Restoring Justice and Racial and Civil Rights
Event Type
Talk
Location
University Hall 1000
Start Date
23-10-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
23-10-2013 2:50 PM
Description
Moderated by Stan Shimotsu, Chief Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles County (Retired)
Honorable Mark Bennett, U.S. District Judge, Northern Iowa District
Mark W. Bennett is a United States federal judge, serving on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Bennett received his B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1972 and a J.D. from Drake University Law School in 1975. He was in private practice in Des Moines, Iowa from 1975 to 1991, also serving as general counsel with the Iowa Civil Liberties Union from 1975 to 1989. From 1991 to 1994, Bennett was a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. On June 21, 1994, Bennett was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa vacated by Donald E. O’Brien. Bennett was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 9, 1994, and received his commission on August 26, 1994. He served as chief judge from 1999 to 2006.
Morris Jenkins, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, Southeast Missouri State University
Dr. Morris Jenkins received his B.A. from Claflin College, his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, and his Ph.D. from Northeastern University. Having taught and trained students at every level, including elementary, law and graduate school, Dr. Jenkins has also trained thousands of young people and adults in law-related education (LRE), conflict resolution, and mediation. In addition, he has provided multicultural/diversity training to many police departments, probation departments, and corrections staff across the nation. Dr. Jenkins has taught a number of graduate courses in law and education, mediation and classroom management for teachers, administrators, and corrections personnel. His publishing and research interests include civic education as a means to violence prevention in communities; restorative justice; gangs; and juvenile justice policy. He has testified at a number of state legislative hearings on the topic of restorative justice. He is still active in the community and is currently involved with programs that deal with homelessness, juvenile crime, and race relations.
Mark Osler, Professor, University of St. Thomas Law School
Mark Osler is a Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minnesota. A graduate of the College of William and Mary and Yale Law School, Prof. Osler is a former federal prosecutor whose work has consistently confronted the problem of inflexibility in sentencing and corrections. As lead counsel he won the case of Spears v. United States (2009) in the U.S. Supreme Court, where the Court held that sentencing judges can categorically reject the 100:1 ratio between crack and powder cocaine in the federal sentencing guidelines. He serves as the head of the Association of Religiously Affiliated Law Schools, and often lectures on issues relating to sentencing, ethics, and faith and the law. His book, Jesus on Death Row (Abingdon, 2009) challenges the death penalty based on the experience of Christ as a criminal defendant. He has also authored over twenty academic articles and has been frequently interviewed as a sentencing or Supreme Court expert.
Restoring Justice and Racial and Civil Rights
University Hall 1000
Moderated by Stan Shimotsu, Chief Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles County (Retired)
Honorable Mark Bennett, U.S. District Judge, Northern Iowa District
Mark W. Bennett is a United States federal judge, serving on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Bennett received his B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1972 and a J.D. from Drake University Law School in 1975. He was in private practice in Des Moines, Iowa from 1975 to 1991, also serving as general counsel with the Iowa Civil Liberties Union from 1975 to 1989. From 1991 to 1994, Bennett was a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. On June 21, 1994, Bennett was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa vacated by Donald E. O’Brien. Bennett was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 9, 1994, and received his commission on August 26, 1994. He served as chief judge from 1999 to 2006.
Morris Jenkins, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, Southeast Missouri State University
Dr. Morris Jenkins received his B.A. from Claflin College, his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, and his Ph.D. from Northeastern University. Having taught and trained students at every level, including elementary, law and graduate school, Dr. Jenkins has also trained thousands of young people and adults in law-related education (LRE), conflict resolution, and mediation. In addition, he has provided multicultural/diversity training to many police departments, probation departments, and corrections staff across the nation. Dr. Jenkins has taught a number of graduate courses in law and education, mediation and classroom management for teachers, administrators, and corrections personnel. His publishing and research interests include civic education as a means to violence prevention in communities; restorative justice; gangs; and juvenile justice policy. He has testified at a number of state legislative hearings on the topic of restorative justice. He is still active in the community and is currently involved with programs that deal with homelessness, juvenile crime, and race relations.
Mark Osler, Professor, University of St. Thomas Law School
Mark Osler is a Professor of Law at the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minnesota. A graduate of the College of William and Mary and Yale Law School, Prof. Osler is a former federal prosecutor whose work has consistently confronted the problem of inflexibility in sentencing and corrections. As lead counsel he won the case of Spears v. United States (2009) in the U.S. Supreme Court, where the Court held that sentencing judges can categorically reject the 100:1 ratio between crack and powder cocaine in the federal sentencing guidelines. He serves as the head of the Association of Religiously Affiliated Law Schools, and often lectures on issues relating to sentencing, ethics, and faith and the law. His book, Jesus on Death Row (Abingdon, 2009) challenges the death penalty based on the experience of Christ as a criminal defendant. He has also authored over twenty academic articles and has been frequently interviewed as a sentencing or Supreme Court expert.
