Marquette Law School – Page 164 – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

Budget Cuts Haven’t Meant Prosecution Cuts Here, Santelle Says

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:October 19, 2011
Post category:Criminal Law & Process Eastern District of Wisconsin Federal Criminal Law & Process Marquette Law School Milwaukee Public Speakers at Marquette

In case any criminals reading this are hoping to avoid prosecution because budget cuts are reducing the reach of federal prosecutors, their hopes are ill-founded – at least for now, according to James Santelle, the U.S. Attorney for the eastern district of Wisconsin.

But down the road and even now in places other than eastern Wisconsin? Cutbacks in federal spending could and sometimes are translating into decisions not to prosecute cases, Santelle said.

Speaking Tuesday at an “On the Issues” session at Eckstein Hall, Santelle told Mike Gousha, the Law School’s distinguished fellow in law and public policy, that the staff he oversees in offices in Milwaukee and Green Bay, has been reduced from about 80 several years ago to about 70 now. More cuts may lie ahead, he said.

But so far, the reduction has been accomplished without affecting decisions on who to prosecute, Santelle said. That hasn’t been true in offices of US Attorneys in some places around the country, where decisions on matters such as “smaller” drug cases or white collar financial crimes are being shaped by whether the office has adequate resources. He said a $1 million bank fraud in some instances may be below the threshold a prosecutor has set for bringing a case to court, given practical limits on how much can get done.

New Issue of Marquette Lawyer Focuses on Sports Law Program and Milwaukee Getting “Smart on Crime”

Post author:Michael M. O'Hear
Post published:October 13, 2011
Post category:Marquette Law School Public

The Fall 2011 issue of the Marquette Lawyer arrived this week. The articles can be downloaded here. Highlights include articles on:

The issue also includes an introduction by Marquette’s new President, Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.

Abby Ramirez: Believing in What’s Possible for Milwaukee Schools

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:October 11, 2011
Post category:Education & Law Marquette Law School Milwaukee Milwaukee Public Schools Public Speakers at Marquette

Abby Ramirez wants other people to come to – and act on — the same beliefs she has: That a large majority of low-income children can become high-performing students and that the number of schools where such success is widespread can be increased sharply in Milwaukee.

In an “On the Issues” session with Mike Gousha at Eckstein Hall on Tuesday, Ramirez described the work of Schools That Can Milwaukee, a year-old organization that has the goal of increasing the number of students in high-performing schools to 20,000 (more than twice the current total) by 2020. Ramirez is executive director of the organization.

“If you haven’t seen a high-performing school, go visit one because it will change your belief in what’s possible,” she told about 150 people at the session hosted by Gousha, the Law School’s distinguished fellow in law and public policy. She said you can tell in such a visit that the program is different – more energetic, more focused, more committed to meeting ambitious goals – than in schools where there is an underlying belief that the students aren’t going to do well because of factors such as poverty.

“Expectations are huge” as a factor in putting a school on the path to high levels of success, she said. She also said the leadership of the school is a crucial factor.