He is especially grateful for the insight of Professor Erica Zunkel, whose support and compassionate release expertise were invaluable in drafting this Case Note. He also thanks Professors Alison Siegler and Judith Miller, Reagan Kapp, Matthew Makowski, Benjamin Klein, and the University of Chicago Law Review Online team.
The area of law colloquially known as compassionate release—which allows prisoners to seek sentence reductions or early release from incarceration under limited circumstances—garnered heightened attention at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ellen thanks the Online Editors for their helpful comments on this piece.
Judge Charles Breyer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California made headlines in May of 2020 with his decision to reject a plea agreement in United States v. Osorto (2020).
