Digital Commons Network^™

Supreme Court To Rule On Police Shooting Case: Excessive Force And Qualified Immunity, Natalie Lakosil

GGU Law Review Blog

Currently, a circuit split exists regarding the Ninth Circuit’s Provocation Rule. The deputies argue that Graham applies and that officers need to be free to make split‑second choices to respond to threats of force without stopping to replay their prior actions and evaluate whether someone might later accuse them of provoking the situation. Although this is true, some argue that officers should also be required to follow the Constitution in the first place and held liable if they cause the force to be used. The holding in Scott supports this type of analysis. While Graham allows for qualified immunity by …

California Supreme Court May Allow The Censoring Of Consumers’ Online Reviews, Jamie Cooperman

GGU Law Review Blog

The use of social media to leave reviews creates a medium in which “word of mouth” can reach many more individuals who are in search of a specific product or service that can meet their needs. The accessibility of these forums reaching vast numbers of consumers lead to both positive and negative effects. For consumers, the ability to read about others’ good, bad, and neutral experiences can help them determine if the particular business is a right fit for them. For business owners, both positive and negative reviews can indicate to a business what consumers appreciate and also what the …

Abortion Rights: “Ash Heap Of History” Or Surviving The Smoke?, Alicyn B. Whitley

GGU Law Review Blog

The possibility of further restrictions of abortion rights smolder on the horizon, but currently remain at bay. After Whole Woman’s Health, a Trump appointed nominee will likely swing the Court toward a 5‑4 majority in favor of upholding current abortion law. Justices Breyer, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan voted to reaffirm Casey’s “undue burden” standard safeguarding a woman’s fundamental right to an abortion. Thomas, Alito, and Roberts were the three Justices to dissent to the opinion. If all the current justices were to remain on the bench until after the next president is elected, the potential threat to abortion rights …

C.R. Ex Rel. Rainville V. Eugene School District 4j: Slowly Expanding A School’S Ability To Reach Off-Campus Speech, Mary R. Loung

Golden Gate University Law Review

The United States Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law to all citizens regardless of race, color, religion, and gender. However, there are special circumstances when constitutional rights can be restricted. The First Amendment rights of public school students fall under one of these special circumstances. While parents have a responsibility to care for, protect, and discipline their child, the responsibility transfers to the school’s in loco parentis authority when the child becomes a student under their supervision. The salient issue then becomes how to determine when the school’s authority begins and ends. The Ninth Circuit’s decision in C.R. ex …

Jones V. Davis And The Critical Issue Of Time In California’S Capital Punishment System, Heather Varanini

Golden Gate University Law Review

This Note argues that the Ninth Circuit should have affirmed the district court’s holding, thus invalidating California’s capital punishment system for three main reasons. First, citizens are losing confidence in the death penalty, which undermines its deterrent effect. Second, capital punishment is a critical issue for the State, and Californians and death row inmates alike must look to the judiciary for relief. Third, the Ninth Circuit avoided the constitutional issue of California’s capital punishment system by relying on Teague v. Lane. In doing so, the court deepened the problems the Defendant and the district court sought to alleviate.

Peruta V. County Of San Diego: An Individual Right To Self-Defense Outside The Home And The Application Of Strict Scrutiny To Second Amendment Challenges, Kevin Ballard

Golden Gate University Law Review

This Note will begin by examining the majority’s analysis in Heller. The Heller case, through historical interpretation, analyzed the language of the Second Amendment and settled a long-held dispute about the meaning of its actual language. This same historical analysis was also significant in the Supreme Court’s examination of McDonald, which affirmatively applied the Second Amendment to the States. Peruta used the same methodology as Heller and McDonald.

Next, this Note will argue that, based on the historical analysis in Heller, McDonald, and Peruta, courts addressing the Second Amendment should apply strict scrutiny review …

How Much Is Police Brutality Costing America?, Eleanor Lumsden

Publications

The criminal law of the United States fails to stop the unlawful killing of minorities by law enforcement. In fact, it was never meant to do so. Civil tort law is also unequal to the task. The consequences of not correcting these legal failures are far-reaching for the United States and for our neighbors, and have so far been underreported. This article explores the direct and indirect costs of these failings, positive measures already underway, and makes further sugges-tions for reform.