Sentencing Class @ OSU Moritz College of Law

As indicated here, this week everyone is to (tentatively) select an official for their white paper.  In a subsequent post, I will ask for tentative choices to be reported in the comments.  This post provides some "food for thought" as you consider options.

1.  The kind of advice you want to give should impact your choice of official.  If you are eager to advocate strongly against the death penalty, consider selecting an official in your jurisdiction favoring or fostering the application of the death penalty; if you are eager to advocate strongly for the death penalty, consider selecting an official disfavoring or blocking the application of the death penalty.

2.  Consider the separation-of-powers realities of your choice.  Executive branch officials, legislative officials, and judicial officials all have different kinds of authority and limitations, and your white paper will need to be attentive to these realities.

3.  Feel free to be thoughtfully creative in your choice.  You can select non-government officials (e.g., the head of a local bar task-force); you can select "behind-the-scene" folks (e.g., Karl Rove or a governor’s chief legal counsel); you can think very local (e.g., an assistant to the Harris County prosecutor); you can think very global (e.g., the head of the UN).

4.  As I suggested before, have fun and follow your interests: pick an official that truly interests you (or that you may aspire to be) so that the experience feels real and meaningful.