Category Archives: Criminal Justice & Punishment

Writing on policing, prisons, courts, sentencing, parole, wrongful conviction, incarceration, criminal law, punishment, and the institutions and policies of the criminal legal system.

This day in history — — April 20, 2012 — First Challenge Under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act Proves Racial Bias

Posted on April 20, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On April 20, 2012, Cumberland County Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Gregory Weeks issued the first decision under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act, ruling that racial bias had played a role in Marcus Robinson’s 1991 trial and commuting Mr. Robinson’s … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 19, 1989 — “Central Park Five” Arrested for Rape

Posted on April 19, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On April 19, 1989, a woman was brutally raped and beaten in New York City’s Central Park. Police officers soon arrested five young men – four black teenagers and one Latino teen – and subjected them to hours of intense … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 8, 1911 — Mine Explosion near Birmingham, Alabama, Kills 128 State Prisoners

Posted on April 8, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

By 1910, the State of Alabama had become the sixth largest coal producer in the United States. Between 1875 and 1900, Alabama’s coal production grew from 67,000 tons to 8.4 million tons. This growth was driven in large part by … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 6, 1958 — Execution of Wrongfully Convicted Black Teen Jeremiah Reeves Sparks Protest in Montgomery

Posted on April 6, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On November 10, 1952, Jeremiah Reeves, a 16-year-old black high school student and jazz drummer, was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, and interrogated about the rape of Mabel Ann Crowder the previous July. Ms. Crowder, a white woman, had claimed rape … Continue reading →

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On this day in history – March 3, 1991

Posted on March 4, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Severe beating of black motorist Rodney King by Los Angeles police is caught on tape. From the Equal Justice Initiative’s A History of Racial Injustice – 2018 Calendar. “The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is proud to present A History of … Continue reading →

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On this day in history – March 4, 2015

Posted on March 4, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

U.S. Department of Justice finds pervasive racial bias within police department and municipal court in Ferguson, Missouri, including targeting black people for stops, arrests, and uses of force. From the Equal Justice Initiative’s A History of Racial Injustice – 2018 … Continue reading →

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He Looks Good in Death?

Posted on February 21, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Today, I look at a friend, A colleague, Hopefully resting in peace, Waiting, To be taken To his final resting place.   We are taught Not to speak ill of the dead. I have no “ill words” for my friend, … Continue reading →

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Willie Lynch, On Language

Posted on December 28, 2017 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I am a self-styled language cop, especially as it relates to criminal justice language, how it has been used not only to dehumanize and stigmatize people with criminal justice involvement, but also to control the narrative, how such people with … Continue reading →

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Bill Cosby v. Jeronimo Yanez

Posted on June 23, 2017 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On its face, there doesn’t appear to be any connection between the bill Cosby sexual assault case and that of former Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot and killed Philando Castile on July 6, 2016; but if we look … Continue reading →

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The Crimes of Bill Clinton Cannot Be Expugned

Posted on April 20, 2016 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

As Hillary Clinton sprints to the finish line, seemingly to be the democratic candidate for the presidency, I keep thinking of the role her husband, President Bill Clinton, played in the mass incarceration of the nation, specifically Black men.  Granted, … Continue reading →

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