Law Commons^™

Linguistic Diversity On The Airwaves: Spanish-Language Broadcasting And The Fcc, Bill Piatt

Faculty Articles

Hispanics constitute an increasingly substantial segment of the United States population. The Spanish language is an important part of the Hispanic culture, and is spoken in a large number of American homes. However, while the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the courts have required broadcasters to present programming to meet the needs of various minority groups, including the Hispanic community, there are no clear guidelines as to when this community has a right to programming in Spanish. Conversely, broadcasters have no guidelines for determining their obligation, if any, to present Spanish programming arises.

To resolve this issue, it is helpful …

New Jersey V. T.L.O.: The Supreme Court’S Lesson On School Searches, Gerald S. Reamey

Faculty Articles

Considerable disagreement persists as to the fourth amendment rights of students within schools. Particularly, this disagreement regards the extent to which fourth amendment rights possessed by students may frustrate reasonable attempts by educators to maintain the order necessary to preserve an educational environment.

In New Jersey v. T.L.O., the Supreme Court considered an argument advanced by the State of New Jersey that the “pervasive supervision” of school children diminishes the legitimate expectation of privacy a child may have in property “unnecessarily” brought to school. The Court concluded that the necessity of maintaining security and order in the educational environment was …

Federalism And Supreme Court Review Of Expansive State Court Decisions: A Response To Unfortunate Impressions, David A. Schlueter

Faculty Articles

This article addresses the Burger Supreme Court’s approach to federalism and concludes that the Court seems to be reordering federal-state judicial relations. This reordering appears to be occurring at the expense of both state autonomy and individual liberties, especially the rights of state criminal defendants.

Although there certainly have been cases which suggest the Burger Court has a lopsided federalism, upon thorough analysis of these cases, this determination is shown to be incorrect. In fact, the present Court greatly respects state autonomy and the independence of state courts. Further, the Supremacy Clause requires the Court to serve as final arbiter …

Judicial Enforcement Of Fair Housing Laws: An Analysis Of Some Unexamined Problems That The Fair Housing Amendments Act Of 1983 Would Eliminate, Willy E. Rice

Faculty Articles

Although the study by the National Committee Against Discrimination in 1979 could not determine the “true” incidence of racial discrimination, it did produce some startling results. For example, if a black person were to visit three private apartment complexes, the probability of his encountering racial discrimination would be sixty-one percent. Moreover, an increase in the number of visits dramatically increased the probability of discrimination. The probability of discrimination would be ninety percent if the black prospective renter were to visit seven complexes. The likelihood of discrimination in the sale of housing was also found to be high. For instance, if …

Criminal Law, John M. Schmolesky

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Mueller V. Allen: A Fairer Approach To The Establishment Clause, Michael S. Ariens

Faculty Articles

The decision upheld by the United States Supreme Court in Mueller v. Allen helds a new dawn in establishment clause jurisprudence. This five-to-four decision, written for the majority by Justice Rehnquist, upheld a Minnesota statute permitting taxpayers to deduct the tuition, textbook, transportation, and instructional material expenses of their children when calculating their state tax liability. By this decision, the Court has cleared the way for an accommodation between church and state that more equitably recognizes the principles and values that the religion clauses were intended to protect.

Following a review of the history of the establishment clause, tuition tax …

Judicial Federalism And Supreme Court Review Of State Court Decisions: A Sensible Balance Emerges, David A. Schlueter

Faculty Articles

State courts are free to exercise final authority as arbiters of state law and adopt state standards that protect individual rights more than federal law. While state courts have responded to such urgings with expansive rulings, they have not always been careful about spelling out in their decisions whether they were relying on state law, federal law, or both. This judicial imprecision creates a jurisdictional dilemma for the Supreme Court when it is asked to review the state court decision. If the state's decision rests on independent and adequate state grounds, the Court will apply judicial restraint and decline review. …

Ratification Of The Fourteenth Amendment In North Carolina, James E. Bond

Faculty Articles

The present article focuses on the ratification debate in North Carolina. That debate is instructive for several reasons. In the first place, the legislature considered the amendment on two separate occasions. In December 1866, the legislature overwhelmingly rejected it. Little more than eighteen months later, a new legislature overwhelmingly endorsed it. Second, North Carolinians fought several political battles between 1866 and 1868, and in those battles they often debated the meaning of the fourteenth amendment. Third, North Carolinians adopted a new constitution in 1868 and thereafter enacted reform legislation, much of which reflected their understanding of the concepts embodied in …

Self-Reliance And Coalition In An Age Of Reaction, Henry Mcgee

Faculty Articles

In this Foreward, Professor McGee comments on the continued vitality of the Black Law Journal. This vitality shows that the plight of racial minorities will be continually addressed from a variety of intellectual perspectives.

North Carolina's Medicaid Program: The Effects Of The Reagan-Era Budget Reductions, Ken Wing

Faculty Articles

This article is principally a description of the current program and the legislative and administrative changes made in response to the recent federal budget cuts, an assessment of the state's current cost containment strategy, and an analysis of the options facing North Carolina in the years to come.

The Statutory Community Property Agreement As A Will Substitute On The Death Of The Second Spouse, William Oltman, Mark Reutlinger

Faculty Articles

This article reviews an amendment to the statutory community property agreement. It outlines intricacies of the statute, and includes in its discussion many noteworthy cases.