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Lawyer Honored For His Criminal Justice Work

by TChris

The winner of the 2006 American Judicature Society's Herbert Harley Award is Bryan Stevenson.

John Carroll, dean of the Cumberland School of Law, nominated Stevenson for the award. "His efforts have brought reform in the case law, reforms in the criminal justice system in this state and have saved countless lives," he said in a press release. He said Stevenson and his colleagues have helped get 20 Alabama prisoners off death row.

For Stevenson, there's still more work ahead. He said there are thousands of prisoners in jail who shouldn't be there, people sentenced to life in prison for writing bad checks or possessing drugs on their fourth felony.

"The habitual offender laws have done havoc on our system," he said. Such views clash with conservative lawmakers, who take a lock-um-up, throw-away-the-key approach to crime, he said.

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