Law Commons^™

Note: United States V. Harvey: Are Criminal Defense Fees More Vulnerable Than Necessary?, Eric Easton

All Faculty Scholarship

In United States v. Harvey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that Congress may not constitutionally require convicted racketeers and drug traffickers to forfeit property used to pay legitimate defense attorney fees. To the extent that such forfeitures and related pre-conviction restraints on transfer are authorized by provisions of the Comprehensive Forfeiture Act of 1984 (the Act), those provisions violate an accused's right to counsel of choice as secured by the Sixth Amendment.This article argues that the court's holding in Harvey was more narrowly drawn than necessary, and that as a consequence criminal defense attorney …

Confronting Rape Shield, Allison I. Connelly

Law Faculty Popular Media

In this newsletter article, Professor Connelly discusses the difficulties faced by defense attorneys in addressing rape shield laws.

Mcnaghten Rules Ok? The Need For Revision Of The Automatism And Insanity Defenses In English Criminal Law, R. D. Mackay

Penn State International Law Review

There has been a resurgence of interest in the codification of "craziness" both in the United States and in England. Most recent legislative reforms in the United States have followed in the wake of the jury's verdict in the Hinckley case, whilst in England renewed interest in revising the insanity defense has been prompted by a report to the Law Commission on the codification of the criminal law. The purpose of this article is first to briefly review relevant reforms in the United States; second to critically analyze the present legal position in England; third to discuss English reform proposals; …

Evidentiary Use Of Other Crime Evidence: A Survey Of Recent Trends In Criminal Procedure, Susan Stuart

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biblical Atonement And Modern Criminal Law, Jerome Hall

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In Western civilization, a rationally ordered universe and human rationality are the central tenets of theology and moral philosophy. Conceptions, values, and principles implied by these premises have become entrenched in social and legal institutions. Concluding that religious teachings, even those of antiquity, are consistent with modern legal principles is reasonable, and almost common sense. An inquiry into whether this relationship is to any extent causal is fascinating. Professor Jerome Hall, the first President of AMINTAPHIL, discusses the relationship between the Christian doctrine of atonement and principles of modern criminal law.

Rico: The Crime Of Being A Criminal Parts I And Ii, Gerard E. Lynch

Faculty Scholarship

One of the most controversial statutes in the federal criminal code is that entitled "Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations," known familiarly by its acronym, RICO. Passed in 1970 as title IX of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970, RICO has attracted much attention because of its draconian penalties, including innovative forfeiture provisions; its broad draftsmanship, which has left it open to a wide range of applications, not all of which were foreseen or intended by the Congress that enacted it; and the sometimes dramatic prosecutions that have been brought in its name.

RICO's complexity has attracted several efforts to unscramble …

Drugs And Small Arms: Can Law Stop The Traffic?, Christopher L. Blakesley

Scholarly Works

Professor Blakesley presides over this panel discussion on laws combating the illegal importation of drugs and small arms, and their implications for international and domestic law.

Felony Murder And The Misdemeanor Of Attempted Escape: A Legislative Error In Search Of Correction, Peter J. Mcquillan

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This article argues that a legislative reconsideration of the New York felony murder doctrine is timely and essential. The author traces the origins of New York's felony murder statute and recent efforts to limit its scope. The author argues that the felony murder doctrine contravenes the modern philosophy of adjudication based on subjective factors such as mens rea, eroding the link between criminal liability and moral culpability.

Rico: The Crime Of Being A Criminal Parts Iii And Iv, Gerard E. Lynch

Faculty Scholarship

In the first portion of this study, we saw that the Supreme Court in its 1981 Turkette decision endorsed what was already the consensus view of the courts of appeals that a group of individuals associated in fact to pursue entirely illegitimate purposes could constitute a RICO enterprise. Prosecutions of such associations have quickly become the leading use of the statute. It can be reliably estimated that more than forty percent of the reported appellate cases involving RICO indictments concern prosecutions in which the alleged enterprise was such an illicit association. When the cases are classified by the nature of …

Victim Participation In Plea Bargains, Sarah N. Welling

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

There is a trend in the criminal law today to focus on the rights of victims. This trend has been manifested in actions by legislatures, courts, the President of the United States and others. Various programs have been implemented to ameliorate the crime victim's experience. For example, many states now provide compensation for victims, and victim/witness assistance programs have sprung up around the country. It has also been suggested that the victim's lot should be improved by granting them a right to participate in the prosecution of the defendant. This article examines whether victims should be accorded a right to …