Wilkins
to focus on implications of death penalty in major speech
Distinguished
Greenville jurist to outline public policy challenges to law students
SEPT. 12, 2006 -- Chief Judge William W. Wilkins
of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Thursday
will deliver a major speech that examines legal, political and
social implications of the death penalty in modern society.
"Because the focus of the Charleston School of Law is public
service, many of today's law students will have to face the issue
of the death penalty in the public arena of the future - - either
as prosecutors, public defenders or public officials," said
Wilkins, a distinguished visiting professor at the school.
As a federal judge, Wilkins has been a part of 86 appeals of
death penalty cases from state and federal courts. Before taking
the bench, he tried 12 death penalty cases in the Upstate as a
prosecutor.
Among the topics that Wilkins will broach are:
Wilkins, a Greenville native, has been a member of the appellate
bench since 1986. He served as a U.S. District Judge for the District
of South Carolina from 1981 to 1986. In addition to serving on
the Fourth Circuit, he served as the first chair of the U.S. Sentencing
Commission from 1986 to 1994. From 1999 to 2003, he chaired the
Committee on Criminal Law of the Judicial Conference of the United
States.
WHEN: Noon, Thursday, Sept. 14,
2006
WHERE: Room 333, BellSouth building,
Meeting Street, Charleston, S.C.
DETAILS: No mult-box will be furnished.
For media that need audio, it is suggested that you arrive at
least 15 minutes prior to the talk to set up properly.
