Law Commons^™

Completing The Admissibility Equation, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

Later this year, the U.S. Supreme Court will take up an evidence dispute from Georgia that promises to be one of the new term's most important nuts-and-bolts cases for litigators. General Electric Co. v. Joiner, no. 96-188, is expected to determine the standard of review that federal appellate courts must give to lower court decisions on the admissibility of scientific evidence. The Court's decision in Joiner promises to have an important effect on a broad range of cases in which causation often is a pivotal issue.

Moment Of Truth, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

While the technical sophistication of today's polygraphs is far beyond the cathode-tube stuff of the 1920s, many lawyers and judges continue to view them as inherently unreliable and overly prejudicial. Their concern is that the procedure does not test whether a subject is telling the truth but measures physiological responses to questions- which may reveal much, but not necessarily the truth. But this fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider, in United States v. Scheffer, No. 96-1133, whether to finally lift the barrier to admissibility of polygraph evidence, at least in the federal courts, on grounds that it inhibits the …

Places In The Heartland: Departure Jurisprudence After Koon, Frank O. Bowman Iii

Faculty Publications

There are two things upon which I suspect most observers will agree following the decision in Koon v. United States. First, the United States Supreme Court wants district courts to have more discretion to depart from the otherwise applicable guideline range, and wants appellate courts to have less authority to overturn those discretionary judgments. Second, in light of the conflicting signals the Court gave by, on the one hand, declaring that the standard of appellate review for departure decisions is to be abuse of discretion,” and on the other hand, finding that two of the five factors relied upon by …

When Physicians Balk At Futile Care: Implications Of The Disability Rights Laws, Philip G. Peters Jr.

Faculty Publications

Part I of this article reviews the factual background of the futility debate. Part II introduces the antidiscrimination laws. Thereafter, Parts III, IV, and V examine the three components of the proposal suggested above.

The Prosecutor V. Dusko Tadic: An Appraisal Of The First International War Crimes Trial Since Nüremberg, Michael P. Scharf

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Have We Really Learned The Lessons Of Nüremberg?, Michael P. Scharf

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Justices Take The 11th, Richard C. Reuben

Faculty Publications

Until not long ago, the 11th Amendment with its barrier to some citizen suits in federal courts was a largely ignored provision of the U.S. Constitution. Those days may be coming to an end, however, as the Supreme Court has resurrected the dusty old amendment in its steady, if not always consistent, march toward a new federalism or what some scholars are calling the "antifederalist revival."

Municipal Courts--Another Urban Ill, Lewis R. Katz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Establishing An International Criminal Court, Michael P. Scharf

Faculty Publications

Any substantive evaluation of the plan for an international criminal court requires first an understanding of the political currents that underlie the competing proposals. This piece briefly explores the politics of creating a permanent international criminal court. In particular, this comment examines three related issues: (1) the need for an international criminal court, (2) the political obstacles involved in creating such an institution, and (3) the prospects for success in light of these obstacles.

The Puzzling Purposes Of Statutes Of Limitation, Tyler T. Ochoa, Andrew Wistrich

Faculty Publications

One hundred years ago, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. asked, "What is the justification for depriving a man of his rights, a pure evil as far as it goes, in consequence of the lapse of time?" A century later, we are still searching for a satisfactory answer to that question. The purpose of this Article is to press that inquiry further.

The law of limitation of actions is the set of legislatively and judicially created legal rules-including the classification of claims, the duration of limitation periods, the applicable principles of accrual and tolling, and the like-that determine whether a claim is …

Unraveling The Tangled Web: Choosing The Proper Statute Of Limitation For Breach Of The Implied Covenant Of Good Faith And Fair Dealing, Tyler T. Ochoa, Andrew Wistrich

Faculty Publications

In this article, we first will review the general principles applicable to classification of claims for limitation purposes and the various statutes which could be applied to breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. We then will examine cases in which the statute of limitation for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing was at issue and analyze what limitation period, rules of accrual and tolling doctrines are appropriate in the absence of contractual modification. Finally, we will analyze the extent to which contractual modification of the limitation period, rules of accrual …

Whoever Fights Monsters Should See To It That In The Process He Does Not Become A Monster: Hunting The Sexual Predator With Silver Bullets -- Federal Rules Of Evidence 413-415 -- And A Stake Through The Heart -- Kansas V. Hendricks, Joelle A. Moreno

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

2020 Year-End Report On The Judiciary By The Chief Justice Of The United States, Thomas E. Baker

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Judicial Review Of Customs Service Actions, Peter M. Gerhart

Faculty Publications

This article is based on a report prepared for the Administrative Conference of the United States in connection with its study of judicial review of actions taken by the U.S. Customs Service. The recommendations herein were adopted in substantially identical form by the Administrative Conference at its September 19, 1977, plenary session. The article examines the present availability and scope if review of administrative decisions of the U.S. Customs Service. The author analyzes the overall operation if the Customs Service, procedures for internal review of Customs ,decisions and for assessment of penalties and other sanctions, and the distribution if jurisdiction …

A Critique Of The Yugoslavia War Crimes Tribunal In Report Of The International Law Association On An International Criminal Court, Michael P. Scharf

Faculty Publications

It is ironic that history has not been altogether kind to the Nuremberg Tribunal, labeling it "victor's justice," denouncing its application of ex post facto law, and rebuking its procedural shortcomings. Fifty years later, the world community has created another war crimes tribunal - the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. In its first annual report, this new Tribunal stated that "one can discern in the statute and the rules a conscious effort to avoid some of the often-mentioned flaws of Nuremberg and Tokyo." Because it will serve as the model for future ad hoc tribunals and a permanent …