Latest Case: State v. Keene (Criminal Law)

Economic Theory Shows that People Will Make Choices that Worsen the Pandemic

NEIL H. BUCHANAN

UF Levin College of Law professor and economist Neil H. Buchanan points out some of the ways in which congressional Republicans misunderstand economics to justify withholding unemployment payments from Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Buchanan argues that economic theory soundly demonstrates that given the opportunity, people will make choices that worsen the toll of the pandemic.

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State v. Keene

Citation: 2020 ME 102

Opinion Date: August 6, 2020

Judge: Ellen A. Gorman

Areas of Law: Criminal Law

The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of intentional or knowing or depraved indifference murder and gross sexual assault, holding that there was no error in the proceedings below. Specifically, the Court held (1) the trial court did not err by failing, sua sponte, to transfer venue based on the pretrial publicity about the case; (2) there was sufficient competent evidence on which a jury could reasonably find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Defendant committed each element of both crimes; and (3) the trial court did not misapply any legal principles or abuse its discretion in imposing Defendant's sentence as to either crime.