lawmakers are asking themselves about the state’s county prosecutors after what some saw as an 11th hour reversal on criminal justice reform measures.
The Breakdown: You’re killing me, session
The Legislature is contemplating a bill that would diminish the death penalty law for the first time since 1973. And you might be surprised to hear who’s pushing it.
Republicans introduce bills to lighten criminal sentencing
A Republican-sponsored bill would allow judges to depart from mandatory sentences for certain crimes.
Arizona leads the way in criminal justice reform
Arizona’s criminal justice system is not perfect. There is always room for improvement in any system, and I and other prosecutors remain willing to engage in productive discussions and initiatives to improve criminal justice system outcomes for crime victims, the public we serve, and defendants to reduce recidivism.
21st century prosecutors strive for far more than convictions
The prosecution function has come a long way in the last two decades across the country and here in Maricopa County.
Transgender judge takes bench as gender issues heat up
Tracey Nadzieja never wanted to be the story. But she was thrust into the spotlight this year when she became the first known transgender judge in Arizona.
Arizona is filling its prisons with ‘folks we’re just mad at’
Arizona is at a crossroads. Should we continue to build more costly prisons and fill them with low-level offenders? Or should we follow the lead of many other conservative states that reserve expensive prison beds for violent offenders, and direct the savings to programs that have been proven to reduce repeat offenses?
Kurt Altman: Baseball wash-up lands in law and public policy
Kurt Altman, the state director for Right on Crime, a group that pushes conservative solutions to reduce crime, went to college to play baseball, but he ended up an attorney whose career has taken him from facing down and defending criminals in county and federal courtrooms to lobbying for “Right to Try” legislation in 46 state Capitols.
The Breakdown, Episode 11: Where do we even begin?
Last week, the Capitol was abuzz with everything from talk of criminal justice reform to how to fund Arizona's public education system - and that's just the beginning.
