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Posts by Jessica Jackson

Jan 12

Toddlers and Tiaras: Entertainment or Exploitation?

Posted 130 days ago by Jessica Jackson

The hit reality TV show Toddlers and Tiaras is designed to provide an inside glance at the life of pageant children as they compete. The show contains some horrifying clips, including a 4 year old being dressed as Dolly Parton in an outfit complete with fake breasts and a toddler dressed as the hooker in Pretty Woman. At what point should Americans turn off the TV and cease to support the network’s encouragement of some mothers’ exploitation of their children for fame? Is there a point at which Child Protective Services should step in?

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Dec 1

Killing those who don’t kill: Felony Murder and the Death Penalty

Posted 172 days ago by Jessica Jackson

Of the thirty-five states which currently have the death penalty, twenty-one of them have laws allowing prosecutors to seek death in cases where the accused was a “non-triggerman” or didn’t actually kill anyone but was part of the underlying felony in which someone was killed. Supporters argue that in theory this will deter people from acting in groups when committing dangerous felonies, which in turn will reduce the number of felonies committed. However, in actual application, the injustice of such laws is glaringly apparent.

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Nov 15

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Skinner update: Death row inmate continues the fight to prove his innocence

Posted 188 days ago by Jessica Jackson

Despite Hank Skinner’s win in the high court last March, this week he once again faced death after his execution was scheduled for last Wednesday. Why is it that an accused defendant or convicted inmate can be denied the right to test to crime scene DNA against his own when a prosecutor enjoys the full privilege of determining if and when to test the evidence?

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Oct 24

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Ninth Circuit stretches objective reasonableness standard

Posted 210 days ago by Jessica Jackson

Last week the Ninth Circuit addressed whether police officers could invoke the protection of qualified immunity in defense of an excessive force suit for tasing a woman who was seven months pregnant. Did the court’s ruling stretch the meaning of the objective reasonableness standard beyond recognition?

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Sep 30

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Amazon sweatshop allegations

Posted 234 days ago by Jessica Jackson

Amazon is currently under federal investigation for allegedly violating federal labor laws – by running a sweatshop in the U.S.

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Sep 22

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Life after Troy

Posted 242 days ago by Jessica Jackson

Troy’s case has brought together people who may otherwise never have bothered to pay attention to an execution – and his murder has opened the eyes of even those who support the death penalty to the harsh reality of our failed justice system.

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Sep 9

Serving in Solitary

Posted 255 days ago by Jessica Jackson

According to a recent report by the LA Times, there are currently over 1000 prisoners being held in isolation at California’s maximum security facility Pelican Bay, 300 of whom have been in isolation for over a decade . Under the prison’s policy, with a limited exception, an inmate will be placed in solitary for a minimum of six years if prison investigators find three pieces of information linking them to a gang.

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Aug 26

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Big Tobacco v. The FDA: Are the new label requirements constitutional?

Posted 269 days ago by Jessica Jackson

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last thirty years, you’re probably aware that smoking cigarettes can cause emphysema, lung cancer, and other dangerous respiratory and pulmonary diseases. However, every day millions of people across the country continue to light up and inhale these poisons. In response, the FDA decided recently to require tobacco companies to dedicate half of each cigarette package to anti-smoking warnings, including graphic photos of the possible consequences of smoking.

While warning labels are nothing new—cigarette packages have featured a small print warning ever since Congress passed the Cigarette labeling and advertising act in 1965—four large tobacco companies claim the new label requirement goes too far.

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Aug 11

Taped Executions: Courtroom Evidence or TV Content?

Posted 284 days ago by Jessica Jackson

After the Georgia execution of Andrew DeYoung was taped last month, many people have asked why such tapings are not a routine practice or a requirement. Given the vast number of problems that have occurred during lethal injection executions; including difficulty locating intimates veins, improper training which has led to blown veins or incorrect mixtures of chemicals being given, equipment failures, and deficiencies with the drugs themselves, it is no surprise that some lawyers are making this request. But taping executions raises several difficult questions.

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Jul 25

Norway: Standing for Freedom in the Face of Fear

Posted 301 days ago by Jessica Jackson

Last Friday, as many of us watched in horror, Norwegians experienced absolute devastation as the news feeds revealed the murders of dozens of teens Utoeya and the destruction of Oslo’s government buildings. The attacks, which have been attributed to a young Norwegian man, brought back a flood of memories for many Americans: 9/11, Columbine, Virginia Tech.

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