Law Commons^™

West Virginia Habitual Criminal Law, Londo H. Brown

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Compelling The Testimony Of Political Deviants, O. John Rogge

Michigan Law Review

At the last term the United States Supreme Court in Ullmann v. United States upheld the constitutionality of paragraph (c) of a federal act of August 1954 which seeks to compel the testimony of communists and other political deviants. Paragraph (c) relates to witnesses before federal courts and grand juries. The Court specifically left open the question of the validity of paragraphs (a) and (b) relating to congressional witnesses. Justice Frankfurter delivered the Court's opinion. Justice Douglas, with the concurrence of Justice Black, wrote a dissent.

It is our purpose to consider the background, history and terms of this compulsory …

Constitutional Law - Courts-Martial - Power Of Congress To Provide For Military Jurisdiction Over Civilians, Whitmore Gray S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

During the past term the Supreme Court decided three cases involving the constitutionality of court-martial jurisdiction over certain groups of civilians. In United States ex rel. Toth v. Quarles the Court held that Congress could not constitutionally provide for military trial of a discharged serviceman for offenses committed during his term of service. In two subsequent cases the Court rejected the contention that the Toth decision announced a principle applicable to any exercise of jurisdiction over civilians by the military courts in upholding the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for military jurisdiction over civilian dependents accompanying American …

Constitutional Law - Criminal Law - Power Of Federal Government To Commit Mentally Incompetent Persons Charged With Federal Crimes, William C. Becker S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Petitioner was indicted for robbery from a United States Post Office. After a series of hearings and examinations, the district court found petitioner so mentally incompetent that he could not stand trial, and that, if released, he would probably endanger the safety of the officers, property, or other interests of the United States. The district court ordered petitioner committed to the custody of the Attorney General for confinement in a mental institution. This order was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, one judge dissenting. On certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States, held, …

Torts - Libel And Slander - Calling A Person A Communist As Slader Per Se, Ross Kipka S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In an action for slander, plaintiff alleged that on three separate occasions defendant had orally called or referred to plaintiff as a communist. The court rendered judgment against the defendant, holding that calling a person a communist is slander per se. On appeal, held, affirmed. Since membership in the Communist Party is a felony under Pennsylvania statute, falsely referring to a person as being a communist is slander per se. Solosko v. Paxton, (Pa. 1956) 119 A. (2d) 230.

Shoplifting-An Analysis Of Legal Controls

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Criminal Law—False Pretenses, June Murray

Buffalo Law Review

People v. LeGrande, 309 N. Y. 420, 131 N. E. 2d 712 (1956).

Criminal Law—Possession Of Dangerous Weapons, June Murray

Buffalo Law Review

People v. Spillman, 309 N. Y. 295, 130 N. E. 2d 625 (1955).

Criminal Law—Vagrancy, Richard G. Birmingham

Buffalo Law Review

People v. Moss, 309 N. Y. 429, 131 N. E. 2d 717 (1956).

Miscellaneous—Labor Law—Payment Of Wages, Robert Rosinski

Buffalo Law Review

People v. Vetri, 309 N.Y. 401, 131 N.E. 2d 568 (1955).

Criminal Law—Corrupt Influencing Of Agents, Robert Rosinski

Buffalo Law Review

People v. Jacobs, 309 N. Y. 315, 130 N. E. 2d 636 (1955).

Criminal Law And Procedure -- 1956 Tennessee Survey, James B. Earle

Vanderbilt Law Review

Homicide: Involuntary manslaughter by automobile was involved in the case of Smith v. State.' The evidence tended to show that while the defendant was operating his automobile at a speed of possibly 40 miles per hour, he attempted to turn at a dead-end intersection, skidded on loose gravel, and struck his victim at a point approximately four feet off the street. It also appeared that the victim was a child of six who was playing on a bridge leading to a school; that the accident occurred on Christmas day; and that the defendant had consumed an unknown quantity of intoxicating …

Recent Extensions Of Felony Murder Rule

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Law Of Infants' Marriages, Robert Kingsley

Vanderbilt Law Review

Just as the law requires, for ordinary contracts, that a party thereto must have reached an age sufficient to give him reasonable discretion, so, in connection with the contract of marriage, the law has required that the parties be not too immature. It must be remembered, however, that the word "infant" is not one of fixed meaning: when used with reference to ordinary contracts, and without further qualification, it usually means a person under twenty-one years of age; but in the field of criminal law the dividing line between "infancy" and "adult" responsibility is fixed at a lesser age (14 …

Recent Cases, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Law Review

Constitutional Law--Congressional Investigations --Relevancy of Required Testimony

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Constitutional Law--State Taxation of Interstate Commerce--Sales Taxation of Income from Trans-Shipment of Goods within State

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Criminal Law--Felony Murder Doctrine--Co-Felon Killed by Victim of Crime

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Evidence--Judicial Admissions--Testimony as to Objective Facts

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Federal Tort Claims Act--"Private Individual" Clause--Uniquely Governmental Activity

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Income Taxation--Capital Gains and Losses--Business Purpose for Contracting in Commodity Futures

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Labor Law--Taft-Hartley Act--Discharge of Employees because of Union Membership

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Negligence--High Tension Power Lines--Duty to Warn of Dangerous Condition

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Real Property--Joint Tenancy--Severance of Estate by Murder of Co-Tenant

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Torts--Landowner--Duty to Social Guest

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Wills--Pretermitted Heir Statue--Sole …

Criminal Law--Insane Persons--Competency To Stand Trial, H. R. A. Jr.

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Criminal Law--Felony-Murder--Statutory Interpretation, G. T. L.

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Criminal Law, Theordore D. Zylstra

Washington Law Review

Covers cases on: bigamy—necessity of proving continued cohabitation; aiding and abetting—presence with intent to render assistance; and negligent homicide—degree of negligence required.

Criminal Law (Survey Of Virginia Case Law - 1955), John C. Baker

William and Mary Review of Virginia Law

No abstract provided.

Bills And Notes - Holders In Due Course - Payment To An Impostor, Thomas S. Erickson

Michigan Law Review

Drawer bank drew a check on the plaintiff bank payable to a depositor on the faith of a withdrawal order purportedly signed by the depositor but actually forged by an impostor. The impostor forged the indorsement and cashed the check at defendant bank which received payment from plaintiff-drawee bank. Two years later, upon the death of the impostor, the fraud was discovered. Plaintiff-drawee bank voluntarily reinstated the drawer bank's account and, standing in the drawer's shoes, it won a judgment to have its account with the defendant reinstated. On appeal, held, reversed. The policy in favor of the free …

Evidence - Admissibility - Extent To Which Juror's Affidavit May Be Used To Impeach Verdict, Herbert R. Brown S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Defendant was convicted of murder in the first degree and made a motion for a new trial on the basis of a juror's affidavit which asserted that the jury had been divided eight to four in favor of life imprisonment over the death sentence, that subsequently several jurors introduced into the deliberations the fact that the defendant had been charged, in another indictment, with assault with intent to kill, that this became a part of the jury's deliberation, and that, as a result, the jury did not recommend life imprisonment and, instead, the death sentence was imposed. On appeal, held …

Punishment: The Reward For Guilt, Arnold T. Lieberman, Dawn B. Girard

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Law - Due Process - Use Of Habeas Corpus To Allow Federal Court To Review State Court Jury Determination Of Voluntariness Of Confession, Herbert R. Brown S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The prisoner had been convicted of murder in the state court. He brought a habeas corpus proceeding in federal district court to secure his release from custody on the ground that the conviction was based on a confession which was obtained by physical violence. The confession had been submitted to the jury, which was instructed to consider it only if it found that it was not obtained by duress or fear produced by threats. The district court granted the writ of habeas corpus. On appeal, held, affirmed. The district court could determine the facts of the case for itself. …

Criminal Law - Felony -Murder Rule - Application To The Justifiable Killing Of An Accomplice By The Intended Victim, Frank M. Lacey

Michigan Law Review

The defendant and an armed accomplice held up a grocery store, took money at gun point from the proprietor and fled in opposite directions. The proprietor pursued the accomplice and killed him in the gun battle that ensued. Defendant escaped, but later was apprehended and indicted on a charge of first degree murder. On appeal from a judgment sustaining defendant's demurrer to the evidence, held, reversed and new trial ordered, three judges dissenting. The defendant may be convicted of first degree murder under the Pennsylvania statute which provides that "all murder ... which shall be committed in the perpetration …

Criminal Law - Trial - Duty Of Judge To Instruct On Lesser And Included Crimes, Paul A. Heinen S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Appellant was one of four defendants who were charged in three separate counts of an indictment with the crimes of attempted robbery in the first degree, attempted grand larceny in the first degree, and assault in the second degree with intent to commit robbery and grand larceny. After all the evidence had been entered, the trial judge submitted only the count of attempted robbery to the jury, instructing them that they return a verdict of guilty or not guilty of that crime. The defense excepted to the court's refusal to submit the other counts charged in the indictment. The defendant …

Restitution - Fraud - Prospective Vendee's Rights Against Broker, Stephen C. Bransdorfer S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Defendant was retained as a real estate agent by the vendor. He listed the vendor's eighty acres and buildings for sale. Plaintiff, a prospective purchaser, offered $7,000 for the property. Defendant failed to transmit this offer to the vendor and, instead, fraudulently caused the vendor to convey to two strawmen, as purported purchasers, for $6,500. After the defendant had falsely told the plaintiff that the latter's offer for the whole tract had been rejected, plaintiff purchased seventeen acres, including the buildings, for $6,000, an admittedly fair price. The strawmen conveyed the remaining sixty-three acres to the defendant's son, defendant giving …

Baker: Law Of Disputed And Forged Documents, Maurice A. Nernberg

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Law of Disputed and Forged Documents. By J. Newton Baker.

Courts--Construction Of Local Statute By Foreign Court--Survival Of Criminal Action After Corporate Dissolution, M. J. P.

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Corporations - Shareholders - Power Of The Majority To Ratify Director's Fraud, Paul A. Heinen

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a stockholder in the Kroger Company, brought a derivative suit against a subsidiary of the company and certain officers and directors of both the parent and the subsidiary. It was alleged that . Kroger's directors had fraudulently waived the company's preemptive right to a new issue of stock of the subsidiary and had then purchased the shares for their own accounts at a price far below the market value. The defendants answered that the sale had been ratified by a majority in interest of disinterested stockholders to whom all the details of the transaction had been explained, and denied …

Constitutional Law - Due Process - Privilege Against Self-Incrimination In State Criminal Proceedings, Frank M. Lacey

Michigan Law Review

In March 1951, defendant, a New York City policeman, was called to testify before a state grand jury investigating the association of city policemen with the criminal element of Kings County. Existing laws required public officers to execute a waiver of immunity to prosecution for matters to which their testimony related, on pain of losing their positions. The defendant signed such a waiver, and shortly thereafter resigned from the police force. He was called before the same grand jury again in December 1952, and on this occasion was asked whether he had ever accepted bribes while a policeman. He refused …