Professor Ben Levin’s essay “Prosecuting the Crisis” has been published in the Fordham Urban Law Journal.
In the abstract, he writes:
Over the past decade, activists and academics have celebrated the rise of the so-called “progressive prosecutor” movement. District attorney candidates—often former public defenders or civil rights lawyers—have promised to use prosecutorial discretion to address the injustices of the criminal system. A proliferation of such campaigns, and the electoral successes of some of these candidates have raised questions about progressive prosecution: what does it actually mean to be a progressive prosecutor? Does progressive prosecution work? Do progressive candidates follow through on campaign promises? And, how enthusiastic should defense attorneys, reformers, and critics of the carceral state be about progressive prosecution? The election of “progressive prosecutors” also has led to backlash, with resistance from police departments and efforts to impeach or recall prosecutors seen as “soft on crime.”
Additionally, Professor Levin’s article “After the Criminal Justice System” will be published in the Washington Law Review later this year.
