Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Criminal law

PDF

Fordham Law School

Journal

1995

Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Law

Is A Ban On Plea Bargaining An Ethical Abuse Of Discretion? A Bronx County, New York Case Study, Roland Acevedo Jan 1995

Is A Ban On Plea Bargaining An Ethical Abuse Of Discretion? A Bronx County, New York Case Study, Roland Acevedo

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.


Undertaking The Task Of Reforming The American Character Evidence Prohibition: The Importance Of Getting The Experiment Off On The Right Foot, Edward J. Imwinkelried Jan 1995

Undertaking The Task Of Reforming The American Character Evidence Prohibition: The Importance Of Getting The Experiment Off On The Right Foot, Edward J. Imwinkelried

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The United States Congress and the State Legislatures of Indiana and Missouri have chosen illogical starting points in their experiments to reform the prohibition against introducing character evidence in criminal cases. Rather than start by allowing the introduction of past crimes with high recidivism rates such as burglary, these legislatures have chosen crimes with minimal probative value as predictors of the accused's conduct. By allowing the the introduction of criminal history in regard to criminal sexual conduct and child molestation, these legislatures increase the risk of wrongful conviction due to the disdain with which the average citizen views these types …


Federal Rules Of Evidence And The Political Process, David P. Leonard Jan 1995

Federal Rules Of Evidence And The Political Process, David P. Leonard

Fordham Urban Law Journal

An important tenet of American evidence law is the strict regulation on the introduction of character evidence. This principal has begun to be chipped away at through the adoption of amendments that allow character evidence to be introduced in certain types of cases. The Federal Rules of Evidence were subject to very little amendment during their first 20 years of use, and have always represented a blend of conservatism about evidence law and political compromise. This tension has been kept in check until the proposal of Rules 413-415, which represents a concession to the politicization of the rules. Before imposing …


Some Thoughts On The Sexual Misconduct Amendments To The Federal Rules Of Evidence, Norman M. Garland Jan 1995

Some Thoughts On The Sexual Misconduct Amendments To The Federal Rules Of Evidence, Norman M. Garland

Fordham Urban Law Journal

Although the adoption of the Federal Rules of Evidence 413-15 may have a positive result, Congress rushed their drafting which has led to several problems and ambiguities in the proposed rules. One of these major ambiguities is the issue of what standard of proof might be applied to decide the admissibility of such other, uncharged sex crimes offered against the accused.


American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Report To The House Of Delegates, Myrna S. Raeder Jan 1995

American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Report To The House Of Delegates, Myrna S. Raeder

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Evidence, Rules 413-15 regarding the admission of character testimony in cases of sexual abuse and child molestation, have been roundly criticized by the legal community on both substantive and procedural grounds. The ABA has resolved to oppose the substance of these rules, and fear that in addition to the direct concerns regarding the result of the rules, they raise troubling policy issues going forward.


The Crime Bill Of 1994 And The Law Of Character Evidence: Congress Was Right About Consent Defense Cases, Roger C. Park Jan 1995

The Crime Bill Of 1994 And The Law Of Character Evidence: Congress Was Right About Consent Defense Cases, Roger C. Park

Fordham Urban Law Journal

There is considerable debate as to whether to admit evidence of past sexual assaults in cases where the accused presents a defense of consent to a current sexual assault charge. The consent defense presents a unique situation where, due to the probative value of evidence that suggests propensity to rape, a strong justification can be made to admit this information as evidence. However, critics of this opinion have argued that admitting propensity evidence about the accused in a rape case is inconsistent with the rape shield rule which excludes propensity evidence about the victim. This argument is flawed in the …


Shots Across No Man's Land: A Response To Handgun Control, Inc.'S, Richard Aborn, Nicholas J. Johnson Jan 1995

Shots Across No Man's Land: A Response To Handgun Control, Inc.'S, Richard Aborn, Nicholas J. Johnson

Fordham Urban Law Journal

In response to Richard Aborn's article "The Battle Over the Brady Bill and the Future of Gun Control Advocacy, Johnson argues that Aborn's "bad gun formula" trivializes the Second Amendment, ignores issues vital to the gun control debate, and obfuscates what should ultimately need to be a choice between an armed citizenry or a disarmed one. Aborn's article suggests no real changes and does not effectively advance the debate.


The Battle Over The Brady Bill And The Future Of Gun Control Advocacy, Richard M. Aborn Jan 1995

The Battle Over The Brady Bill And The Future Of Gun Control Advocacy, Richard M. Aborn

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No matter how effective a legislative scheme is, legislation alone will not eradicate the deeply rooted culture of gun violence that exists in this country. Accordingly, Handgun Control divides its efforts between legislative and non-legislative efforts. In this regard, the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence carries out the non-legislative interventions of Handgun Control. These efforts include working with elementary, secondary and high schools to promote a gun violence reduction curriculum; litigating on behalf of gun victims; defending gun control legislation in the courts; working with the entertainment industry concerning the messages in popular entertainment about gun violence; and working with …