Ron Wright
@wrightrf
Followers
1K
Following
3K
Media
38
Statuses
2K
Watches the river of the #criminalcourts flow by. Day to day, teaches at @WFULawSchool and does empirical research about criminal justice actors and metrics.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Joined June 2009
Prosecutors enforce criminal laws; they also have a big voice in passing those laws. "The Prosecutor Lobby" uses data from all 50 state legislatures to learn when prosecutors are most successful in their lobbying for changes in the criminal code. https://t.co/MupQwbUP4s
scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu
Prosecutors shape the use of the criminal law at many points during criminal proceedings but there is an earlier point in the process where prosecutors have influence: during the legislative process....
2
9
17
In "Neglected Discovery," Profs. Jenia Turner, @wrightrf, and @mbraun92 analyze a novel dataset that reveals that in a substantial number of felony cases, criminal defense attorneys don't review any available electronic discovery. #lawtwitter Read here:
1
2
7
Emily Bazelon's panoramic NYT Mag article on Brady cites @JeniaTurner, Miriam Baer, Darryl Brown.
nytimes.com
By the time Noura Jackson’s conviction was overturned, she had spent nine years in prison. This type of prosecutorial error is almost never punished.
1
2
8
I'm so proud of this work! Led by Professor Kevin Reitz as part of @RobinaInstitute's Degrees of Indeterminacy project, the reports offer a detailed look at how much someone will actually served based on a particular sentence, inc. parole release eligibility and good time rules.
We’re thrilled to announce the completion of a three-year effort to produce individual reports on the prison-release frameworks of all 50 states and D.C., as part of our Prison Release: Degrees of Indeterminacy Project. https://t.co/4Mb69vkriu
3
3
12
Thanks to our @WFULawSchool 1Ls, spending time in the community as Foundations Week wraps up. Proud of you. Get some rest before classes start Monday! #LegalDeacs #ProHumanitate
0
3
10
Proud that @brooklynlaw is hosting #CrimFest! "Trials & Evidence" panel features @JuliaSimonKerr & Kiel Brennan-Marquez on demeanor, @NgoziOkidegbe on knowledge & evidence rule making, @wrightrf on intersectionality in jury selection, & @_ChristopherLau on 911 call analysis. 👏
1
6
42
Aspen Leading Edge 27: @wrightrf shares with @StMarysLawDean just a couple of the projects he is currently working on including his books Criminal Procedures: Cases, Statues, and Executive Materials and The Jury Sunshine Project.
aspenpublishing.com
Shop law books. Aspen Publishing produces high quality, pedagogically rich, market-leading textbooks covering every discipline in law.
0
1
2
@BU_Law @BerkeleyLaw Well what do you know—a memo from @wrightrf on the application of Caldwell v. Mississippi to Brooks’s case.
1
1
3
Prof. @KayLevine12 just recorded a podcast for @scigalleryatl /@wabenews to promote a project she was involved in: an arcade game called "A Just Sentence" by game designer Max Woo. The game has different vignettes of crimes and players decide on sentencing for the offenders.
0
2
6
Wake Forest Law’s Master of Studies in Law Program application deadline is Aug 1, 2023! The program is the perfect way to enhance skills and advance your career. #LegalDeacs
mls.law.wfu.edu
Earn your MLS degree online from Wake Forest Law — gain legal expertise tailored to your industry and career goals.
0
1
5
Finding 3: Prosecutor lobbying success correlates with the level of Republican control in the state legislature. Finding 4: Perceived expertise of prosecutors doesn't drive their success as lobbyists. Legislators respond to them as self-interested rent-seeking lobbyists.
0
0
0
@CBHessick @WFULawSchool @JessPish Finding 1: They succeed at the highest rates when they lobby for REDUCED coverage of the criminal law or REDUCED penalties. Finding 2: But prosecutors lobby most often (and sometimes successfully) for increases.
2
0
0
@UCDavisLRev @wrightrf Perhaps our most interesting findings relate to reform prosecutors--what some call "progressive prosecutors." We found that these candidates won *far* more often than traditional candidates. In other words, from an electoral perspective, progressive prosecutors are a success!
1
7
12
You can find our study of the 200 largest prosecutor office elections between 2012-2020 here: https://t.co/g5ZsLVYWtM or here: https://t.co/k0seLsmzAF
@UCDavisLRev This finding is consistent with work I've done with @wrightrf and another coauthor. But because this is a national dataset, this paper is able to show that the trend of more contested elections has not spread outside the largest jurisdictions. Elsewhere most DAs run unopposed.
0
1
2
Loving this panel featuring @cynthia_godsoe @CBHessick and @wrightrf for the #GammSymposium convened by @MaybellRomero @TulaneLaw
0
3
11
Our report on state prosecutor immunity law is now live! I'll say more in days to come, but one big takeaway: some states use only qualified immunity for prosecutors, and we do not see hundreds of frivolous cases in those states.
In most states, prosecutors are protected by “absolute immunity." But there are exceptions. Wake Forest Law's Accountable Prosecutor Project, an arm of the Foundation for Prosecutorial Accountability, has published a major report on absolute immunity law.
0
2
6
This report gives state-level details about the application of absolute immunities from civil suit for criminal prosecutors. This is an early step toward change. Congrats to @Eileen_Prescott!
In most states, prosecutors are protected by “absolute immunity." But there are exceptions. Wake Forest Law's Accountable Prosecutor Project, an arm of the Foundation for Prosecutorial Accountability, has published a major report on absolute immunity law.
0
1
4
In 2021, @philadao rejected only 4% of cases brought by the police. Again, they keep filing almost everything. TAKEAWAY: if the police don’t make arrests, prosecutors can’t prosecute the criminals. Why is this so difficult to understand?!
My problem with @DA_LarryKrasner is that his office files too many cases, which critics ignore when they focus on case outcomes. Here’s some data from @ThePPIs which shows that unlike most prosecutorial offices, @philadao takes almost ever case brought to them by the police:
0
1
2