Digital Commons Network^™

Judicial Precedent In Mexican Law

Michigan Law Review

It is well known that precedent in the modern legal systems based upon the Roman law does not play the important role that it performs in the United States and Great Britain. A decision in an Anglo-American supreme court not only determines the point at issue but establishes a rule under which decisions may be made in the future. A decision in a Latin-American, or in a Continental supreme court has only the value of a judgment on the particular point in question. The body of decisions rendered upon the same point of law is not considered in the countries …

Books Received

Michigan Law Review

A list of books received by Michigan Law Review

Contracts To Make Testamentary Dispositions As Affected By The Statute Of Frauds, Merrell I. Schnebly

Michigan Law Review

There are in the reports a surprising number of cases in which it is alleged that the owner of property has bound himself by contract to devise or bequeath that property to another. These promises have been made upon almost every imaginable consideration, but in the typical case the consideration is personal services rendered to the promiser during his declining years. Since these promises are so common, one concludes that this kind of contract must appeal to many persons as advantageous. There is little doubt that it of ten does enable one to secure attention of a sort he could …

Appeal Of Death And Its Abolition, William Renwick Riddell

Michigan Law Review

The Appeal of Death-or, as it is sometimes called, the Appeal of Murder, because it was generally invoked in cases of murder although cases of manslaughter were also within its scope-was an interesting survival of ancient law which continued its existence in England until a little more than a century ago, and which, when it fell, brought down a mass of crumbling and antiquated rubbish, which served no good purpose and might-sometimes did-do harm.

Administrative Law-Evidence-Probative Value Of Hearsay Testimony Before Administrative Tribunals

Michigan Law Review

In the recent case of Lloyd-McAlpine Logging Co. v. Whitefish (Wis. 1926) 206 N. W. 914, the plaintiff brought action to vacate the award of the Industrial Commission in favor of the children of the deceased workman, who was killed in the course of his employment with the plaintiff company. Under the Wisconsin statute (Stat. 1925, sec. 102.11 (3) (c)) in awarding compensation to the children, a showing that they were living with the deceased and that there is no surviving dependent parent, is required. The Commission, on the testimony of a witness whose expressions were mere conclusions, with no …

Crimes-Improper Conduct Of Prosecuting Attorneys

Michigan Law Review

In a recent New York case, People v. Klvana (N'. Y. 1926) 150 N. E. 523, Hiscock, C. J. in commenting on the evidence was induced to remark, "We are aided in this analysis by the perfectly fair attitude of the district attorney who with a commendable conception of his duties presents this case to us neither attempting to exaggerate its strong points nor trying to obscure its weaknesses." That sort of remark is refreshing. It gives renewed faith in the honesty of the administration of our criminal laws and shows that the fundamental theory that it is as much …

Restraints On Alienation-Restrictive Covenants-Racial Discrimination

Michigan Law Review

Three cases decided in 1925 in three widely separated parts of the United States, namely, California, Michigan, and the District of Columbia, raise the question: How far may one give legal effect to his racial prejudices through the medium of covenants and conditions inserted in wills and inter vivos conveyances? An attempt was made in each of these cases to restrict the use or sale of the property involved to white persons or to deny it to colored persons. Two of the cases upheld the restriction; one declared it invalid.

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

A collection of book reviews by multiple authors.

Jurisdiction Over Foreign Corporations, Maxwell E. Fead

Michigan Law Review

During the last century, the standing of foreign corporations in our law has been radically changed; and the law on this subject at the present day is far from being in a settled condition. According to the early view, a corporation could have no legal existence outside of the state of its creation. This view was perhaps best expressed by Mr. Chief Justice Taney in his famous dictum in Bank of Augusta v. Earle. "And this corporation can have no legal existence out of the bounds of the sovereignty by which it is created. It exists only in contemplation …

Pardons In Impeachment Cases, Maurice Taylor Van Hecke

Michigan Law Review

A year ago, Governor Miriam Ferguson, of Texas, approved an act of the legislature of that state, the gist of which reads as follows:

"That every person against whom any judgment of conviction has heretofore been rendered by the Senate of the State of Texas in any impeachment case, shall be and is hereby granted a full and unconditional release of any and all acts and offenses of which he was so convicted by said Senate of the State of Texas, upon any charge or proceedings of impeachment.

"That any and all penalties or punishment inflicted by or resulting from …

The Court Of Claims, J. H. Toelle

Michigan Law Review

The Court of Claims was established by Act of Congress in 1855. The original Act provided that at the commencement of each session of Congress, and at the commencement of each month during the session, the Court should report the cases upon which they should have finally acted, stating in each the material facts which they found established by the evidence, with their opinion in the case, and the. reasons upon which such opinion was founded, and the opinion of any judge who should dissent from the majority. It also directed the Court to prepare a bill or bills in …

Police Legislation Under Federal Powers

Michigan Law Review

A recent case decided by the United States Supreme Court United States v. Daugherty (Jan. 4, 1926) 46 Su. Ct. 156 (Adv. Opn. 303) sustained a conviction and sentence under the Harrison Anti-Narcotic Act, 38 Stat. 785, for "making unauthorized sales of cocaine to three different persons on different days" The indictment was in three counts, one covering each sale involved. The sentence imposed was "five years on each of said three counts. * * * * Said term of imprisonment to run consecutively and not concurrently."

Unfair Competition-Fixing Resale Price

Michigan Law Review

With the development of our economic structure new problems have constantly arisen to harass the governmental agencies which have sought to protect the public from being dominated by successful traders. Apprehension of the dangers of monopolistic control have lead both courts and legislative bodies to place a ban upon attempts to create monopolies by artificial combinations. The purpose was to give the people a market in which prices would be controlled by the relation of supply to demand, by forcing independent tradesmen into competition with each other. The effect of this plan was to delay the coming of a time …

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

A collection of book reviews by multiple authors.

The Technique Of Judicial Appointment, Harold J. Laski

Michigan Law Review

It is difficult to overestimate the significance of the judiciary in the modern state. The work of the executive has become so vast, the powers delegated to it by the legislature are so wide, that judges are, perhaps more than at any previous time, the real safeguard of personal liberty. It is only necessary to recall cases like Coppage v. Kansas, or R. v. Halliday, to realize how nearly judicial activity goes to the very heart of freedom. That is, of course, even more the case when, as with America, the constitution of the state is written, and …

Inheritance Problems In The Conflict Of Laws, Herbert F. Goodrich

Michigan Law Review

A man, domiciled in Michigan, dies. He leaves real and personal property in Michigan, and in addition a farm in Ohio, with the usual stock of animals, agricultural implements and other farm property upon it; he leaves a mercantile business in Wisconsin, and shares of stock in several corporations chartered in as many different states. What law or laws will determine the devolution of his estate?

Constitutional Law-Compulsory Indemnity For Persons Injured By Automobiles

Michigan Law Review

The problem of protecting the public from injuries arising from the use of automobiles upon public highways has recently been subjected to a form of legislative solution that is distinctly different from the earlier attempts. The devices first employed were measures which dealt with the licensing of cars and with the regulation of their use. Later, when the need for giving financial substance to the tort liabilities of motorists appeared, steps were taken in the direction of fixing vicarious liabilities upon the owners of automobiles. This was done to some extent by the courts which announced the "family purpose doctrine," …

Torts-Liability For Inflicting Corporal Punishment Upon A Child

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff was an eleven year old boy who had been sent by his parents to work on defendant's farm. The boy's mother had signed a written statement, giving defendant authority to discipline him if and when he broke the regulations enforced upon the farm. The plaintiff had refused to perform some of the tasks assigned him, and had told several falsehoods, whereupon the defendant had inflicted corporal punishment upon his nude body by means of a crude rubber whip about 30 inches long. Held, one standing in loco parentis has the right to punish a child under his care, …

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

A collection of book reviews by multiple authors.

Conflict Of Laws-Adoption-Jurisdiction

Michigan Law Review

Sociologists treat of the subject of adoption very sparsely. It is but a desired end in their work, and having its foundation in law, yields but slightly to sociological supervision. However, there exist many reports and treatises in the field of child placement and the effect thereof on the child. The most cursory examination of these works reveals that from the social point of view, at least, the work is conducted with but one end in view, i. e., the welfare of the child. Adoption, as a means to this end, has the same reason for its foundation. To this …

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.

The Legal Position Of Foreigners In Soviet Russia, Leo Zaitzeff Dr.

Michigan Law Review

The Soviet Government has replaced the entire previous legal order by legislation of its own; it is therefore not surprising that even in well informed legal circles outside of Russia very vague and indefinite notions exist regarding the legal situation there. In the last few years moreover, many states have considered it necessary to recognize the Soviet Government. Since this recognition or even before, there have been some economic undertakings within &met territory by foreign individuals, but even these persons for the most part were entirely unfamiliar with the Soviet laws.

Have The Bench And Bar Anything To Contribute To The Teaching Of Law?, Learned Hand

Michigan Law Review

The teaching of lawyers is indeed as distinct a vocation from the practice of law, as law is from engineering or science. You have of recent years come practically to recognize it by your increasing insistence upon the teacher's exclusive devotion to his calling, so that I suppose not only has the well-worn practitioner wholly disappeared, who from his semi-antiquation delivers a course of lectures, but the part time teacher even in the prime of his powers is more and more evidently doomed. I cannot see this change as anything but happy and advantageous. If for no other reason I …

Libel--A Limitation On The Privilege Of Publishing Reports Of Judicial Proceedings

Michigan Law Review

Is a newspaper privileged in fairly publishing the substance of a petition for divorce or other pleading immediately after it is filed in court? In the recent case of Washington Times v. Hines, (1925) 5 F. (2d) 541, in the District of Columbia, it appeared that defendant had published a typically facetious newspaper account of the divorce grounds alleged in a petition filed against plaintiff. The court of appeals, reversing a judgment of the trial court for plaintiff, held that the report was as a matter of law not libellous, since the bill was not susceptible of any other interpretation …

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

A collection of book reviews by multiple authors.

Public Utilities-Power Of Commission To Change Rate Paid By Private User Under Special Contract With The Utility

Michigan Law Review

Within the last decade the right of the state to change the rates of a public utility, as fixed by contract, has been presented to the courts numerous times. An examination of the cases on the subject shows that much of the law has now become settled.

Voting Trust Agreements, Maurice Finkelstein

Michigan Law Review

To the student who approaches the study of the law from the point of view of the legal philosophers-from Von Jhering to Pound-the detailed analysis of the law of private corporations in America will seem strange. Accustomed to think of law as a striving to maintain a balance such as the Poundian balance of social interests, he finds in the corporation law of the United States a co-existence of various systems without regard to the conflict of interests thereby created. Each state has its own rules of law and its own policies shaped by a medley of causes. Many states …