Law scholar's EvidenceProf Blog makes top 100 list
Posted on: 12/2/2014; Updated on: 2/10/2015By Peggy Binette, 803-777-7704
The American Bar Association has named a blog by University of South Carolina law professor Colin Miller among the top 100 legal blogs in the U.S.
Editors of the ABA Journal selected Miller’s EvidenceProf Blog for its annual Blawg 100 list, citing his savvy on the latest rulings regarding the admissibility of evidence in criminal cases, what lines in questioning should be permitted at criminal trials or differences between federal and state rules of evidence. They also like that Miller isn’t afraid to comment on court case outcomes or point out “fishy behavior by prosecutors.”
Below is Miller’s take on blogging and criminal law and evidence.
On blogging as a communications tool:
“I like the immediacy of blogging. If I discover a hot issue, it might take two years before a law review publishes my completed article on the issue. With blogging, I can post an entry about a Supreme Court decision, new law or new piece of scholarship within hours of reading it. After a few more hours, I might get feedback from readers either agreeing or disagreeing with my opinion.”
Most fascinating aspect of criminal law and evidence:
“The issue I currently find most fascinating is jury impeachment, which deals with the question of whether jurors should be able to testify regarding jury misconduct after a verdict has been entered. Jury deliberations have commonly been seen as a black box that courts are wary to crack open, lest jurors be harassed by losing parties. But in a world in which jurors are increasingly conducting research online without the filter of the rules of evidence, courts are having to grapple whether our centuries-old rules still make sense.”
Facet of criminal law and evidence that merits greater attention:
“The area of criminal law that merits more discussion is plea bargaining. Nowadays, around 95 percent of criminal cases are resolved by plea agreements rather than criminal trials. And yet, relatively little research has been done regarding the standards that apply to plea bargaining and the rules of construction that apply to plea deals.”
Besides its Blawg 100, the ABA Journal has added 10 more bloggers to its Blawg 100 Hall of Fame, featuring the best law blogs, known for high-quality and engaging posts that are sometimes posted on a daily basis.
While editors have made their picks, the ABA Journal is asking readers to vote on their favorites in each of the 8th Annual Blawg 100’s 13 categories. Vote on the ABA Journal website. Voting ends at close of business Dec. 19.
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