Commutation and Punishment Theory at St. Thomas

I was delighted to participate yesterday in a terrific program run by the Terence J. Murphy Institute at the University of St. Thomas School of law, and organized by the ever gracious and kind Lisa Schiltz.  Judge Richard Sullivan and I spoke at around lunch time, and it was a privilege for me to meet and listen to him.  We both offered some thoughts about the theory and practice of punishment today.  Our talks were integrated into a larger, very interesting symposium dealing with the problems and possibilities of sentence commutation and the executive pardon power, run by the St. Thomas Law Journal with the masterful organizational touch of Mark Osler.

As is always the case when I am lucky enough to visit my friends at St. Thomas, I was extremely impressed by their generosity, hospitality, intellectual depth, and genuine fellowship.  I enjoyed being there.