The Week in Review: Prohibition Day

by Matt Kelley · 2008-12-06 12:18:00 UTC
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Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition, and everyone seems to be talking about our current prohibition: the War on Drugs. Blogger Michael Powell wrote that Drug War criticism has gone mainstream.

And Drug Policy Alliance Director Ethan Nadelmann wrote in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that the recession is raising questions about the gobs of money we're wasting on the War on Drugs (and the tax opportunity we're missing):

There's nothing like a depression, or maybe even a full-blown recession, to make taxpayers question the price of their prejudices. That's what ultimately hastened prohibition's repeal, and it's why we're sure to see a more vigorous debate than ever before about ending marijuana prohibition, rolling back other drug war excesses, and even contemplating far-reaching alternatives to drug prohibition.

Meanwhile, drug czar John Walters wrote in the WSJ that the success of the Drug War is Washington's best kept secret (!)

O.J. Simpson got at least nine years in prison for his role in an armed robbery to steal memorabilia, but he wasn't the only celebrity in court. Good old Gary Coleman pled guilty to disorderly conduct and reckless driving, and got a $100 fine.

The MySpace suicide case is still making news by infuriating the uniquely angerable trifect of lawyers, libertarians and internet junkies. The forewoman of the jury said she wanted to convict Lori Drew of a felony, but couldn't get consensus. Slate's Emily Bazelon wrote that the jury's decision to convict Lori Drew is indefensible. Wired published the jury instructions.  Editorials in USA Today and the LA Times blasted the decision. This one won't last long on appeal.

I also work at the Innocence Project (but this blog doesn't represent the views of the Innocence Project, of course), and this week the Innocence Blog featured several cases of prisoners seeking to overturn possible wrongful convictions - and meeting resistence at every turn. There's Lebrew Jones in New York, Darrell Edwards in New Jersey, Joshua Kezer in Missouri. I could go on.

A new device approved for use by crime scene investigators can upload a fingerprint image directly from the crime scene to the lab and identify a match within minutes. Now the definition of 'match'? That's a story for another day.

And here's more on the War on Drugs and Prohibition Day from Rachel Maddow, via Michael Powell:

Matt Kelley is the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project and a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him on Twitter @mattjkelley.
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