Posted by Eugene Volokh:
Federal District Judge -- and Leading Conservative Criminal Law Scholar -- Paul
Cassell Resigning:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_16-2007_09_22.shtml#1190408261
[1]Sentencing Law & Policy has the story. I don't know Judge Cassell
well, though we've met a couple of times; but I have long respected
his [2]scholarship, of which there's been a great deal. Here are Judge
Cassell's reasons:
In the past few weeks, two primary factors have led me to do
something that I never thought possible -- leaving this important
public service position. First, the S.J. Quinney College of Law at
the University of Utah has offered me a chance to return to pursue
teaching and scholarship there. Many interesting things are
happening at the College of Law these days, including exciting
research by the criminal law faculty and the development of the new
Utah Criminal Justice Center. Returning to the College of Law will
give me time to pursue research in my area of greatest scholarly
interest -- crime victims� rights. I have several important books
and articles on this topic that I would like to turn to as quickly
as possible.
Related to this opportunity is the coincidental offer from the
National Crime Victim Law Institute to litigate crime victims cases
across the country on its behalf. As you know, many indigent crime
victims have unmet legal needs in the criminal justice system,
particularly because the content of victims� rights remains largely
undeveloped in the courts. Because of my academic specialization on
this topic, I hope to be particularly effective in advocating on
their behalf.
And finally, I would be less than completely candid if I did not
mention the uncertainty surrounding judicial pay as a factor in my
decision. With three talented children approaching college years,
it has been difficult for my wife and me to make financial plans.
As you know, this year federal judges have yet to receive even a
cost of living pay increase. Your much-appreciated proposal to
raise judicial salaries has yet to be acted on by Congress. I would
like to ensure that my children will have the same educational
opportunities that I had. How to achieve that within the
constraints on current judicial pay is more than a difficult task.
My wife and I have concluded that we may not be able to do what we
have always planned to do unless I make some changes.
The bench's loss is the University of Utah's, and the National Crime
Victim Law Institute's, gain.
References
1.
http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2007/09/breaking-news-a.html
2. http://www.law.utah.edu/profiles/default.asp?PersonID=57&name=Cassell,Paul
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