Professor Robert Levy Speaks About Sentencing Practices
Professor Robert J. Levy, the William F. Prosser Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota, spoke to students and faculty in the Robinson Courtroom on October 24, 2001. Professor Levy spoke on trial judge sentencing policies and the Sentencing Seminar and Workshop he teaches at the University of Minnesota Law School. The seminar involves law students, trial judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys in weekend discussions and resentencings of actual cases decided by the judges and provided, with their accompanying factual findings, to the Workshop by the judges invited to attend. Judges are chosen for each Workshop by the Chief Justice of Minnesota. The program has also been adopted in seven law schools around the country and will be taught in three additional states in 2002.
During the Workshop, judges learn about non-incarcirative sentencing options and different ways of seeing the world. There is ample opportunity for the free exchange of ideas and discussion of the cases helps judges see they do not always agree with each other and have independent discretion when sentencing. Students attending the Workshop learn about sentencing and sentencing policy.
