Bench & Bar January/February 2025

#UKLawProfResearch Highlight Professor Raquel Wilson recently published an article, A Critical Assessment of the First Step Act’s Recidivism-Reduction Measures , in the Dickinson Law Review of Penn State Law School. In this article, Professor Wilson discusses the First Step Act, the most significant fed eral sentencing reform of the past 40 years. She argues that in passing this landmark legislation, Congress missed an opportunity to adopt common-sense reforms that have been proven to reduce the risk of reoffending by some of the most serious offenders. READ THE ARTICLE AT https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers. cfm?abstract_id=5031374.

Maryland State Police. Wilkins believed their constitutional rights were violated due Maryland State Police racially profil ing and targeting their vehicle, unlawfully stopping and detaining them, and unlaw fully searching their vehicle on the highway while they traveled to a relative’s funeral ser vice. At the time of the stop, Wilkins was an attorney working in Washington, D.C. This lawsuit led to a landmark settlement for Maryland State Police to revamp their policies to prohibit racial profiling in traf fic stops, preservation of police audio and videotaping, and additional reforms in policing practices by Maryland State Police. When asked what advice he wanted to offer law students in the audience, Wilkins told them to have courage. “You’re going to have cases where the odds are against you, but sometimes those are the most important cases for you to take on,” he said. During his visit to Lexington, Judge Wilkins also visited and spoke to an assembly of high school students at Fayette County Public Schools Carter G. Woodson Acad emy. The male scholars were able to hear more about Judge Wilkins’ life story and career path.

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