Filtered By: Natalie Gordon

The First Amendment on Trial: Factors that Influence Juror Receptivity

When the First Amendment was ratified in the U.S. Constitution over 200 years ago, it aimed to prevent government overreach by safeguarding free speech and other individual liberties. Since then, it has been warped into the right to say whatever you want without consequences. This has coincided with a shift from using the First Amendment […]

Embracing the Gains of Virtual Trials – Part 2

| Natalie Gordon |
In the first part of this series, I attempted to assuage our fears of what is lost by conducting jury selection virtually by identifying what we have gained from this new medium. In the second and final part of this series, I address the concern with jurors’ ability to evaluate the credibility of witnesses who testify […]

Embracing the Gains of Virtual Trials – Part 1

| Natalie Gordon |
As pandemic restrictions start to ease up across the country, it is a good time to evaluate the way courts handled trials during the pandemic and what we can learn from that going forward.  While many trials were postponed, a small number of venues (particularly at the state and local levels) took the bold step […]

Understanding What Restorative Justice Is And Isn’t

| Natalie Gordon |
Recently, we have heard stories in the media being described as instances of “restorative justice.” But sometimes an alleged example of restorative justice will not encompass all the core principles of restorative justice, or will conflict with the principles of our criminal justice system. Some recent examples may help illustrate what restorative justice is — […]

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