Osler's Razor

It's no secret that I've been working to reform the clemency process in Minnesota, with a lot of help from my students at the University of St. Thomas-- I set the case out last week in an op-ed in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Our Governor, Tim Walz, is a former high school teacher and football coach (and Congressman). He is also perhaps the only person I've met who is as enthusiastic as I am about clemency reform! Yesterday he gave a talk at a gathering of a new group I am a part of here, the Minnesota Criminal Justice Research Center. A good chunk of his talk involved clemency and our proposals. He talked about going through the strangeness of the Minnesota system for the first time-- of having people come and petition before him, the Attorney General and the Chief Justice, and having so many of them denied mercy.

Over the years, I've heard many smart people say that federal law only affects a fraction of the criminal justice system, and that to really get something done we have to work in the states. They are right, and I am taking that to heart. It's been a pleasure to work on here, too.

But... that doesn't mean I am done with the feds. Not by a long shot.