Faculty News
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Prof. Maria Ponomarenko Discusses Qualified Immunity with CBS News Minnesota
May 3, 2021Professsor Maria Ponomarenko spoke with CBS News Minnesota about the doctrine of qualified immunity, which shields officers from liability when they violate constitutional rights. Ponomarenko explained that although originally intended to provide officers with a bit of leeway when acting in fast-moving situations, it has over the years become a substantial obstacle to accountability: ”in practice it means that lots and lots of victims never recover … [and] there aren’t enough incentives for departments to reform.”
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Prof. JaneAnne Murray Profiled by Minnesota Lawyer
April 29, 2021Minnesota Lawyer recently profiled Professor JaneAnne Murray in its “Breaking the Ice” feature. She discussed her clemency and compassionate release work, as well as sharing her thoughts and insights on a variety of otehr topics.
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Prof. Maria Ponomarenko Discusses Police Reform with MPR
April 27, 2021Professor Maria Ponomarenko discussed policing reform in a panel discussion moderated by Minnesota Public Radio’s Angela Davis. “I don’t think there’s a silver bullet” when it comes to police reform, Ponomarenko said. “The one thing that’s been shown not to work is just passing piecemeal legislation. … If you only address one tiny slice of the problem, things are going to look virtually identical to how they did beforehand.”
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Borgida Testifies on Efficacy of Bias Reduction Programs to the Minnesota Advisory Committee of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission
April 26, 2021On April 2, Professor Eugene Borgida provided invited testimony to the Minnesota Advisory Committee of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission on the psychological science on bias mitigation and intervention strategies. This testimony follows up on his presentation in 2017 to the Commission which was included in the 2018 Report of the Minnesota State Advisory Committee, Civil Rights and Policing Practices in Minnesota.
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Prof. Jon Choi Quoted By Star Tribune on Biden Plan to Raise Corporate Tax Rate
April 26, 2021In an article in the Star Tribune on corporate pushback against President Biden’s proposal to raise the corporate tax rate, Professor Jon Choi said that new economic activity could overcome any resulting loss of corporate investment. “Because the Biden administration’s plan is to use increased corporate taxes to fund infrastructure investments,” Choi said, “the economy’s overall level of investment might rise, even if corporate investment falls as a result of the tax rate.”
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Prof. Maria Ponomarenko Discusses Pretext Stops With Vice News
April 23, 2021Professor Maria Ponomarenko spoke with Vice News about the need to curb the use of pretext stops by police officers, and to impose stricter standards on police use of force. “There may be circumstances when it actually is better to let somebody walk away,” Ponomarenko said, “than to use overwhelming force in order to take them into custody.”
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USA Today Quotes Prof. Jon Lee on Grounds for Appeal in Chauvin Case
April 21, 2021In a an article in USA Today, Professor Jon Lee discussed grounds for appeal in the Chauvin case. He said the inescapability from news and social media coverage was a likely argument. “Part of the concern here is that the judge has instructed the jury not to listen to the news,” Lee said. “But as Chauvin’s attorney has argued, the collective media coverage of this trial extends well beyond news coverage, and in particular in light of the shooting in Brooklyn Center. I think that was difficult to avoid hearing about for (juror) residents in the area.”
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Prof. Jon Lee Discusses Impact of Video of George Floyd's Killing on Chauvin Case with Star Tribune
April 17, 2021In an article on closing arguments for he Derek Chauvin murder trial, Professor Jon Lee said the video of George Floyd’s killing helps the state underscore an element of the crimes — that Chauvin knowingly using force on Floyd. “It will evoke a reaction in jurors,” Lee said. “You want to create a compelling picture. You want them to have the feeling that they have to convict this person.”
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Prof. Caleb Smith Quoted in Bloomberg Tax Discussing Issues with Duplicate Stimulus Checks Being Issued by IRS
April 15, 2021Professor Caleb Smith discussed the hurdles the IRS faces in recouping erroneous or duplicate economic impact payments (commonly referred to as “stimulus checks”). Prof. Smith highlights the importance of whether the stimulus checks are “rebates” for tax purposes in determining how the IRS can collect erroneous payments.
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Prof. Richard Frase Quoted by NYT on Arrest of Fmr. Police Officer Kimberly Potter in Daunte Wright Killing
April 15, 2021In a New York Times article covering former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kimberly A. Potter’s arrest on a second-degree manslaughter charge for the killing of Daunte Wright, Professor Richard Frase said the second-degree manslaughter statute is worded narrowly enough that the case might prove difficult for prosecutors to prove, noting that it requires them to show that Ms. Potter consciously took a chance of “causing death or great bodily harm.”