With its multi-disciplinary membership, the State Bar of Michigan Criminal Law Section is uniquely able to address the diverse issues in the forefront of the criminal justice system today. Criminal law is continually undergoing a metamorphosis, as is evidenced by the many issues addressed in the divergent articles presented in our theme issue. With the onslaught of new technology available in the year 2000, legislation has created a plethora of new crimes and has revised existing crimes and sentencing guidelines. The articles in this June 2000 issue present a sampling of the numerous issues that exist:
Michigan's Sentencing Guidelines by Sheila Robertson Deming—A member of the Legislature's Sentencing Guidelines Committee has written a helpful analysis, nuts-and-bolts piece on the new guidelines to assist practitioners.
Michigan's Arsenal for Fighting Cybercrime: An Overview of State Laws Relating to Computer Crimes by Patrick Corbett—A succinct overview of recent computer crime legislation in Michigan.
State Criminal Jurisdiction in Cyberspace: Is There a Sheriff on the Electronic Frontier? by Terrence Berg—New technology brings new challenges for establishing requirements for state court criminal jurisdiction.
Justice Moody's Lament Unanswered: Michigan's Unprincipled Retroactivity Jurisprudence by Timothy A. Baughman—A historic analysis of the Michigan Supreme Court's ruling on retroactive application of its own opinions.
Alcohol-Related Offenses: Retrograde Extrapolation After Wager by J. Nicholas Bostic—Weighing chemical test results using an expert toxicologist to present retrograde extrapolation—a legal, statistical, and scientific perspective.
Hate Crimes Laws: Cure or Placebo? by Daniel Levy—Offers a thoughtful perspective on the legitimacy of hate crime regulation.
Restitution and the Rights of Crime Victims by Brian Moody and Janet A. Napp, with Practice Tips from Richard L. Cunningham.
The Criminal Law Section is very grateful for the assistance of Professor Gary Maveal and Thomas Byrne of the Bar Journal Advisory Board; Norris Thomas, section chair; Richard Cunningham, ex-officio section chair; and Mary Hickey, co-editor. We are privileged to present this June 2000 issue and hope that you find it beneficial in your practice.