3:29 p.m., March 12, 2008--Ken Haas, professor of sociology and criminal justice at UD, will give a talk about “The Emerging Death Penalty Jurisprudence of the Roberts Court” at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, in 118 Purnell Hall.

The lecture will focus on the controversial death penalty decisions that have taken place in the U.S. Supreme Court since the introduction of John Roberts as chief justice in 2005 and the replacement of Sandra Day O'Connor with Samuel Alito in 2006.

Haas says he will argue that these replacements have dramatically changed the substance and tone of the court's capital punishment philosophy and that this change is underestimated in the mainstream press. To support this idea, he will preview the major death penalty cases yet to be decided this year, including two he believes could significantly change the legal landscape.

Haas' articles have appeared in law reviews, social science journals and scholarly anthologies. His scholarly work has been cited in numerous law review articles as well as by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sponsored by UD's Legal Studies Program, the lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail Haas at [kenhaas@udel.edu].