† Criminal InJustice is a weekly series devoted to taking action against inequities in the U.S. criminal justice system. Nancy A. Heitzeg, Professor of Sociology and Race/Ethnicity, is the Editor of CI. Kay Whitlock, co-author of Queer (In)Justice, is contributing editor of CI. Criminal Injustice is published every Wednesday at…
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Dream Defenders and Trayvon Martin protesters take a stand in Sanford, FL. (Werth Media/Flickr) From In These Times: As nationwide protests erupted this July after a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman of murdering Trayvon Martin, President Obama asked Americans to exercise “calm reflection” and reminded demonstrators that “we are a…
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From Southern Studies: Many of the 22 states that have enacted “Stand Your Ground” self-defense laws — like the one at the center of the controversy over last year’s shooting death of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin and the subsequent acquittal of shooter George Zimmerman — have experienced a dramatic…
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Marisa Alexander, the thirty year-old mother of three sentenced to twenty years in prison for firing a warning shot to fend off an attack form her husband. From The Grio/Joy-Ann Reid: Marissa Alexander’s daughter turns three today but there is not plan for a birthday party. Instead, the 31-year-old remains…
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