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2003

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Articles 31 - 60 of 73

Full-Text Articles in Law

Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Terrorists: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Government's Right To Classify United States Citizens Suspected Of Terrorism As Enemy Combatants And Try Those Enemy Combatants By Military Comission, Amanda Schaffer Jan 2003

Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Terrorists: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Government's Right To Classify United States Citizens Suspected Of Terrorism As Enemy Combatants And Try Those Enemy Combatants By Military Comission, Amanda Schaffer

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment explores the government's right to treat citizens as enemy combatants and whether their trials should be by military commissions or by the non-military criminal justice system. It gives background information and explains the source of the government's right to determine enemy combatant status and to use military commissions. This Comment also describes the distinctions between a military trial and a regular criminal trial and explains the status of two cases regarding American citizens declared to be enemy combatants. The Comment goes on to explain why the government wants to use military commissions to try terrorists and the advantages …

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The Usa Patriot Act: Civil Liberties, The Media, And Public Opinion, Lisa Finnegan Abdolian, Harold Takooshian Jan 2003

The Usa Patriot Act: Civil Liberties, The Media, And Public Opinion, Lisa Finnegan Abdolian, Harold Takooshian

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Essay offers an examination of the legal provision of the USA Patriot Act. It then looks at the distinct shift in U.S. media reporting on this legislation over time, and in-depth public opinion findings on people's mixed views of post-9/11 civil liberties. This Essay concludes that media coverage of events is best accompanied by tracking polls, to chart how much and why the U.S. public is coalescing or further dividing on issues of individual liberties during crisis.

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Edison Schools And The Privatization Of K-12 Public Education: A Legal And Policy Analysis, Lewis D. Solomon Jan 2003

Edison Schools And The Privatization Of K-12 Public Education: A Legal And Policy Analysis, Lewis D. Solomon

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article examines the private takeover of the management of K-12 publicly funded schools. It focuses on one particular educational management organization, Edison Schools. This Article examines the situation in Philadelphia's public schools and the efforts of a local school reform commission to revitalize K-12 education. It goes on to look into the personalities of those who started and today run Edison Schools, analyze Edison Schools financial position, and discuss the structured educational approach Edison Schools uses in it schools. This Article addresses the policy considerations behind the efforts to privatize public schools. It concludes that while Edison Schools does …

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Statutory Limitations On Civil Rights Of People With Criminal Records, Debbie A. Mukamal, Paul N. Samuels Jan 2003

Statutory Limitations On Civil Rights Of People With Criminal Records, Debbie A. Mukamal, Paul N. Samuels

Fordham Urban Law Journal

State and federal statutory restrictions limit the civil rights of individuals with criminal records and create a barrier to reentry into society. The article explores eight specific areas of restriction: (1) ability to obtain employment, (2) eligibility for public housing, (3) eligibility for public assistance and food stamps, (4) eligibility for student loans, (5) access to records for non-criminal justice purposes, (6) voting rights, (7) drivers' licenses privileges, and (8) rights to be foster and adoptive parents. Finally, the article argues that the government has an obligation ensure fairness and opportunities to reenter society for people with such records.

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Barred From The Vote: Public Attitudes Toward The Disenfranchisement Of Felons, Brian Pinaire, Milton Heumann, Laura Bilotta Jan 2003

Barred From The Vote: Public Attitudes Toward The Disenfranchisement Of Felons, Brian Pinaire, Milton Heumann, Laura Bilotta

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article explores public attitudes toward the disenfranchisement of felons. Using survey research methods -- Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing of 503 randomly selected adults -- the authors posed questions related to the purpose of the criminal justice system, public attitudes about treatment and punishment of felons, and public support for the disenfranchisement of felons. The data is aggregated and sorted based on ethnicity, gender, political affiliation, and education. The data demonstrates that the American public does not support permanent disenfranchisement of convicted felons but that it does support some limitations. The authors first review state laws and legal/political issues implicated, …

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Reciprocal Effects Of Crime And Incarceration In New York City Neighborhoods, Jeffrey Fagan, Valerie West, Jan Holland Jan 2003

Reciprocal Effects Of Crime And Incarceration In New York City Neighborhoods, Jeffrey Fagan, Valerie West, Jan Holland

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article identifies and estimates the ecological dynamics of increasing spatial and social concentration of incarcerated individuals in urban neighborhoods using data from New York City between 1985 and 1997. It argues that this dynamic becomes self-sustaining and reinforcing over time. In conclusion, the Article discusses how high incarceration rates impact the relationships between citizens and the law, directly affecting residents and influencing policy preferences of non-residents.

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Damage To Family Relationships As A Collateral Consequence Of Parental Incarceration, Philip M. Genty Jan 2003

Damage To Family Relationships As A Collateral Consequence Of Parental Incarceration, Philip M. Genty

Fordham Urban Law Journal

A review of available statistical information shows the irreversible and detrimental impact on parents and children of family separation due to imprisonment. Specifically, it looks to data on parental incarceration, the impact of incarceration upon families, and the difficulties of remedying the consequences to families of parental incarceration. Finally, the Article argues that alternatives to imprisonment should be used where the parent is not subject to high security confinement and that the parental role should be a relevant factor in sentencing.

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Starting Over With A Clean Slate: In Praise Of A Forgotten Section Of The Model Penal Code, Margaret Colgate Love Jan 2003

Starting Over With A Clean Slate: In Praise Of A Forgotten Section Of The Model Penal Code, Margaret Colgate Love

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Convicted felons have no realistic hope of full reintegration into society when jurisdictions do not provide for eventual removal of collateral penalties and when relief mechanisms are insufficient or ineffective. Because Americans are uncomfortable with such an unforgiving system and states are considering the economic burdens of such a system, jurisdictions should take steps to limit the scope and duration of these collateral consequences. This Article proposes a legal framework aimed to fully reintegrate an offender into society post incarceration. It urges a return to the reforms of the 1960s and 70s, the ABA Standards on Collateral Sanctions, and Section …

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Determining The Retroactive Effect Of Laws Altering The Consequences Of Criminal Convictions, Nancy Morawetz Jan 2003

Determining The Retroactive Effect Of Laws Altering The Consequences Of Criminal Convictions, Nancy Morawetz

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article explores when laws altering the consequences of conviction can retroactively apply. It traces the roots of the current emphasis on plea agreements to the current confusion about how to determine retroactivity in cases involving quasi-economic transactions and those involving wrongful conduct. Using I.N.S. v. St. Cyr, 533 U.S. 298 (2001), it focuses on the open issue of the date against which new legal consequences are measured. Finally, the Article argues that reliance is an improper indicia of retroactivity for laws governing wrongful conduct and that the proper question is whether the offender had fair notice of the degree …

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No Guns Or Butter For Thomas Bean: Firearms Disabilities And Their Occupational Consequences, Mark M. Stavsky Jan 2003

No Guns Or Butter For Thomas Bean: Firearms Disabilities And Their Occupational Consequences, Mark M. Stavsky

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Through the case of Thomas Bean, a firearms dealer convicted of a felony and subsequently denied his firearms license and right to possess firearms, this Article discusses the injustice that occurs when the law arbitrarily denies an individual his occupation merely because he is a felon. The Article argues that 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) gives the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms the power to review a petition to restore those rights but that Congress has rendered the statute useless by depriving the Bureau of funding to investigate such petitions. Because this denies individuals, like Bean, the ability to reenter …

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A New Code Of Ethics For Commercial Arbitrators: The Neutrality Of Party-Appointed Arbitrators On A Tripartite Panel, Olga K. Byrne Jan 2003

A New Code Of Ethics For Commercial Arbitrators: The Neutrality Of Party-Appointed Arbitrators On A Tripartite Panel, Olga K. Byrne

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article discusses ABA and AAA revisions to the ethics code for commercial arbitrators with respect to the neutrality of arbitrators. This Note describes the importance of the tripartite panel and the new standards in the revised code of ethics. It further examines the opposing arguments concerning the role of party-appointed arbitrators with respect to neutrality. Finally, the Note proposes that the revisers educate participants in the arbitral process of the new standard demanded of all arbitrators, so as to maintain confidence and stability in arbitration.

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Old Whine In A New Battle: Pragmatic Approaches To Balancing The Twenty-First Amendment, The Dormant Commerce Clause, And The Direct Shipping Of Wine , Gordon Eng Jan 2003

Old Whine In A New Battle: Pragmatic Approaches To Balancing The Twenty-First Amendment, The Dormant Commerce Clause, And The Direct Shipping Of Wine , Gordon Eng

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Note examines the tension between the Twenty-First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Dormant Commerce Clause, with respect to state regulations governing of out-of-state direct shipment of wine to consumers. The Constitution is not clear about where the boundaries of the Commerce Clause lie when Congress has not explicitly addressed an issue. This Note first recognizes the importance of history with respect to the Twenty-First Amendment. It further examines recent court decisions, identifying four approaches taken by federal courts to address this issue and the distinguishing factors that influence the courts' final holdings. Finally, this Note offers …

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A Second Take: Re-Examining Our Regulatory Takings Jurisprudence Post-Tahoe, Robert W. Diubaldo Jan 2003

A Second Take: Re-Examining Our Regulatory Takings Jurisprudence Post-Tahoe, Robert W. Diubaldo

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Note discusses the aftermath of the landmark case, Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agencey. This Comment first discusses the background of regulatory takings jurisprudence, from Justice Holmes' landmark Pennsylvania Coal opinion to the present. It further analyzes the recent Tahoe decision, focusing on both the strengths and weaknesses of the decision and its potential impact on the future of takings. Finally, the Comment offers a different analytical framework from which to analyze regulatory takings. Under this theory, courts would abandon the partial/total distinction, and instead focus on the actual loss from the landowner's point of view. …

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Day Laborers, Friend Or Foe: A Survey Of Community Responses, Mauricio A. Espana Jan 2003

Day Laborers, Friend Or Foe: A Survey Of Community Responses, Mauricio A. Espana

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This comment discusses the various ways that communities that benefit from day laborers respond to the presence of the "underground" employment phenomenon. Part I provides some background into the day laborers' situation, livelihood, and legal rights. Part II discusses the competing issues faced by day laborers, as well as the issues the laborers present to community residents, employers, and the United States Government. Finally, Part III discusses the different solutions that communities confronted with day laborers have proposed and implemented, and concludes that it is in the best interests of all parties involved that communities accept day labors and accommodate …

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Does A Marriage Really Need Sex?: A Critical Analysis Of The Gender Restriction On Marriage, Randi E. Frankle Jan 2003

Does A Marriage Really Need Sex?: A Critical Analysis Of The Gender Restriction On Marriage, Randi E. Frankle

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Note discusses the issues surrounding intersex persons and the right to marry. The Comment first discusses the constitutional protection of the right to marry, intersex conditions, and case law regarding intersex, transsexual, and same-sex marriage. It further addresses the consequences for marriage when it is narrowly defined. Further, the Comment proposes an alternative solution to the one many courts have used. This solution allows an intersex person to self-designate her gender and be able to marry either a man or a woman. Finally, this Comment argues that if an intersex person can marry either a man or a woman, …

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Examining How The Inclusion Of Disabled Students Into The General Classroom May Affect Non-Disabled Classmates, Marissa L. Antoinette Jan 2003

Examining How The Inclusion Of Disabled Students Into The General Classroom May Affect Non-Disabled Classmates, Marissa L. Antoinette

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment discusses the effectiveness of the inclusion of disabled students in general classrooms, focusing particularly on the effects on non-disabled classmates. Part I of this Comment outlines the history of inclusion as established through federal legislation, as well as its gradual implementation in New York City. Part II examines the issues concerning inclusion, looking at the consequences inappropriate inclusion of disabled students may have on the non-disabled ("general") student. Finally, Part III proposes a solution, suggesting that a school district give a disabled student a "three strikes" policy regarding disruptions, after which she may be removed, permanently or temporarily, …

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Identity Crisis: The Obsolescence Of Jasopersaud V. Rho And The Medical Malpractice Expert Exception, Mark D. Shifton Jan 2003

Identity Crisis: The Obsolescence Of Jasopersaud V. Rho And The Medical Malpractice Expert Exception, Mark D. Shifton

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment discusses the provision of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules ("CPLR") governing the disclosure of medical malpractice expert witnesses, and how medical malpractice litigants strive to protect the identities of their experts. The Comment discusses the initial judicial decisions dealing with the amended CPLR 3101, and how courts initially struggled to apply the medical malpractice expert exception. Special attention is paid to Jasopersaud v. Rho, which attempted to create a workable standard to further the competing goals of CPLR 3101(d)(1)(i) and Thomas v. Alleyne. The Comment further discusses whether the policy goals behind the medical malpractice …

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Religious Values, Legal Ethics, And Poverty Law: A Response To Thomas Shaffer, Stephen Wizner Jan 2003

Religious Values, Legal Ethics, And Poverty Law: A Response To Thomas Shaffer, Stephen Wizner

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Stephen Wizner provides a response to Thomas Shaffer's article on his pursuit of social justice through using religious figures as role models. Wizner argues that Shaffer is clearly right in asserting that there is much in the prophetic literature, and, indeed, in the entire Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, that could serve as a moral impetus for social justice lawyering. One can find considerable support for Shaffer's religious thesis in the texts that he cites, and in the words of the prophets he looks to as role models. Nevertheless, Wizner presents a skeptical response to Professor Shaffer's thoughtful essay. …

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Transformative Criminal Defense Practice: Truth, Love, And Individual Rights- The Innovative Approach Of The Georgia Justice Project, Douglas Ammar, Tosha Downey Jan 2003

Transformative Criminal Defense Practice: Truth, Love, And Individual Rights- The Innovative Approach Of The Georgia Justice Project, Douglas Ammar, Tosha Downey

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Georgia Justice Project has a unique approach to criminal defense and rehabilitation which is based on a relationship and community-oriented ethic. Focused on only accepting clients who are willing to make a serious commitment to changing their lives, the GJP ensures that the client moves beyond social, emotional and personal challenges that contributed to their legal problems. This article describes the unique factors of the GJP that have contributed to its continued success.

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"Forgive Me Victim For I Have Sinned": Why Repentance And The Criminal Justice System Do Not Mix - A Lesson From Jewish Law, Cheryl G. Bader Jan 2003

"Forgive Me Victim For I Have Sinned": Why Repentance And The Criminal Justice System Do Not Mix - A Lesson From Jewish Law, Cheryl G. Bader

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This essay will critique the Georgia Justice Project's encouragement of confessions in the context of the secular American justice system via comparison with the treatment of confessions under ancient Jewish law. Specifically, this essay posits that the absolute prohibition on the use of confessions in a legal system firmly rooted in religious values recognizes the danger inherent in combining the act of speaking of one's sins for religious penance with the use of such confessions in the criminal adjudication process. The Jewish legal system avoids these inherent dangers by completely devaluing the accused's confession. The GJP, in contrast, merges the …

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The Fallacy That Fair Use And Information Should Be Provided For Free: An Analysis Of The Responses To The Dmca's Section 1201, Mauricio España Jan 2003

The Fallacy That Fair Use And Information Should Be Provided For Free: An Analysis Of The Responses To The Dmca's Section 1201, Mauricio España

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Note argues that 17 U.S.C. § 120, Digital Millennium Copyright Act, is not only necessary to ensure that copyright law is able to progress and advance in the digital revolution, but more importantly, that the protection of copyrighted works will benefit the public in ways the analog world cannot. It also argues that legal commentators' fears about § 1201 are misplaced.

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Picture Perfect: A Critical Analysis Of The Debate On The 2002 Help America Vote Act, Gabrielle B. Ruda Jan 2003

Picture Perfect: A Critical Analysis Of The Debate On The 2002 Help America Vote Act, Gabrielle B. Ruda

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment examines whether the Anti-Fraud provision provides a fair scheme for the identification process during voter registration, or if it inherently violates certain fundamental rights and freedoms of American citizens who wish to cast their ballot. This Comment conducts a historical assessment of the institution of voting, examines the standard of review used by courts to determine whether a law violates a citizen's constitutional right to vote and analyzes whether the Anti-Fraud provision is the appropriate means required to achieve its stated objective of decreasing voter fraud. This Comment argues that discriminatory infringements on voting rights need to be …

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Responding To Terrorism: How Must A Democracy Do It? A Comparison Of Israeli And American Law, Jonathan Grebinar Jan 2003

Responding To Terrorism: How Must A Democracy Do It? A Comparison Of Israeli And American Law, Jonathan Grebinar

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment compares the Israeli and American laws that sanction controversial responses to terrorism. It discusses criticisms of these laws with respect to human rights violations and how, if at all, the two governments strive to preserve their law's effectiveness without violating international standards. Part I of this comment briefly discusses the origins of terrorism and establishes a universal definition for the word. Part II reviews the history of three Israeli responses to terrorism, including 1) administrative detention, 2) torture, and 3) the demolition of houses; and describes how these tactics are criticized domestically as well as internationally. Part II …

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The International Significance Of An Instance Of Urban Environmental Inequity In Tijauna, Mexico , Tseming Yang Jan 2003

The International Significance Of An Instance Of Urban Environmental Inequity In Tijauna, Mexico , Tseming Yang

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Environmental equity problems are not exclusive to any one nation. With a lack of regulations, communities of color and poor, and the prevalence of social marginalization, issues of environmental inequality may occur even more vividly in countries with this climate. In Tijuana, Mexico, Metales y Derivados, an abandoned lead smelter, left its surrounding community, Colonia Cilpancingo, with a litany of health related issues and a hunt for justice from its failure to act with appropriate environmental stewardship. Having gained attention in the international news and exposing a failure of regulatory policies and transnational exploitation, Metales is an example of the …

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Addressing Urban Transportation Equity In The United States , Robert D. Bullard Jan 2003

Addressing Urban Transportation Equity In The United States , Robert D. Bullard

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Transportation touches almost every aspect of our lives and plays a pivotal role in shaping human interactions, economic mobility, and sustainability. Transportation provides access to opportunity and serves as a key component in addressing poverty, unemployment, and equal opportunity goals. This article examines the inequity that exists in the United States when it comes to transit, as the benefits from transportation advancements and investments are not distributed equally among communities, making transportation equity an issue of civil rights and social justice. This article frames transportation issues as a continuation of the civil rights movement and the wrestling with differential treatment …

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Healthy Children, Healthy Communities: Schools, Parks, Recreation, And Sustainable Regional Planning, Robert Garcia, Erica S. Flores, Sophia Mei-Ling Jan 2003

Healthy Children, Healthy Communities: Schools, Parks, Recreation, And Sustainable Regional Planning, Robert Garcia, Erica S. Flores, Sophia Mei-Ling

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Obesity and inactivity have become a troubling crisis for today’s youth. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately affected by these conditions, due to a denial of the benefits of safe open spaces for physical activity and opportunities to be active. The article describes the epidemic of obesity and unfitness in the United States and the statistics associated with inactivity, as well as the health impacts associated with being overweight and obese and the importance of physical activity. Along with the health implications, the trend in obesity is primed to carry huge direct and indirect financial costs. This health …

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It Takes A Region , Angela Glover Blackwell Jan 2003

It Takes A Region , Angela Glover Blackwell

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Suburbanization and sprawl present new issues and challenges of regional inequity and equal opportunity. As awareness of the effects of the impacts of uneven and unhealthy development patterns grow, the debate for dealing with the fallout of sprawl is being taken up and policy agenda is emerging to address smart growth. With the emergence of the region rather than the city as the dominant economic and social geographic unit and key policy changes, the article propounds that the mistakes of the past fifty years can be reversed and regional equity achieved. The article makes it clear that life changes are …

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Clarifying The Federal Fair Housing Act’S Exemption For Reasonable Occupancy Restrictions, Tim Iglesias Jan 2003

Clarifying The Federal Fair Housing Act’S Exemption For Reasonable Occupancy Restrictions, Tim Iglesias

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The 1988 Fair Housing Act Amendments (FHAA) for “reasonable” governmental occupancy standards contains a deceptively simple “exemption” that has been the subject of interpretation by numerous courts. This article argues that this “exemption” has been misinterpreted by these courts, particularly by the Sixth Circuit in Affordable Housing Advocates v. City of Richmond Heights. The article describes how this misinterpretation undercuts the protection from housing discrimination that the FHAA provides for families, especially families of color. The article details the FHAA’s familial status provision and “reasonable” standard exemption, and goes on to “analyze relevant case law and the legislative history to …

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Campaign For Fiscal Equity, Inc. V. New York: No Slam Dunk Victory For Public School Children, Denise C. Morgan Jan 2003

Campaign For Fiscal Equity, Inc. V. New York: No Slam Dunk Victory For Public School Children, Denise C. Morgan

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Having been involved in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, Inc. v New York case over the course of ten years, Denise C. Morgan has an intimate view of the victories and losses resulting in the Court of Appeals decision. In the article, the wins and losses of the case are discussed as she sees it, and how the victory on the state level came with a loss on the federal one. The article describes the CFE case and its two claims: the victory that the promised to make the distribution of state aid for public education to New York City …

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The Scope Of Police Questioning During A Routine Traffic Stop: Do Questions Outside The Scope Of The Original Justification For The Stop Create Impermissible Seizures If They Do Not Prolong The Stop? , Bill Lawrence Jan 2003

The Scope Of Police Questioning During A Routine Traffic Stop: Do Questions Outside The Scope Of The Original Justification For The Stop Create Impermissible Seizures If They Do Not Prolong The Stop? , Bill Lawrence

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The issue this Note addresses is whether a police officer, during a routine traffic stop, violates a person's Fourth Amendment rights when the officer's questions stray from the original reason for the stop. Resolution of the issue pits privacy concerns against the state's interest in effective law enforcement. With circuits split over the issue, and the Supreme Court not yet plainly ruling on it, this Note aims to provide a narrow solution to the problem.Part I explains the Fourth Amendment reasonableness standard and discusses the line of Supreme Court cases from Terry v. Ohio14 to Florida v. Bostick 5 that …

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