Law Commons^™

Generations Of Abuse: Exploring The Sexual Assault Epidemic On Native Land, Carly White

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

The United States government has a long history of extending its reach into the affairs of Native people. Yet, it has consistently failed to protect Native women from rampant violence and abuse. Native American women have the highest rates of sexual abuse in the country. The federal government has the decision to either mend its long-standing indifference toward Indigenous women or allow them to continue to suffer under the current system. This note explores the sexual assault crisis on Indian land and seeks to bring positive change to historically marginalized women. Specifically, this note highlights the need for Congress to …

Prosecutorial Misconduct: Conviction By Any Means Necessary, Walter W. Harding Jr.

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Prosecutors serve as advocates of victims and the community in criminal proceedings. Prosecutors’ primary role is to serve proper justice during these criminal proceedings. When the focus of the prosecutor is on quantity of convictions rather than quality of convictions, only injustice can result. Currently, prosecutors are expected to self-regulate their own offices to prevent prosecutorial misconduct. Yet, all attorneys and all judges have rules of professional and judicial responsibility to report such misconduct. Furthermore, sovereign and qualified immunity protects prosecutors, who commit misconduct, to gain convictions. There is a need to remove these immunity protections from prosecutors, who commit …

Bailing On The Bondsman: An Argument For Abolishing Monetary Bail, Sean Freeland M.S., J.D.

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Money bail as a condition for pretrial release has existed throughout American history. Two out of every three inmates held in jails across the United States have not been tried for a crime and are only held because they cannot afford to pay the cost of their bail. The longer a defendant awaits trial in detention, the higher the chance they will be convicted of a crime and sentenced to a longer term than a defendant who is awarded pretrial release. The prolonged time awaiting trial in detention contributes to recidivism and increased criminalization for individuals and their communities. For …

Empowering The Eeoc: An Enforcement Strategy To Tackle Workplace Sexual Harassment, Noah Bloomberg J.D.

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

This Note argues that for Title VII to adequately combat workplace sexual harassment on a national scale, the EEOC needs stronger enforcement authority. Though Congress intended the EEOC to be the main mechanism for enforcing Title VII, it is currently too limited by federal law. Using the framework employed by the Obama Department of Education with Title IX, the EEOC can enforce Title VII in a way that not only remedies individual cases of widespread sexual harassment but also institutes a sea of change within workplace policies as a means of proactively addressing sexual misconduct, similar to how Title IX …

Lethal Injections: Protocol Plagued With Secrecy And Flaws Ushering In The New Era Of Botched Executions, Willow Van Skyhawk

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Since its adoption as the primary means of execution in the United States, lethal injections have exasperated issues of cruel and unusual punishment. Despite having the best public sentiment, lethal injection protocols are plagued with serious ethical concerns. The government’s attempt to humanize the death penalty resulted in medical abuse and botched executions. This Note explores such malign lethal injection protocols, the remedial efforts made to address such protocols, and whether the legal injection system can exist without harm. The reformation of lethal injection protocols is a societal responsibility. Americans must decide how comfortable society should be with the inconsistency …

Originalism's Time Machine: A Resurrected Relationship To The State, Douglas B. Mckechnie J.D.

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

For almost sixty years, the constitutional understanding of physical autonomy in the U.S. included the right to end a pregnancy. This modern understanding of constitutional rights began with the Supreme Court’s evolutive interpretation of the Constitution in the mid-Twentieth Century and continued to expand into the Twenty-first Century. In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, however, the Court reasoned that the right to physical autonomy it had identified fifty years earlier, in Roe vs. Wade, was not deeply rooted in the nation’s history and thus wrongly established by the Court. This Originalist interpretation of the Constitution rearranged the constitutional order. …

Defamation In The Twenty First Century: Some Observations And A Brief Taxonomy, John G. Culhane

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Defamation law has had a bumpy ride lately. Designed as a mechanism for the restoration of unfairly sullied reputations, recent high-profile cases have revealed the tort’s limitations in the era of social media saturation and virality. Some of these cases should never have been brought, while others would more naturally have been based in other torts, including intentional infliction of emotional distress or interference with business relations.

Beginning with a brief, targeted history of defamation law that focuses on its essential purpose, this article then discusses several recent, high-profile cases that have both exposed the limitations of defamation law and …

Is The End Just The Beginning? Nil Changes And The New World Of Intercollegiate Athletics, Jordan Allen

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Since the beginning of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (“NCAA”) formation, student-athletes have been prohibited from profiting off their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”). After years of lawsuits, the United States Supreme Court narrowly sided with student-athletes in _NCAA v. Alston_, holding that the NCAA violated the law by limiting the education-related benefits that schools could offer to student-athletes. While this holding was important, the most significant aspect of this opinion derives from Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurrence, which stated that the NCAA is not above the law. The release of this opinion created a ripple effect in which many states …

The War Story As Essential Pedagogy: Construction, Telling, And Use, Michael P. Maslanka

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

"The War Story as Essential Pedagogy: Construction, Telling, and Use” deals with an unexplored area of law school instruction, namely, how to translate the practical and practice-based experiences of full-time law school professors and law school adjunct professors into useful classroom lessons that students are empowered to carry with them into their legal careers. The article addresses the resistance to any instructional method other than the Socratic dialogue, outlines those objections and responses, and explains why war stories are valuable instructional tools. The article asserts that war stories are an untapped natural resource, present in abundance at all law schools, …

Has The "Cyber-Marketplace Of Ideas" Gone Rogue?, Matthew J. Blaney

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

To this day, First Amendment jurisprudence protects the rights of speakers whose views the overwhelming majority of people may find distasteful or discomforting—at least offline, that is. The internet and social media, however, present a complex case for whether or not to regulate hate speech online.Social media has done a tremendous deal of good in the world—including serving as the foundation for promoting awareness of police brutality and the #MeTooMovement. Nevertheless, social media has seen a tsunami of hate since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the situation is only escalating. And worst of all, the social media platforms …

Trial By Media: Where Fact & Fiction Co-Exist In High-Profile Cases, Sophie Fielder

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Media presence in any U.S. courtroom has long included a debate between the First and Sixth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, especially within high-profile criminal trials. However, while most federal courts choose to disallow live streaming of trials, state courts continue to vary on the levels of media involvement within their courtrooms. Furthermore, parties involved in civil trials receive less constitutional protection; as such, we’ve seen the media’s presence run wild within the last couple of years, turning respected courtrooms into entertainment circuses and exposing jurors to influential media more than ever. In a world not only consumed by technology …

Federal Action To Cure State Inaction: Protecting Consumers From The Perils Of Payday Lending, Gabriel Martin

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

The United States thrives under its unique brand of federalism, allowing states to become laboratories of democracy, tailoring their innovations to meet the needs of constituents. Yet, when state governments are unable or unwilling to take action, it is incumbent upon the federal government to establish a baseline. The rather recent rise of payday loans presents a case study that illustrates a scenario where state innovation, or lack thereof, produced vastly disparate laws among the states. While some states take more consumer-friendly approaches to combat the adverse outcomes of payday loans, a majority of states have done little to quell …

Child Content Creators And Just Compensation: A Policy Expansion On 'Coogan Law' For Child Social Media Stars, Deanna Cooper

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

The realm of child entertainers utilizing social media platforms for influencer marketing and monetizing their original content is ever-changing, and officials who could manufacture legislation changes to protect those financial futures have long been locked in a stalemate. Child actors and child entertainers in traditional workplace settings have financial protections under ‘Coogan Law,’ a state law enacted to safeguard a portion of the minor’s earnings in a trust account until they reach the age of majority and to protect their assets from exploitation and financial abuse by their managers and/or family members. Those same underaged content creators earn thousands of …

Mere Touches With Massive Ramifications: An Analysis Of _Torres V. Madrid_ And Its Potential Effects On Police And Section 1983 Plaintiffs, Dalton Parks

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Since its inception, the Supreme Court has often struggled to interpret what constitutes a seizure under the Fourth Amendment. While what constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment has two sturdy foundations in _Katz v. United States_ and _United States v. Jones_, the same cannot be said for seizures, specifically seizures of persons. In 2021, the Court attempted to remedy the situation and craft a workable seizure definition in _Torres v. Madrid_. Instead of building on existing precedent and creating stability in the law, the majority in _Torres_ muddied the seizure waters further when they disregarded more than half a …

Regulating Rape Within The Virtual World, Chandler Horne

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

As virtual reality applications become more accessible to the general public, the opportunity for immoral user interactions has shifted from possible to probable. While although virtual reality applications have revolutionized the tech industry, they have also initiated an evolution of virtual crimes, such as virtual rape. Virtual rape refers to when a virtual user exploits their avatar to rape the avatar of another virtual user. When virtual rape occurs, user rapists are often left unpunished, and user victims are often left without recourse. This paper examines how rapes occurring within virtual reality applications can be adjudicated under real-world laws. Specifically, …

From Paper To Prison: How A Rapper's Bars Can Land Them Behind Bars, Sean Freeland

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

The United States judiciary has historically treated some criminal defendants worse than others. This paper seeks to shed light on the current shortcomings of the judiciary as it relates to lyricists. Specifically, prosecutors are targeting rap artists on trial for various crimes by seeking to admit their rap lyrics as propensity evidence. This paper is divided into three parts. First, it aims to examine a small aspect of free speech in America and points out its various problems. Further, this paper identifies a solution that should make admitting art as evidence more difficult for prosecutors; as such, the second part …

Forming A "Brain Print:" Using Cognitive Neuroscience And Brain Imaging As An Objective Measure Of Criminal Insanity, Christos D. Strubakos

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Fiction popularized the concept of criminal insanity. Yet, despite its popularity in the virtual world, it is rarely used in real life. The chief reason for this is that mental disorders that may inhibit a defendant's ability to form reasonable cognitive representations of reality often do not impact his ability to form a key element of a crime: the requisite mental state. Thus, the legal definition of criminal insanity refers to a mental defect that affects a defendant's ability to appreciate her actions at the time of the crime or to understand her actions are wrong. Further complicating matters is …

Governmental Inadequacies Concerning Missing And Murdered Native American Women In The United States, Peyton Cross

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

The United State's legal system has failed Native American women for centuries. Without change, they will continue to be failed by the country's legal system until there are hardly any Native American women left for it to fail. The federal government must provide tribal law enforcement with the necessary tools and ability to properly police their reservations in order to help the women suffering from the government's historically ingrained racism. Patty A. Ferguson-Bohnee, faculty director of the Indian Legal Program and director of the Indian Legal Clinic at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, and Lauren van Schilfgaarde, the …

Commodifying Captivity: What Society Loses When Private Companies Do The Government's Bidding, Brianna Weiner

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

This paper discusses the societal impact of permitting private, for-profit entities to take on the government’s function of imposing and regulating punishment. Traditionally, the People choose local and government actors to punish others. The imposition of punishment by private, for-profit companies destroys the established pattern of community involvement and control. Communities have no control over which private companies are used, have little ability to oversee company functions, and have no voice in the process of holding private companies accountable. Additionally, when punishment is privatized, the offender does not feel the community’s condemnation. Instead of society benefiting from the swift hand …

Man Vs. Machine: Facial Recognition Technology Replacing Eyewitness Identifications, Stefanie M. Bowen

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

No abstract provided.

A Hierarchy Of Sovereigns Through The Limitation Of Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction, Walter W. Harding Jr.

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Tribal criminal jurisdiction has been limited by the enactment of the Indian Bill of Rights and acts that give states criminal jurisdiction over tribal lands instead of allowing tribal nations to self-govern criminal acts that occur on their lands. Additionally, Congress has used its plenary power to erode the tribal criminal jurisdiction. The United States Constitution recognizes three sovereigns: States, Foreign Nations, and Tribal Nations. This erosion, along with United States Supreme Court decisions, created a hierarchical class of sovereignty in the sovereigns recognized by the United States Constitution, with tribal nations occupying the lowest position on this hierarchy. In …

His Race And My Race: Fluidity And Expansion Of "Race" In A Post-Colonial Society Versus Modern-Day America, Talton (Trey) B. Dunn Iii

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

No abstract provided.

**Towards Action And In Pursuit Of Scofflaws: Shifting The Framework Of Pandemic Public Health Punishment From Theory To Pragmatism**, Michael L. Cederblom

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a debate over whether the government should implement public health interventions like mask mandates and whether public health scofflaws should be punished. The result was a split largely across political lines; “permissive” jurisdictions promoted ideas of individual freedom and condemnation of government-imposed punishment, while “restrictive” jurisdictions implemented a range of punishments attached to mask mandates. This political battle became one of stagnant theories and essentially fused considerations of public health and legal punishment. Bracketing political concerns, what philosophical theories fueled this divide? While public health generally employs a utilitarian framework limited by deontic constraints, permissive jurisdictions …

**A Way Out For Europe: How Can Europe Combat Discrimination By Automated Decision-Making Systems?**, Elvin E. Dalkılıç

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

No abstract provided.

**Surveilling Potential Uses And Abuses Of Artificial Intelligence In Correctional Spaces**, Justin Iverson

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

No abstract provided.

**The Internet-Of-Bodies/Human Mind Unification: Its Threat To Democracy And The Need For A Legal Response**, Zachary Atchley

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

No abstract provided.

**Risk-Taking Or Risk-Negotiating Model Of Vaccine Liability? Legal And Policy Considerations For Pandemic Vaccines**, Yu-Wei Chen

Lincoln Memorial University Law Review Archive

Vaccine liability determines vaccine availability. The allocation of vaccine liability is a determinant in reaching a procurement contract. Particularly during a pandemic, vaccine accelerated production poses new challenges to vaccine safety, quality, and efficacy. Solving the issue of vaccine liability is as equally important as vaccine equity in ensuring access to vaccines. For COVID-19 vaccine procurements, there are two discernible models of liability allocation around the globe: the United States risk-taking model and the European Union risk-negotiating model. The United States' risk-taking model shows that vaccine liability is borne by the government; in contrast, the European Union's risk-negotiating model shows …