Thoughtful Blakely coverage

Sunday’s newspapers have a number of thoughtful pieces taking a broader look at Blakely’s impact on modern sentencing reforms.

This article from the Knoxville News-Sentinel considers “The Blakely Effect,” thoughtfully noting that the decision “has shaken up the legal community, spurred debates among legal scholars, prosecutors and defense attorneys, prompted hiatuses on sentencing hearings in some jurisdictions and put thousands of cases in line for review.” Also featured is this cool graphic (click on it for better viewing).

Similarly, this opinion column discusses the broader impact of Blakely in creating a “back-to-the-drawing-board time for our criminal justice system.” And this article discusses some Alabama cases involving severe sentences imposed under mandatory sentencing rules. In other news, this article discusses the Blakely the challenges facing federal prosecutors in a New Jersey criminal trial that has been on-going since March. And this article discusses federal prosecutors’ efforts in Alabama to “update” indictments after Blakely.