Law Commons^™

A Critical View Of The Uniform Crime Reports, Sophia M. Robison

Michigan Law Review

No one would deny that the FBI performs a vital function in investigating, identifying, and tracking down suspects who may endanger the life, liberty, and property of Americans. However, this writer feels that the Uniform Crime Reports published by the FBI should be subjected to a very critical analysis. Of primary concern are the indiscriminate acceptance of the official data by legislators and social science investigators and the doubtful inferences which a frightened public draws from news releases proclaiming that "the U.S. is sitting on a seething volcano of crime."

Recent Books, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A List of Books Received

The Relative Priority Of Small Business Administration Liens: An Unreasonable Extension Of Federal Preference?, Ronald L. Olson

Michigan Law Review

During the past three decades, the priority of the federal government as against state and private creditors competing for the assets of debtors has been greatly strengthened. In terms of relative growth, the expansion of federal priority has been comparable to the increased commercial involvement of the United States. In more recent years, Congress and the judiciary have recognized that this increased governmental commercial activity necessitates a restriction in sovereign prerogatives. However, contrary to this general trend toward the contraction of sovereign prerogatives and for reasons appearing unsatisfactory to most commentators, the "sovereign prerogative" of priority to the assets of …

Hessel E. Yntema, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A Memorial Tribute for Hessel E. Yntema

The Art Of Appellate Advocacy, Jason L. Honigman

Michigan Law Review

Rules of practice and procedure provide technical information in regard to perfecting appeals, but they do not explain how to win an appeal any more than how to win a trial. Advocacy is not an exact science; the skills which contribute to effective advocacy, whether in a trial or on appeal, have long been recognized as an art. We shall here deal with these skills at the appellate level, bearing in mind, of course, the limitations of formulating rules or precepts that can adequately instruct in any art.

There is no single, prescribed method for writing a play or painting …

Standing To Appeal Zoning Determinations: The "Aggrieved Person" Requirement, Alfred V. Boerner

Michigan Law Review

During the twentieth century the states have increasingly utilized their police power to control the use of land. All fifty states have now enacted zoning enabling legislation, much of which is based in whole or in part on the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act. Typically, these zoning acts, like the Standard Act, empower municipalities to promulgate land use regulations by dividing the municipality "into districts of such number, shape, and area as may be deemed best suited to carry out the purposes of this act ..." Most zoning acts specify that "all such regulations shall be uniform for each class …

The Accumulated Earnings Tax And The Problem Of Diversification, James C. Westin

Michigan Law Review

While diversification is now considered a legitimate corporate need authorizing the accumulation of earnings and profits, the present standards of the Regulations under section 531, which, in general, test the reasonableness of corporate accumulations by the requirement of "specific, definite, and feasible plans" for use of the funds, seem too restrictive in terms of the problems of diversification as outlined above. In light of this criticism and of recent developments, the purposes of this comment are (1) to indicate the basic principles of section 531, an understanding of which is vital to corporations anticipating retention of funds for the purpose …

Federal Estate Taxation Of Community Property Life Insurance, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Under section 2042 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, proceeds of insurance policies on the life of the decedent payable to beneficiaries other than the decedent's executor are included in the gross estate only if the decedent possessed at the time of his death "any of the incidents of ownership [in the insurance policies], exercisable either alone or in conjunction with any other person." To determine the extent of the decedent's "incidents of ownership," the Regulations provide for the application of state property law. The problems inherent in relying upon state law to govern federal estate taxation of the …

Antitrust And The Consumer Interest, Kenneth S. Carlston, James M. Treece

Michigan Law Review

Public control of business in the United States has proceeded, in most sectors of the economy, on the assumption that free, open competition in the market should be the primary regulator. It is felt that consumer welfare will be maximized by such an organization of the economy. Courts, governmental agencies, and, to a certain extent, private agencies have performed the role of ensuring that free markets are not displaced by other, less desirable alternatives.

Linkletter, Shott, And The Retroactivity Problem In Escobedo, J. Alan Galbraith

Michigan Law Review

Prior to the 1964 Supreme Court Term, decisions promulgating new constitutional rules were applied retroactively as a matter of course to final convictions. While dissents occasionally criticized the Court's failure to discuss the retroactive impact of a new constitutional rule, the potential effect upon final convictions of any single rule was not sufficiently acute to justify a departure from the normal grant of retroactivity. But the Court's decision in Mapp v. Ohio; which abruptly overturned Wolf v. Colorado and brought into doubt final state convictions resting upon illegally seized evidence admitted in reliance upon Wolf, caused courts and …

The Unanswered Questions Of American Ship, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The National Labor Relations Act does not specifically prohibit an employer from temporarily locking out his employees during collective bargaining negotiations. For many years, nevertheless, only lockouts used solely to avoid substantial economic loss as a result of union action-so-called "defensive" lockouts-were allowed. However, the emphasis which Congress placed on equality of bargaining pressure in enacting the Taft-Hartley amendments to the NLRA has caused a change in this judicial attitude. Although a few courts have gone so far as to suggest that the lockout should be as freely available as the strike, the United States Supreme Court has been more …

The Public Housing Administration And Discrimination In Federally Assisted Low-Rent Housing, Jordan D. Luttrell

Michigan Law Review

The Public Housing Administration is the federal agency primarily responsible for the administration of the federally assisted low-rent housing program. Since the expense of constructing low-rent housing unassisted by federal funds is prohibitive for state or local governments, this program accounts for practically all low-rent housing in the United States. Consequently, PHA has exercised, and continues to exercise, substantial influence on the development of the nation's low-rent housing.

The Equal Protection Clause And Imprisonment Of The Indigent For Nonpayment Of Fines, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The practice of imprisonment for failure to pay a fine levied for a criminal violation originated in twelfth-century England; its subsequent unanimous acceptance in the United States is manifested in the provisions in the statutes of every state and of the federal government authorizing imprisonment for nonpayment of fines. A few states not only commit the defendant to jail for nonpayment of the fine, but impose hard labor as well. Some states, however, have mitigated to a degree the harshness of the practice. For example, Arizona restricts the total period of confinement for the crime and the default of the …

Absolute Preferences In Municipal Civil Service Appointments: The Unresolved Conflict With Municipal Discretion, Thomas E. Swaney

Michigan Law Review

State legislatures have enacted civil service laws applicable to municipalities in order to ensure that local governments provide optimum services to their citizens. To achieve this objective, the laws restrict eligibility for public service positions to persons of proven qualifications. Although these statutes provide general guidelines for municipal employment procedures, final decisions as to the actual hiring of employees are generally left to the municipalities. This practice recognizes the advantages of permitting local officials who are intimately acquainted with the demands of government work in their particular localities to select employees at their own discretion. However, it has been deemed …

Determination Of Federal Jurisdictional Amount In Suits On Unliquidated Claims, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Hoping to keep federal court dockets free of petty claims and thereby to reduce the delay in bringing to trial controversies involving more substantial sums, Congress has given United States district courts jurisdiction of many civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States and most disputes between parties of diverse citizenship only when the alleged right forming the basis of a claimant's cause of action can be valued at more than ten thousand dollars. The value of a particular claim is determined by reference to those portions of its proponent's pleading which tend to support …

Fair Housing Laws And Brokers' Defamation Suits: The New York Experience, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The New York Law Against Discrimination, originally enacted in 1945 to eliminate discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin, has been steadily broadened to encompass discrimination in such areas as public accommodations and private housing. The law was amended in 1961 and 1963 to enable the State Commission for Human Rights to prevent. discrimination by either the owner or the real estate broker in the selling, renting, or leasing of any housing accommodation or commercial space. Despite the apparently broad protection established by the sweeping language of the statute, real estate brokers have discovered a novel …

Joint Tenancy: The Estate Lawyer's Continuing Burden, John E. Riecker

Michigan Law Review

The discussion which follows will be divided into three major parts. First, it will be important to see why so much real and personal property remains in joint tenancy between husband and wife or in entireties tenancy. It has been almost eighteen years since Congress eliminated the necessity of holding property in this form in order to split income therefrom for income tax purposes. Is inertia the only reason for the popularity of joint ownership, or are there other reasons? Second, we shall review the familiar but false assumptions most laymen (and even a few attorneys) commonly make regarding the …

Principal And Income Allocation Of Stock Distributions--The Six Per Cent Rule, Michael C. Devine

Michigan Law Review

A productive trust is usually dynamic in two ways: the principal assets appreciate in value, and their use produces income. When the beneficial interests in such a trust are successively divided between income recipients and principal remaindermen, every payment to the trust must be characterized either as income or as an addition to principal. The most difficult categorization problems arise when the receipt is of corporate stock.

Recent Books, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A List of Books Received by Michigan Law Review

The Maritime Boundaries Of The States, Avrum M. Gross

Michigan Law Review

It has long been recognized that the boundaries of coastal states encompass certain adjoining maritime areas. The settled existence of those boundaries, however, stands in marked contrast to the confusion which has surrounded their location. The geographic extent of the waters to which state jurisdiction extends has remained largely undetermined.

The recent development of refined methods for extracting minerals from offshore areas has translated questions of state jurisdiction into issues of substantial economic significance. In this regard, an increasing number of disputes have arisen between the states and the federal government, primarily over rights to offshore oil deposits. The …

Extraterritorial Application Of Penal Legislation, B. J. George Jr.

Michigan Law Review

One of the most difficult words in the legal lexicon to delineate is the term "jurisdiction"; it is equally difficult to relate this term to the concept of "venue." The term "jurisdiction" is constantly invoked by courts in a variety of contexts, some relating to geography, some to governmental and judicial structure, some to legislative or judicial power, some to persons, and some to procedures. Thus, it is difficult to discern a common thread of meaning or a consistent pattern of application from the cases in which the word appears.

Bootstraps And Capital Gain--A Participant's View Of Commissioner V. Clay Brown, William H. Kinsey

Michigan Law Review

A closely held corporation may be sold in a variety of ways. At one end of the spectrum is an all-cash sale. In such a transaction, the seller receives the purchase price and has no further concern with the economic well-being of the business. The difficulty with this method, of course, is finding a purchaser with sufficient cash who is willing to pay a fair price.

At the other end of the spectrum is a full-fledged bootstrap sale, where there is no down payment other than from the underlying assets of the sold corporation, and the purchaser's obligation to pay …

Boycotts And Restrictive Marketing Arrangements, Richard M. Buxbaum

Michigan Law Review

It is currently a common if still relatively unheralded practice for a "fired" dealer to bring an antitrust action against his former manufacturer-supplier (and perhaps other dealers), alleging that his termination was the result of a boycott. Boycotts-collective efforts to obtain the exclusion of a party from a market-are illegal per se under section 1 of the Sherman Act. Thus, questions concerning the justification for the boycott or the significance of the offender's market position do not arise.

Discrimination In The Hiring And Assignment Of Teachers In Public School Systems, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

In the Brown v. Board of Education decisions of 1954 and 1955, the United States Supreme Court made it clear that separate public school facilities for pupils of different races are inherently unequal and constitute a denial of the equal protection of the laws. While it was not altogether clear from the language of the opinions whether segregated faculties in public schools are also unconstitutional, subsequent lower court decisions have held that racial discrimination in the selection and assignment of teachers is forbidden.

Use Of Record Of Criminal Conviction In Subsequent Civil Action Arising From The Same Facts As The Prosecution, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The overwhelming majority of courts considering the issue without the aid of pertinent legislation have held that a record of a prior criminal conviction may not be used against a convicted person in subsequent civil proceedings arising from the same facts as the criminal prosecution but to which the state is not a party. It is admissible neither as evidence of the facts underlying it, nor as the basis of an estoppel preventing the convicted party from relitigating those issues which must have been decided against him in the criminal trial for the judge or jury to have found him …

Recent Books, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A List of Books Received by Michigan Law Review

An Ex Parte Order May Not Serve The Function Of A Search Warrant Under The Fourth Amendment To Authorize A Physical Intrusion In Connection With A "Search" For Conversations--People V. Grossman, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

There was probable cause to believe that defendant Scandifia was implicated in a larceny of jewelry by false pretenses. Pursuant to section 813-a of the New York Code of Criminal Procedure, the Supreme Court in New York County issued an ex parte order authorizing the installation of an eavesdropping device in a service station owned by Scandifia. Shortly thereafter, police broke into the station's private office and installed a microphone. Conversations were overheard which indicated that defendant Grossman had in his possession two pistols received from Scandifia. An affidavit setting forth these conversations supplied the sole probable cause for a …

"Runaway Shop" Must Bargain With Union Upon Request At New Site Whether Or Not Union Reacquires Its Majority Status--Garwin Corporation, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The sole stockholder of the Garwin Corporation, a New York apparel manufacturer, caused a similar manufacturing company to be incorporated in Florida. The Garwin Corporation then terminated its New York operations, discharged its employees, and resumed operations at the Florida location. The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, which represented a majority of the discharged employees, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the Garwin Corporation had violated sections 8(a)(l), (3) and (5) of the National Labor Relations Act because the relocation was motivated by anti-union animus and because the discharged employees were deprived of their rights …

Scheingold: The Rule Of Law In European Integration--The Path Of The Schuman Plan, Robert M. Campbell

Michigan Law Review

A Review of The Rule of Law in European Integration--The Path of the Schuman Plan by Stuart A. Scheingold

Norris: A Casebook Of Complete Criminal Trials, Otis J. Smith

Michigan Law Review

A Review of A Casebook of Complete Criminal Trials by Harold Norris