Digital Commons Network^™

Signed, Sealed, Delivered? Problems With The Use Of Signature Matching To Verify Mail Voter Identity

Florida A & M University Law Review

During the 2020 election, the basic struggle to balance ballot access and election integrity played out in a more public fashion than at any time in recent memory. This begs several important questions. First, how did the American election system get to this point? The legal standards governing election law have long been debated and that uncertainty unleashed a flood of litigation in 2020. Second, why use signature matching—a practice which is methodologically unsound and steadily falling out of use—at all? The use of handwritten signatures to verify identity rather than to evidence attestation is on the decline in other …

Bias And Sexism: The Racial And Gender Wage Gap Affecting Black Women

Florida A & M University Law Review

The objective of this Article is to address the racial wage gap between Black and White women and provide a solution. Part I of this Article will discuss the history of Black women and White women in the workforce. Part II will discuss the gender wage gap as it applies to Black and White women in the 21st century. Part III will discuss how Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act has failed to address the gender and race issues that Black women face when it comes to work wages. Part IV will …

Doctrine Of Dignity: Making A Case For The Right To Die With Dignity In Florida Post-Obergefell

Florida A & M University Law Review

The discussions about the right to privacy have evolved, and the national landscape on physician-assisted suicide has changed since Krischer. Surely, it is time Floridian citizens are given the opportunity to decide whether the right to privacy guaranteed by the Florida constitution includes the right to die with dignity. Numerous states across the nation have adopted legislative provisions which afford those within that state’s borders the ability to die with dignity through physician-assisted suicide. In addition, the seemingly unrelated decision of the United States Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges has reopened the discussion of Glucksberg and its holding. In …

Leviathan Goes To Washington: How To Assert The Separation Of Powers In Defense Of Future Generations

Florida A & M University Law Review

The separation of powers was originally drawn from the common law of England, vindicated during the American Revolution as a fundamental bulwark against tyranny, and constitutionalized in the first three articles of the U.S. Constitution. It was adopted as an assurance that the present generation would not assert dead-hand control over the future of American society for mere efficiency, vanity, or greed. The separation of powers, therefore, exists to empower future generations to contend for their rights of life, liberty, and property. Both the long history of the separation of powers and the recent, controversial practices of multinational government contractors …

Taking It To The Bank: Creating A New Constitutional Standard And Using Blue Carbon Banking To Compensate The Miccosukee Tribe For The Federal "Taking" Of Their Tribal Lands, Amy Judkins

Florida A & M University Law Review

The typical remedy for a property owner whose property interests have been diminished from government regulations—as is the case with the federal government's regulation of the Miccosukee's tribal lands—would be compensation sought under the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The last clause of the Fifth Amendment— the Takings Clause—provides that "private property [shall not] be taken for public use, without just compensation." The Supreme Court has explained that the purpose of the Takings Clause is to prevent the government from "forcing some people alone to bear public burdens which, in all fairness and justice, should be borne by …

Whistle While You Work: Interpreting Retaliation Remedies Available To Whistleblowers In The Dodd-Frank Act, Max Birmingham

Florida A & M University Law Review

This Article asserts that judicial activism occurs when a court goes beyond the plain meaning of the text that is plain and unambiguous, to promulgate its politics. This Article does not make the argument nor infer that this is the sole definition of judicial activism. Rather, this Article is narrowing the scope by enumerating a specific act that falls within the category of judicial activism.

This argument proceeds as follows. Part I provides context of judicial activism. Part II analyzes how various courts have interpreted the statute, and whether the interpretation is consistent with canons of construction. Part III assesses …

The Right To Bear Arms... And Lesson Plans, Ryan Saboff

Florida A & M University Law Review

This Article will argue that due to the unique characteristics of mass school shootings, including their swiftness, unpredictability, and at times advanced planning and preparation, that American society can no longer simply rely on law enforcement to effectively stop or even prevent future acts of mass violence from occurring on our schools. Rather, legally licensed and armed teachers and school personnel are actually the most effective deterrent to mass school shootings. The primary focus of this Article will be schools kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12), as they comprise of the majority of mass shootings in the United States and typically …

How The Lone Star State Reached The Entire Nation: The Need To Limit The Nationwide Injunction Against Dapa And Daca In United States V. Texas, Denise Cartolano

Florida A & M University Law Review

On June 23, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States was ultimately deadlocked in the case United States v. Texas. In just one line, the Supreme Court shattered the dreams of millions of undocumented children and their parents who were residing in the United States; those like Anthony and Maria.The Supreme Court's utterance of these nine words, "[t]he judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court," created instability and uncertainty amongst undocumented children, students, workers and parents. This divided decision upheld a nationwide injunction against President Obama's executive action creating DAPA and expanding DACA.

Although the stories of Anthony …

Equitable Estoppel & Workers' Compensation Immunity: Why Litigants And The Courts Are Getting Ahead Of Themselves, Neil A. Ambekar

Florida A & M University Law Review

Every U.S. jurisdiction has created a separate body of law to address workplace injuries - the workers’ compensation scheme. These no-fault systems provide employees injured on the job lost wages and medical benefits. It also immunizes employers from negligence claims arising out of most workplace accidents. This article discusses a growing phenomenon in Florida’s workers’ compensation scheme, the use of estoppel to negate employer immunity. This article lays out the various theories of estoppel—primarily judicial and equitable—that may be asserted in the context of on-thejob injury litigation. This article goes on to explain why Florida courts should refrain from application …

Free Trade Agreements And The Lacey Act: A Carrot And Stick Approach To Prevent And Deter Trade In Iuu Fisheries, Ginna Arevalo

Florida A & M University Law Review

The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of seafood, importing virtually every fish sold in the U.S. market. Trade statistics do not break down the percentage of imported wild harvested fish, but a recent study estimated that twenty to thirty-two percent are caught illegally. Trade in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fisheries undermines efforts to conserve fish stocks, generates global annual losses of up to twenty-three billion dollars, and weakens economic opportunity for U.S. fishermen. Part I of this paper explains the role of different actors in the trade of duty-free IUU fish and how IUU catches may enter the …

Executive Action On Immigration: Constitutional Or Direct Conflict?, Todd Curtin

Florida A & M University Law Review

On November 20, 2014, the White House released a press statement notifying viewers that President Obama would do everything within his executive powers to solve the problems surrounding the immigration system. The White House made it clear that the President would be acting with legal authority in taking these steps. This paper addresses whether or not the Obama Administration did, in fact, act with legal authority by initiating the following steps using his executive authority: “cracking down on illegal immigration at the border; deporting felons, not families; and accountability through criminal background checks and taxes.” President Obama, acting through Secretary …

Tales Of Color And Colonialism: Racial Realism And Settler Colonial Theory, Natsu Taylor Saito

Florida A & M University Law Review

More than a half-century after the civil rights era, people of color in the United States remain disproportionately impoverished and incarcerated, excluded and vulnerable. Legal remedies rooted in the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection remain elusive. This article argues that the "racial realism" advocated by the late Professor Derrick Bell compels us to look critically at the purposes served by racial hierarchy. By stepping outside the master narrative's depiction of the United States as a "nation of immigrants" with opportunity for all, we can recognize it as a settler state, much like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It could not …

I Do. Is That Okay With You?: A Look At How Most States Are Circumventing The Full Faith And Credit Clause And Equal Protection Clause To Not Recognize Legal Same-Sex Marriages From Other States And Its Effect On Society, Rebecca Hameroff

Florida A & M University Law Review

Due to statutes, bans, and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, states do not have to recognize legal same-sex marriages from sister states that recognize same-sex marriage. This paper examines the denial of the fundamental right to marriage for same-sex couples, the violation of the Full Faith and Credit Clause of Article IV, Section 1 of the United States Constitution and Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution by not recognizing same-sex marriages legally performed in other states. It starts by looking at the impact these practices have on same-sex couples and the toll it …

Prece-Don't: Corporations And The Rise Of The Modern Judicial Dictatorship, Justin Levitt

Florida A & M University Law Review

In 2010, the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, declared unconstitutional any law forbidding corporations and unions from using general treasury funds for "electioneering communication," or political advocacy transmitted by broadcast, cable, or satellite communication in the period leading up to a federal election.

This note will examine the implications of the Citizens United decision and will argue that the future of First Amendment protection of corporate speech does not turn on any notion of corporate personhood. It will explore exactly how the Court has applied the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to corporations. It …

Will Free Speech Get A License To Drive In Florida?: A Proposal For Distinguishing Free Speech From Government Speech In Florida Specialty Plate Cases, Christopher Robert Dillingham Ii

Florida A & M University Law Review

Specialty license plates for automobiles, which publish individual and special interest Free Speech, present a quagmire for the courts when analyzed through the lens of the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause. While citizens and groups can obtain personalized license plates that publish both symbolic and written speech, state governments often exercise strict editorial control over their license plates. This regulatory scenario raises the dual questions of who is speaking - the government or the private party - and how much constitutional power the government has to engage in viewpoint restriction in regulating that speech in this traditional government forum. The …

History Of De Jure Segregation In Public Higher Education In America And The State Of Maryland Prior To 1954 And The Equalization Strategy, John K. Pierre

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Where Are Your Papers? Photo Identification As A Prerequisite To Voting, Michael J. Kasper

Florida A & M University Law Review

Remember the old war movies? Richard Attenborough or William Holden is slowly walking down misty Parisian streets, the collar of his trench turned up, the brim of the fedora pulled low. A black sedan screeches around the corner and screams to a stop in front of him before he has time to react. Soldiers bound from the car, pistols drawn, and bark "Vhere are your papers?" When did America become this movie? The U.S. Supreme Court will take up this question this term. This article explores five recent state laws, from Indiana, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Missouri requiring citizens to …

Privacy, Authenticity, & Equality: The Moral And Legal Case For The Right To Homosexual Marriage, Jeffrey L. Johnson

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

"Pick"Ering The Speech Rights Of Public School Teachers: Arguing For A Movement By Courts Toward The Hazelwood-Tinker Standard Under The First Amendment, Heather Bennett

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Extraterritorial Reach Of The Great Writ At Common Law: The Constitution Guarantees The Guantanamo Bay Detainees A Right To Habeas Corpus, Abigail S. Kurland

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Foundations Of Section 1983 Jurisprudence: A Look From The Concept Of Law, Timothy I. Oppelt

Florida A & M University Law Review

This article uses the theories of H.L.A. Hart to provide an interpretive framework for a vital civil rights statute, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983. Any interpretation of Sec. 1983 requires some sense of the fundamental nature of law and the ability to identify legal rules. Specifically, this article examines the "under color of" language of Sec. 1983 and the statute's application to municipalities. It is possible that these areas remain partially in flux or undeveloped because the Court lacks an interpretation of the statute that accounts for how rules can confer power, create artificial persons, delegate the ability to act with …

Immunity From The Focused Attention Of Others: A Conceptual And Normative Model Of Personal And Legal Privacy, Jeffrey L. Johnson

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

In Defense Of The Roosevelt Court, Wilson Ray Huhn

Florida A & M University Law Review

The overriding purpose of the New Deal was to create opportunities for the common person to acquire a stake in society. The Roosevelt appointees to the Supreme Court were unwilling to allow either entrenched wealth or arbitrary governmental action to interfere with that objective. They remade the Constitution, but in so doing they returned the Constitution to its original purpose--the protection of personal liberty. The Roosevelt Court laid the foundation for a jurisprudence of human rights upon which the Warren Court and subsequent Supreme Courts have continued to build. Two justices presently serving on the Supreme Court--Justice Antonin Scalia and …

Take Your Seats: A Student's Ability To Protest Immigration Reform At Odds With State Truancy And Compulsory Education Laws, Jason Scronic

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Equal Protection - Florida's Disenfranchisement Law: Appellate Court Affirms Decision Finding Disenfranchisement Provision Does Not Violate Constitution - Johnson V. Governor Of The State Of Florida, Et. Al., 405 F.3d 1214 (11th Cir. 2005), Arthenia L. Joyner

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Bush V. Gore: The Role Of The United States Supreme Court, David Boies

Florida A & M University Law Review

No abstract provided.