Digital Commons Network^™

Put Me In, Coach: Constitutional Concerns Of Judicial Activism And Legislating From The Bench, Jacob M. Elliott

Senior Honors Theses

Unrestrained judicial activism and legislating from the bench at the Supreme Court level place federalism and freedom in jeopardy. By ignoring crucial doctrines like jurisdiction, deference, and independence, the Supreme Court has demonstrated a tendency toward reinterpreting existing Constitutional precedent as they see fit, basing judgments on extra-legal influences, and supplanting Constitutional principles with their own personal policy preferences.

Numerous cases demonstrate the looming threat of judicial overreach; these cases are often considered some of the most damaging and injurious decisions in the history of the American federal judiciary. One potential solution is to appoint justices who will operate …

Cultural Self-Harm Differences, Erin Simmons

Psychology Student Papers and Posters

This study is based on the evident cultural differences in self-harm behaviors and what those behaviors look like specifically for individuals that identify as Black or African American. Previous literature suggests that cultural differences in self-harm exist but very little research centers Black experiences and their connection to self-harm. Self-harm is considered a broad term, and it encompasses a variety of behaviors, some more common than others, but these common behaviors are typically exclusively explored within only a few demographics with a low Black participant pool. This contributes to the assumed lack of self-harm among the Black community but through …

Women In Law Enforcement Conference 2025, Tennessee. Department Of Safety & Homeland Security.

Miscellaneous Reports

No abstract provided.

If You Cannot Afford An Attorney, None Will Be Appointed For You: Exploring Rates Of Representation By Counsel In Texas Misdemeanor Courts, Andrew L. B. Davies, Shelby Sirivore, Victoria M. Smiegocki

Deason Center Reports

All misdemeanor defendants in the United States have the right to be represented by a lawyer if they are facing the possibility of incarceration. Yet implementation of that right is often left to local policymakers, and rates of non-representation (defendants proceeding without lawyers) vary enormously. Through an examination of data from Texas counties in 2019, we find non-representation rates were highest in the state’s poorest and most rural counties. But we also find signs that local policy choices matter. Counties with public defender offices, and those with less restrictive policies on financial eligibility for indigent defense services, appointed lawyers to …

Scientific Educations Among U.S. Judges, Christa Laser

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

Should more judges have technical and scientific educations than are currently prevalent in the federal judiciary? This empirical study of the educational background of federal judges reports the undergraduate and graduate majors of active U.S. federal Article III judges. Information on the subject area of study is largely not publicly available, especially for judges appointed decades ago. This is the first and only publicly available research study of the subject areas of study of U.S. judges, collected via phone and email surveys to U.S. judges. The results of this study show that only 7.35% offederal judges have majors in science …

Cannabis At Work: Navigating The Intersection Of Employment Law And Legalized Marijuana, Eva Lane

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

As states increasingly legalize forms of cannabis use, federal regulation remains stagnant. These outdated laws still hold power, undermining state-granted rights. This impact is especially felt in the employment sector. While states pass laws legalizing cannabis use, employers still have a right to a drug free workplace. Many employment agreements prohibit drug use, even if legal under state law. This Note examines recent caselaw to analyze how courts are handling the battle between state and federal government as it relates to cannabis legalization. Ultimately, the argument highlights the risk employees face – engaging in what they believe is legal behavior …

Hate Groups And The Charitable Tax Exemption, Miriam Galston

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

No abstract provided.

University Of Baltimore Law Forum, Volume 55, Issue 2 (Spring 2025)

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

University Of Baltimore: A Century Of Opportunity, A Future Of Leadership, Lavonda N. Reed

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Absolute Immunity Corrupts Absolutely: A Call To Allow For Prosecutorial Liability In Cases Of Gross Negligence And Malice, Kristen M. Mack, Cary J. Hansel

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Innocence Is Different: Why Victim Impact Statements Should Be Inadmissible At Wrongful Conviction Hearings, Colin Miller

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Contrition Conflict: Remorse And Innocence Under The Juvenile Restoration Act, Jayna Peterson

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Recent Developments: Syed V. Lee, Marisa Basignani

University of Baltimore Law Forum

No abstract provided.

Anti-Feminisms, Authoritarianism, And Digital Culture: A Pedagogy Project, Charlie Ambrose

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies M.A. Final Projects

This project began, broadly, with my exposure to TikTok’s tradwives—a subset of content creators and influencers who advocate traditional gender roles as women, homemakers, wives, and mothers, with a particular focus on moral and religious beliefs and aesthetic practices of “womanhood.” To me, tradwives encapsulated the internet’s capacity to weaponize subtly: slow-paced, pastel videos, gentle music, and even gentler voices delivering increasingly extreme ideas about masculine and feminine roles, Christian nationalism, and white supremacy. But other threads began to appear as I delved deeper into the world of tradwives. I noticed the men’s rights groups who praised tradwives while openly …

Restoring Trust: What The Missouri Supreme Court And Andragogy Can Teach The United States Supreme Court, Grant J. Shostak

Missouri Policy Journal

Confidence in the United States Supreme Court has reached an all-time low. Efforts by the Court to restore confidence, such as making a statement concerning ethics and adopting a non-binding code of conduct, seem ineffectual in restoring confidence. Andragogy, the art and science of teaching adults, may prove useful in helping to restore confidence in the Supreme Court. As the Supreme Court educates adults through its decisions, it may utilize and adapt andragogical concepts within the confines of the judicial setting to help restore confidence in its decisions and operations. The Missouri Supreme Court has implemented a number of andragogically-consistent …

True Self: A Curriculum Evaluation Aimed At Mitigating Internalizing And Externalizing Behaviors In At-Risk Middle School Youth, Lisa M. Dailey

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this mixed methods curriculum evaluation was to study the efficacy of a recently published curriculum, True Self, being piloted in a middle school to support students in a Tier 3 reengagement program. Given a healthy multitiered system has 5%–7% of students needing individualized support, the study consisted of three student participants. True Self offers schools a resource written by authors who have extensive experience working with at-risk youth. Moreover, using a research-based curriculum saves educators time on finding or creating material—time they should be using for case management and direct student support. Quantitative metrics to analyze the …

Elizabeth Gibson Drinko Honors Convocation, Honors College

Honors Convocation

The Elizabeth Gibson Drinko Honors Convocation Awards Program for Spring 2025, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia.

Real Housewives & Real Crimes: The Implications Of Broadened Privacy Rights On White-Collar Offenses, Shrinithi Venkatesan

William & Mary Business Law Review

Reality television stars turn their fame into fortune, often blurring ethical lines as they exploit their platforms for personal gain. These personalities engage in fraud, tax evasion, and embezzlement, all while maintaining a prominent presence on-screen. Specifically, stars on The Real Housewives franchise realize tremendous successes from their stints on the famous television show by capitalizing on their exposure through social media. With their newfound wealth and fame, many of these stars commit white-collar crimes under their viewers’ watchful eyes. This Note examines three prevailing examples of reality television stars who committed various white-collar crimes. Interestingly, networks tolerate criminal behavior …

Introduction: The Future Of Global Journalism—Relationships, Tools, And Power, Ruth Moon, Lea Hellmueller, Herman Wasserman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Unveiling The Nexus Between Digital Monitoring And Experiences Of Intimate Partner Violence In Romantic Relationships, Caley Hewitt, Fanny A. Ramirez, Anna Gjika

Faculty Publications

Using survey data from a sample of 378 women who live in the United States and self-identify as either Black or Latinx, this study explores predictors of women’s digital monitoring practices in intimate relationships in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). We use literature about surveillance, monitoring, and IPV to frame our study. Our results show three significant instances that influence the odds of monitoring a romantic partner: (1) past experiences with digital abuse, (2) past experiences with offline psychological abuse, and (3) age, with younger women having increased odds of engaging in digital monitoring compared to older women. …

Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Jobs, And Governance In The Age Of Ai, Todd Bruns

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Cell: The Impact Of Parental Incarceration On Children Based On The Factors Of Age, Gender, And Race, Ella M. Zeigler

Senior Theses

Incarceration is a life-changing event. It is humbling to be surrounded by three cement walls and a row of metal bars reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Millions of individuals are impacted by the adverse effects of incarceration, but millions more feel the effect of their incarceration as well. There are obvious negative impacts on those who have personally experienced incarceration, but one of the largest impacts is widely overlooked; one that comes from beyond the cell. This thesis considers the variation in the impact of parental incarceration on children, specifically based on the factors of age, gender and …

Police Officers’ Use Of Force In The Low Country Of South Carolina, Mariah Roy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

United States police officers' use of force is an ongoing concern of many community members. As these encounters continue to occur, lawmakers in states, including South Carolina (SC), have revitalized or implemented statutes addressing the use of force. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to better understand the use of force in law enforcement from the perspectives of community members in the Low Country region of SC. The rational model and contact hypothesis served as the study’s foundation. Data were collected from interviews with 10 participants over the age of 18 from Charleston, SC, a city within the …

Exploring The Use Of Generative Artificial Intelligence For Bias Mitigation, Alexis Cathcart

2025 Graduate Student Research Symposium

Artificial intelligence (AI) and related topics are growing in popularity across various industries as there is a desire to improve the accuracy and efficiency of decision-making processes. The algorithms at the foundation of such technologies are initially developed and trained on datasets, then implemented in real-world applications that can directly affect humans, such as in healthcare, criminal justice, and finance. However, with this power comes the potential for a lack of fairness, an issue that is becoming a prominent concern in the realm of AI research. While the development of AI technology is on the rise, there is a need …

Investigating The Capability Yolov8 Object Detection Framework Employing Deep Learning And Machine Learning Algorithms, To Accurately Identify Objects, Ikenna Anyanwu, Aysia Hammond, Kamari Smith, Jalia Brown

2025 Graduate Student Research Symposium

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with the proliferation of the Internet and the Internet of Things (IoT), are transforming the application of AI technologies, particularly in object detection. This research explores the feasibility of using a standard laptop webcam as an input source for real-time object detection. Specifically, it investigates the capability of You Only Look Once version 8 (YOLOv8), a state-of-the-art object detection framework employing deep learning and machine learning algorithms, to accurately identify objects (e.g., weapons) from webcam input. This work establishes a baseline model for object detection using deep convolutional neural networks, aiming to …

Race Centers As Critical Curriculum Spaces In U.S. Law Schools, Katheryn Russell-Brown, Vanessa Miller

Mercer Law Review

This piece aims to amplify the role of law school race centers. In fact, these centers are central curriculum spaces for student teaching and learning about race. The discussion highlights the role of race centers in law schools, explores the scholarly potential of race centers, and proposes strategies for sustaining race centers. The piece examines the role of race centers in helping law schools meet American Bar Association Standard 303(c), which requires that law students are exposed to race‑related curriculum, such as bias, cross‑cultural competencies, or racism. Tracing the historical roots of modern‑day race centers to Black Culture Centers of …

Rational Choice Theory: An Evaluation, Camille Liebergen, Troy Terry

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The Rational Choice Theory is the view that individuals who commit crime behave in a rational way. This theory suggests that criminal behavior is not impulsive, but rather a result of a cost-benefit analysis evaluating the perceived rewards from the act against the potential punishment. It suggests that the criminal justice system can reduce crime by increasing the risks associated with criminal behavior. (Siegel, 101)

Mental Health First Aid With Criminal Justice Students, April N. Terry, Troy Terry

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Mental illness is a major contributor impacting overall health, affecting more than 1 billion people globally (Papish et al., 2013). Research suggests more than 80% of people who die by suicide had a mental illness with suicide being the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15-29 (Isometsä, 2001). Yet, many individuals do not seek professional treatment for a variety of factors, including lack of awareness of warning signs and symptoms, mental health stigma, and unavailable services (Baumann, 2007). One method for addressing barriers to mental health treatment includes targeted efforts to improve mental health literacy …

Christopher Tapp, Haley Schoenberger

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Christopher Tapp was wrongfully convicted for the murder and rape of 18-year-old Angie Dodge and the use of a deadly weapon in Idaho. This took place in 1996. This highlights the damages and dangers of coerced confessions and failures within the criminal justice system. Tapp was convicted even though there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime. He was sentenced to 30 years to life because of a confession extracted by the police’s interrogation and a false witness statement. The DNA at the scene did not match Chris but he was still imprisoned for 20 years. In 2019, …

22 Years Lost: The Story Of Paul House, Mariah A. Carrillo

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This project outlines the wrongful conviction of Paul House and his eventual exoneration after 22 years on death row in Tennessee. The murder of Carolyn Muncey occurred in 1985 in Luttrell, Tennessee and House was an immediate suspect with the finding of multiple pieces of forensic evidence. Namely, it was ABO serology testing that was used to tie House to the crime. Advancements in this form of testing showed that House was innocent. It was in 2006 that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of House’s exoneration due to the flaws in the original forensic evidence. This project exemplifies the …