Local Democracy, Community Adjudication, and Criminal Justice

16 Pages Posted: 28 Aug 2017

See all articles by Laura I Appleman

Laura I Appleman

Willamette University College of Law

Date Written: August 20, 2017

Abstract

Many of our criminal justice woes can be traced to the loss of the community’s decisionmaking ability in adjudicating crime and punishment. American normative theories of democracy and democratic deliberation have always included the participation of the community as part of our system of criminal justice. This type of democratic localism is essential for the proper functioning of the criminal system because the criminal justice principles embodying substantive constitutional norms can only be defined through community interactions at the local level. Accordingly, returning the community to its proper role in deciding punishment for wrongdoers would both improve criminal process and return us to fundamental criminal justice ideals.

Keywords: criminal justice, community adjudication, democracy

Suggested Citation

Appleman, Laura I, Local Democracy, Community Adjudication, and Criminal Justice (August 20, 2017). Northwestern University Law Review, Vol. 111, No. 6, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3026395

Laura I Appleman (Contact Author)

Willamette University College of Law ( email )

245 Winter St. SE
Salem, OR 97301
United States
(503) 370-6651 (Phone)

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