G504

I went to Penn Law School, which is a pretty good school (sorry Tulane). I now teach at University of Miami, few schools better (sorry LSU). I did criminal defense for a couple years out of law school, and I've studied a fair about of criminal justice theory. I all my years, I have never come across one credibility theory that supports the notion that excessively high punishments actually deter crime. They only result in making the people consider the governing body arbitrary and unjust. It doesn't work with the death penalty, it doesn't work with million dollar lawsuits for illegally downloading music, it's not going to work here. Sure, maybe people will stop using the word "bounty" (just like people took to calling illegal downloading "file sharing"), but defensive players will continue to target Pro-Bowlers just back from injury. Or those too old and slow (like Warner) or rookies (like Cam). Or those that just don't get their fair share of flags (I'll PAY the Saints $500,000 fine if you can prove no team ever discussed hitting Vick extra because he doesn't get as many flags as say a Tom Brady).

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