Digital Commons Network^™

"Brown On Brown": The Institutional Conditioning Of Racial Conflict In An Urban High School, Calvin Morrill, Michael Musheno, Cindy Bejarano, Christine Yalda, Madelaine Adelman

Michael Musheno

No abstract provided.

"Brown On Brown": The Institutional Conditioning Of Racial Conflict In An Urban High School, Calvin Morrill, Michael Musheno, Cindy Bejarano, Christine Yalda, Madelaine Adelman

Calvin Morrill

No abstract provided.

Is Zina Bil Jabr A Hadd, Taz‛Ir Or Siyasa Offence?: A Reappraisal Of The Protection Of Women Act 2006 In Pakistan”, Muhammad Munir Dr.

Dr. Muhammad Munir

This article briefly discusses the various laws passed by the regime of General Musharraf (1999-2008) to relieve the plight of helpless women in Pakistan and analyses the Protection of Women Act, 2006 from a legal, rather than from a political or emotional perspective. It scrutinizes the opinions of leading 'ulama, such as Justice (R) Taqi 'Uthmani, Mufti Muneebur Rahman, Moulana 'Abdul Malik, and Hasan Madani. The position of women rights' groups about the said law is discussed; the claim of the then government that the Act is compatible with the Qur'an and the Sunnah is examined; the various changes made …

The Grand Jury Legal Advisor: Resurrecting The Grand Jury's Shield, Thaddeus Hoffmeister

Thaddeus Hoffmeister

This Article advocates for the creation of a Grand Jury Legal Advisor (GJLA) to resurrect the historical autonomy of grand juries. The Article draws upon Hawaii’s experiences with the GJLA, and incorporates survey responses from a representative sample of former GJLAs.

The Article begins with a general and historical overview of the grandjury process. This portion of the Article demonstrates how all three branches of government have contributed to the diminishment of the powers of grand jurors. Part IV of this Article discusses the important policy

rationales underlying the need for grand jury autonomy; Part V recommends the implementation of …

How Mandatory Are Mandatory Minimums? How Judges Can Avoid Imposing Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Nathan A. Greenblatt

Nathan A Greenblatt

Mandatory minimum sentences are anathema to judges due to, it is commonly said, judges’ “utter lack of power to do anything for the exceptional defendants that move them.” In the case of Weldon Angelos, for example, U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell lamented that sentencing Mr. Angelos to 55 years in prison “is unjust, cruel, and even irrational. [The court] reluctantly concludes that it has no choice.” The Judicial Conference has consistently opposed mandatory minimum sentences for more than 50 years, because it, too, has concluded that mandatory sentences give judges no choice in sentencing. Indeed, the U.S. Sentencing Commission recently …

The Israeli Policy: Targeted Killing For Preventive Self-Defense Or Extra-Judicial Executions?, Maged Bader

Maged Bader

No abstract provided.

Self-Incrimination Doctrine Is Dead; Long Live Self-Incrimination Doctrine: Confessions, Scientific Evidence, And The Anxieties Of The Liberal State, Kenworthey Bilz

Kenworthey Bilz

Confessions have historically been the most compelling evidence the state could offer at a criminal trial. However, improvements in forensic technologies have led to increased use of scientific evidence, such as DNA typing, pattern-recognition software, location tracking devices, and the like, with very impressive rates of reliability. The reliability of these methods has become so impressive, in fact, that it should lead to a reduced reliance on confessions (and other nonscientific evidence, such as eyewitness identifications) in criminal prosecutions. However, this does not mean that the doctrine of self-incrimination, which regulates the acquisition and use of confessions, will no longer …

University Of South Florida Libraries Holocaust & Genocide Studies Draft Business Plan, Mark I. Greenberg

Mark I. Greenberg

Genocide and mass violence have become global threats to peace and security and a sad testament to the human condition. Almost a half million genocide and torture victims currently reside in the United States, with millions more suffering silently in other parts of the world. Recognizing an important opportunity to unify the University of South Florida’s wide-ranging Holocaust & genocide studies initiatives and to contribute to global education and action, the USF Libraries have created a global interdisciplinary center to better understand and prevent genocide. USF Libraries Holocaust & Genocide Studies Center will become an internationally recognized center for the …

Making The Circle Stronger: An Effort To Buttress Aboriginal Use Of Restorative Justice In Canada Against Recent Criticisms, David Milward

Dr. David Milward

The reliance of the Canadian criminal justice system on adversarial procedures and incarceration is not very effective or productive when dealing with Aboriginal crime. Restorative justice is often presented as a more constructive way of dealing with Aboriginal crime, and as a solution to Aboriginal over-incarceration. There have however been recent criticisms made against restorative justice that call into question its effectiveness as a medium of social control. These criticisms have the potential to enter policy discourses on justice and frustrate Aboriginal aspirations regarding the use of restorative justice. Restorative justice, notwithstanding the criticisms, still has the potential to provide …

Deregulating Guilt: The Information Culture Of The Criminal System, Alexandra Natapoff

Alexandra Natapoff

Social Policy, Imperiled Communities, And Hiv/Aids Transmission In Prisons: A Call For Zero Tolerance, Louis F. Graham, Henrie Treadwell, Kisha Braithwaite

Louis F Graham

HIV/AIDS and African-American male imprisonment contribute to the destruction of African-American communities. African-American men and HIV/AIDS are disproportionately represented throughout all sectors of the criminal justice industry, including the juvenile justice system. The criminal justice system contributes to unacceptably high African-American male imprisonment rates and HIV prevalence directly via the ‘war on drugs’ and lax enforcement of institutional policy among other things, and indirectly through perpetuation of economic hardship which further exacerbates imprisonment rates, thus closing the loop of a vicious cycle of revolving prison doors and HIV contraction. This article briefly introduces surrounding socio-political issues that contextualizes the ensuing …

Human Rights Protection Under The Nigerian Constitution, Ibrahim Sule

Ibrahim Sule

No abstract provided.

The Right Thing For Juveniles, Tamar R. Birckhead

Tamar R Birckhead

This op-ed argues that the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction in North Carolina should be raised from 16 to 18.

The Sense And Nonsense Of Criminalizing Transfers Of Obscene Material: Criminalizing Privacy Violations (2008) 26 Singapore Law Review 126, Dennis J. Baker

Dr. Dennis J Baker

The recent distribution of nude photos of a number of high profile Hong Kong celebrities has provoked intense discussion about the state of Hong Kong's obscenity and indecency laws. In this paper, I argue that Hong Kong's laws prohibiting the transfer of obscene and indecent information and images between consenting adults are both under-inclusive and over-inclusive. The Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance is under-inclusive in that it does not adequately criminalise grave violations of privacy. It is also over-inclusive because it is a blanket prohibition against the transfer by all parties (including consenting adults) of all forms of …

United States Of America V. Robert Jared Smith, A/K/A J-Dog, Appeal From The United States District Court For The Southern District Of West Virginia, Margaret M. Lawton

Margaret M. Lawton

No abstract provided.

Contempt For The Rights Of Man: The Role Of Prosecutorial Misconduct In Virginia Capital Cases, Fay F. Spence

Fay F Spence

From reinstatement of the death penalty in Virginia in 1977, until January 2001, 132 Virginia defendants have been sentenced to death. Approximately 70% of the federal post-conviction proceedings in these cases allege some form of prosecutorial misconduct. This article discusses the appellate and post-conviction treatment of the prosecutorial misconduct allegations in each of these cases. Three cases were actually reversed because of misconduct. Courts recognized prosecutorial misconduct in another 14 cases, but held it to be “harmless error.” In 32 of the cases, the courts refused to address the allegations of misconduct, finding the issue to be “procedurally defaulted.” In …

Short Of The Goal: New York's Legislation To Compel Hiv Testing From Accused Sex Offenders, Joseph E. Fahey

Joseph E Fahey

"Short of the Goal: New York's Legislation to Compel HIV Testing from Accused Sex Offenders" examines New York's newly enacted legislation allowing for such court ordered testing upon the filing of charges and prior to conviction.Although this legislation was designed to augment and improve the existing legislation which allows it only post-conviction, it contains significant flaws which leave it short of its intended result. This article examines the legislation and its flaws.

‘Constitutionalizing The Harm Principle', 27(2) Criminal Justice Ethics 3 (2008), Dr. Dennis J. Baker

Dr. Dennis J Baker

In this paper, I argue that a constitutionalized Harm Principle could ensure that people are not jailed unless they deserve it. I do not aim to outline every possible type of bad consequence beyond harm that might be sufficiently serious to justify criminalization. Instead, I focus on criminalization that is backed up with jail terms and I argue that wrongful harm to others provides the only moral and constitutional justification for sending people to jail. Imprisonment harms the prisoner, so she should not be imprisoned unless she has caused proportionate harm to others. I argue that the sufficient conditions for …

Modern Disparities In Legal Education: Emancipation From Racial Neutrality, David Mears

David Mears

Abstract

Wealth, leadership and political power within any democratic society requires the highest caliber of a quality legal education. The Black experience is not necessarily a unique one within legal education but rather an excellent example of either poor to substandard quality disseminated unequally among racial and socioeconomic stereotypes based upon expected outcomes of probable success or failure. It is often said, “Speak and so it will happen” – many within the halls of academia work hard to openly predict failure yet seemingly do very little to foster success internally within the academic procedures and processes based on the customer …

Remapping A Nation Without States: Personalized Full Representation For California’S 21st Century, Mark Paul, Micah Weinberg

Mark Paul

California is a state of many distinct regions. To give citizens a voice on regional issues and to reinvigorate California’s Legislature, the state’s central institution of self-government, we propose Personalized Full Representation for the 21st Century (PFR21), a system of representation by means of regionally based legislative elections that will allow the state’s citizens to set the agenda for their regions and for the state as a whole. By reshaping the stage on which legisla- tive politics is played out, California can make state govern- ment more attentive to regional issues and give its citizens a means of holding elected …

Safe Overseas Travel, Brian Kingshott

Brian F. Kingshott

No abstract provided.

The Grand Jury Legal Advisor: Resurrecting The Grand Jury's Shield, Thaddeus Hoffmeister

Thaddeus Hoffmeister

This article begins by discussing the prosecutor’s control over the grand jury process and whether that is necessarily a good or bad thing. After determining that it is indeed harmful to the criminal justice system, the article offers a possible remedy, the grand jury legal advisor (GJLA). Currently, both the state of Hawaii and the military use the GJLA. The article concludes by demonstrating that the advantages of implementing the GJLA greatly outweigh the disadvantages. In fact, the GJLA actually benefits the prosecutor. As part of the research for this article, the author has conducted an independent survey with former …

"Nasty As They Wanna Be", Terri R. Day

Terri R. Day

"Nasty as They Wanna Be" reflects on the social and legal implications of campaign speech restrictions. On the heels of a vigorously fought presidential election, much of voters' and media attention focused on the tenor of the campaign ads and accusations. Although most states and municipalities have some type of "clean campaign" speech restrictions, this paper takes the view that such attempts are per se unconstitutional. The relevance of the "market place of ideas" and New York Times v. Sullivan remains paramount when government attempts to control the content of political discourse during campaigns.

"Nasty As They Wanna Be", Terri R. Day

Terri R. Day

"Nasty as They Wanna Be" reflects on the social and legal implications of campaign speech restrictions. On the heels of a vigorously fought presidential election, much of voters' and media attention focused on the tenor of the campaign ads and accusations. Although most states and municipalities have some type of "clean campaign" speech restrictions, this paper takes the view that such attempts are per se unconstitutional. The relevance of the "market place of ideas" and New York Times v. Sullivan remains paramount when government attempts to control the content of political discourse during campaigns.

"Nasty As They Wanna Be", Terri R. Day

Terri R. Day

"Nasty as They Wanna Be" reflects on the social and legal implications of campaign speech restrictions. On the heels of a vigorously fought presidential election, much of voters' and media attention focused on the tenor of the campaign ads and accusations. Although most states and municipalities have some type of "clean campaign" speech restrictions, this paper takes the view that such attempts are per se unconstitutional. The relevance of the "market place of ideas" and New York Times v. Sullivan remains paramount when government attempts to control the content of political discourse during campaigns.

Nasty As They Wanna Be, Terri R. Day

Terri R. Day

"Nasty as They Wanna Be" reflects on the social and legal implications of campaign speech restrictions. On the heels of a vigorously fought presidential election, much of voters' and media attention focused on the tenor of the campaign ads and accusations. Although most states and municipalities have some type of "clean campaign" speech restrictions, this paper takes the view that such attempts are per se unconstitutional. The relevance of the "market place of ideas" and New York Times v. Sullivan remains paramount when government attempts to control the content of political discourse during campaigns.

Do Attorneys Really Matter? The Empirical And Legal Case For The Right Of Counsel At Bail, Douglas L. Colbert, Raymond Paternoster, Shawn Bushway

Douglas L. Colbert

No abstract provided.

Connecting Theory And Reality: Teaching Gideon And Indigent Defendants' Non-Right To Counsel At Bail, Douglas L. Colbert

Douglas L. Colbert

In my article, I critique criminal procedure textbooks' and law professors' limited treatment of the constitutional right to counsel at the bail stage. While explaining that casebook authors usually praise the Supreme Court's landmark decisions in Gideon v. Wainwright and Argersinger v. Hamlin for guaranteeing trial counsel to indigent state defendants, I suggest that they shed minimal light on Gideon's irrelevance to most state defendants when they first appear before a judicial officer. Reviewing leading criminal procedure casebooks, I demonstrate that it is the rare text which informs law students that accused defendants should not expect to find a defense …

Professional Discretion And The Use Of Restorative Justice Programs In Appropriate Domestic Violence Cases: An Effective Innovation, Jean J. Ferguson

Jean J Ferguson

Despite the frequency and consequences of domestic violence, current responses to the problem are ineffective. Scholars widely agree that institutions dedicated to addressing family violence are over-burdened and under-funded. Mandatory arrest and prosecution policies deprive police officers and prosecutors of the ability to individualize their responses to domestic violence situations in order to most effectively prevent future incidents of violence. Batterer’s treatment programs suffer from time constraints, and the limited information available on their long-term results indicates that they are often insufficient to meet the long-term needs of families. The dropout rates in these programs tend to be high. While …

Taking The 'Hate' Out Of Hate Crimes: Applying Unfair Advantage Theory To Justify The Enhanced Punishment Of Opportunistic Bias Crimes, Jordan Woods

Jordan Blair Woods