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Criminal Procedure

SelectedWorks

2012

Articles 1 - 25 of 25

Full-Text Articles in Law

Limited Leverage: Federal Remedies And Policing Reform, Rachel A. Harmon Nov 2012

Limited Leverage: Federal Remedies And Policing Reform, Rachel A. Harmon

Rachel A. Harmon

With respect to deterring police misconduct, federal remedies are almost as good as they are ever going to get. Federal remedies for police misconduct, and most other remedies for misconduct, promote change by making misconduct costly for police departments and municipalities. Improving federal remedies would encourage some additional departments to seek the positive expected return on reform measures likely to reduce misconduct. But existing federal remedies all focus on either increasing the cost of misconduct or reducing its benefits. The problem is that even if existing federal remedies are altered to maximize deterrence, they cannot be employed to impose a …

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The Label Of Life Imprisonment In Australia: A Principled Or Populist Approach To An Ultimate Sentence, John L. Anderson Nov 2012

The Label Of Life Imprisonment In Australia: A Principled Or Populist Approach To An Ultimate Sentence, John L. Anderson

John L Anderson

No abstract provided.

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Conditions Of Pre-Trial Bail In Texas -- Oppressive And Excessive?, Charles B. Frye Jul 2012

Conditions Of Pre-Trial Bail In Texas -- Oppressive And Excessive?, Charles B. Frye

Charles B Frye

Judges have wide discretion in not only setting the amount of the pre-trial bond in a criminal case, but also in requiring "conditions" which apply to the defendant's behavior during pre-trial release. Often, these conditions are as onerous as the punishment for the crime for which the defendant has been accused, but not yet convicted.

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Ensuring Fair Trial In Cases Of Children In Conflict With The Laws: The Tanzanian Paradox’, Lucky Mgimba May 2012

Ensuring Fair Trial In Cases Of Children In Conflict With The Laws: The Tanzanian Paradox’, Lucky Mgimba

Lucky Michael Mgimba

The Issue of managing or dealing with children coming into conflict with the law has historically haunted nations and Tanzania is no exception. Although there have already been important headways, much remains to be done in ensuring a child friendly justice system in Tanzania. This work comes in place to analyze the legal and institutional framework under the International, regional and national (Tanzanian) levels; with a view of determining as to how much consistent are they with the accepted legal standards. It however ends by recommending a Child friendly justice system which aims at restorative justice.

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Judicial Review Of Administrative Action/ Decision As The Primary Vehicle For Constitutionalism: Law And Procedures In Tanzania, Daudi Mwita Nyamaka Mr. Mar 2012

Judicial Review Of Administrative Action/ Decision As The Primary Vehicle For Constitutionalism: Law And Procedures In Tanzania, Daudi Mwita Nyamaka Mr.

Daudi Mwita Nyamaka Mr.

This paper examines the discretionary powers of the High Court of Tanzania to review decisions and actions of other public bodies as a means to uphold the spirit of the Constitution on checks and balances between the three organs of the state. The writer examines the procedures for judicial review, the legal and procedural requirements and the remedies available under the laws of Tanzania, however, the writer further examines experiences from other countries particularly from case laws.

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The Problem Of Policing, Rachel A. Harmon Feb 2012

The Problem Of Policing, Rachel A. Harmon

Rachel A. Harmon

The legal problem of policing is how to regulate police authority to permit officers to enforce law while also protecting individual liberty and minimizing the social costs the police impose. Courts and commentators have largely treated the problem of policing as limited to preventing violations of constitutional rights and its solution as the judicial definition and enforcement of those rights. But constitutional law and courts alone are necessarily inadequate to regulate the police. Constitutional law does not protect important interests below the constitutional threshold or effectively address the distributional impacts of law enforcement activities. Nor can the judiciary adequately assess …

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Diversion Of Offenders With Mental Disorders: Mental Health Courts, Sarah Ryan, Darius Whelan Feb 2012

Diversion Of Offenders With Mental Disorders: Mental Health Courts, Sarah Ryan, Darius Whelan

Darius Whelan

At present, if people with mental disorders appear before the criminal courts in Ireland, unless they are unfit for trial or not guilty by reason of insanity, the system governing their case will be the general one which applies to all criminal cases. In recent decades, a number of other common law jurisdictions have begun to set up mental health courts as a means of diverting some people with mental disorders from the criminal justice system and into more appropriate treatment. This article begins with a review of the background to mental health courts, focusing on the concept of diversion …

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The Basics Of Us Criminal Justice System, Bethel G.A Erastus-Obilo Feb 2012

The Basics Of Us Criminal Justice System, Bethel G.A Erastus-Obilo

Bethel G.A Erastus-Obilo

The criminal justice system is complex. It is also bureaucratic by design and has evolved over the years from simple unstructured peacekeeping units to the large complex crime-fighting system that it is today. Many of those who work within it find it challenging and unwieldy. Many of those who are accused of an offense find it confusing and intimidating. This goes for citizens and foreigners whether they are competent in the English language or not. For most members of ethnic minority groups, the experience can be harrowing and often fatal.

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Introduction To Defending Civil Forfeiture Cases Under Chapter 59, Charles B. Frye Jan 2012

Introduction To Defending Civil Forfeiture Cases Under Chapter 59, Charles B. Frye

Charles B Frye

A general introduction to defending civil asset forfeiture cases in Texas state courts.

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What's Your Weirdest Case? Judges Answer Questions On The Courts Jan 2012

What's Your Weirdest Case? Judges Answer Questions On The Courts

Curtis E.A. Karnow

Section 1 answers scores of questions posed to the judges of the Superior Court by visiting school children. The questions concern how civil and criminal courts work, treatment of prisoners, what judges and lawyers do, and how one becomes a judge, among other topics. Section 2 collects a series of short essays on related subjects, as well as outlining the jury system, alternative dispute resolution, appeals, among other subjects, all in a format more suited to upper grade levels and adults. The paperback is availible through Amazon

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Thank You For Testifying: The Need To Re-Examine Admission Of Expert Testimony Under Rule 703 In Relation To The Confrontation Clause In Light Of Williams V. Illinois, Derek Regensburger Jan 2012

Thank You For Testifying: The Need To Re-Examine Admission Of Expert Testimony Under Rule 703 In Relation To The Confrontation Clause In Light Of Williams V. Illinois, Derek Regensburger

Derek Regensburger

In Williams v. Illinois, the Supreme Court, in a plurality opinion, held that the basis evidence underlying an expert’s opinion may be introduced in a criminal trial without violating the Confrontation Clause. The Court also created a new primary purpose test for determining the testimonial nature of statements. Hearsay statements must now be both formalized statements made with the purpose of providing evidence against the accused as well as being made against a targeted individual. The ruling has the potential to impact the way in which testimonial hearsay statements are analyzed by court, and it could open the door for …

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Mapping Expansive Uses Of Human Dignity In International Criminal Law, J.Benton Heath Jan 2012

Mapping Expansive Uses Of Human Dignity In International Criminal Law, J.Benton Heath

J.Benton Heath

International criminal law (ICL) makes frequent reference to the concept of human dignity, which also plays a central role in human rights law. While many of these invocations occur in the context of torture and cruel treatment, a handful of cases have used human dignity more expansively to justify punishment for hate speech and other crimes. In this chapter, I argue that such expansive invocations of human dignity fill gaps in substantive criminal law, motivate tribunals toward broad interpretations of the law, may serve to 'trump' competing claims, and provide an argument for overcoming strict applications of the principle of …

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Human Dignity At Trial: Hard Cases And Broad Concepts In International Criminal Law, J.Benton Heath Jan 2012

Human Dignity At Trial: Hard Cases And Broad Concepts In International Criminal Law, J.Benton Heath

J.Benton Heath

Broad and indeterminate invocations of human dignity play a sporadic but powerful role in the adjudication of international criminal law (ICL). Drawing on detailed case studies, I argue that the concept of dignity enables courts to fill gaps in the substantive criminal law, justify expansive interpretations, resolve conflicts between competing rights and values, and potentially overcome the requirements of strict legality. These features enable judges to reach important and sometimes morally compelling conclusions. But expansive uses of human dignity come into tension with rule-of-law principles, and they challenge the self-understanding of ICL as a regime of limited subject-matter jurisdiction. This …

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Private Rights Or Public Wrongs? The Crime Victims Rights Act Of 2004 In Historical Context, Christopher J. Truxler Jan 2012

Private Rights Or Public Wrongs? The Crime Victims Rights Act Of 2004 In Historical Context, Christopher J. Truxler

Christopher J. Truxler

Historically, crime victims served as policemen, investigators, and private prosecutors, and were regarded as law enforcement’s most dependable catalyst. The Crime Victim’s Rights Act of 2004 grants crime victims eight substantive and procedural rights and breathes new life into the common law idea that crime is both a public wrong and a private injury. The Act has, however, elicited ardent criticism. Opponents contend that the Act is both bad policy and, most likely, unconstitutional. Without commenting on the Act’s policy or constitutionality, this Note places the Crime Victims’ Rights Act within a broader historical context where victims’ needs can be …

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The U.S. Firearms Trafficking Statue's Failure To Curb Drug Violence In Mexico, Stewart M. Young Jan 2012

The U.S. Firearms Trafficking Statue's Failure To Curb Drug Violence In Mexico, Stewart M. Young

Stewart M Young

Now reaching epidemic proportions, drug trafficking violence in Mexico greatly concerns both the Mexican and United States governments. Despite the continuation of the War on Drugs, drug trafficking continues largely unabated from Mexico to the United States, resulting in lost lives, lost revenue, and a violence previously unknown in Mexico. Thus far, the United States’ efforts to deal with drug trafficking and violence in Mexico includes the recent debacle of Operation Fast and Furious. News regarding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Operation Fast and Furious shocked citizens and lawmakers alike, as it allowed firearms to “walk” …

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Is Plea Bargaining In The "Shadow Of Trial" A Mirage?, Allison D. Redlich Jan 2012

Is Plea Bargaining In The "Shadow Of Trial" A Mirage?, Allison D. Redlich

Allison D Redlich

No abstract provided.

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Is Diversion Swift?: Comparing Mental Health Court And Traditional Criminal Justice Processing, Allison D. Redlich, Siyu Liu, Henry J. Steadman, Lisa Callahan, Pamela C. Robbins Jan 2012

Is Diversion Swift?: Comparing Mental Health Court And Traditional Criminal Justice Processing, Allison D. Redlich, Siyu Liu, Henry J. Steadman, Lisa Callahan, Pamela C. Robbins

Allison D Redlich

No abstract provided.

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Voluntary, Knowing, And Intelligent Pleas: Understanding Plea Inquiries, Allison D. Redlich Jan 2012

Voluntary, Knowing, And Intelligent Pleas: Understanding Plea Inquiries, Allison D. Redlich

Allison D Redlich

No abstract provided.

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The Innocence Effect, Oren Gazal-Ayal, Avishalom Tor Jan 2012

The Innocence Effect, Oren Gazal-Ayal, Avishalom Tor

Oren Gazal-Ayal

Nearly all felony convictions—about 95%—follow guilty pleas, suggesting plea offers are very attractive compared to trials. Many scholars, in fact, argue plea bargains are too attractive and should be curtailed because they facilitate the wrongful conviction of innocents. Others contend plea offers only benefit innocent defendants, providing an alternative to the risk of a much harsher sentence at trial they may wish to avoid. Both detractors and supporters thus believe plea bargains often lead innocents to plead guilty. The two camps in the debate, moreover, also share the view that defendants’ culpability matters little for the rate of plea bargaining, …

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Clemency, Parole, Good-Time Credits, And Crowded Prisons: Reconsidering Early Release, Paul J. Larkin Jr. Jan 2012

Clemency, Parole, Good-Time Credits, And Crowded Prisons: Reconsidering Early Release, Paul J. Larkin Jr.

Paul J Larkin Jr.

Traditionally, the criminal justice system used executive clemency, parole statutes, and good-time credit laws to grant prisoners an early relief for various reasons, such as to encourage and reward efforts toward rehabilitation and to ease prison overcrowding. The replacement of rehabilitation with incapacitation as the principal justification for criminal punishment over the last 30 years, however, has resulted in an enormous expansion in the prison population. We need to ask whether we have arrived at a point where an overly punitive approach to corrections is hurting as many innocent parties as helping and whether we are generating more criminals than …

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Memorandum Fourth Amendment Warrantless Search Consent Exception & Request For New Trial, Rosi Lehr Jan 2012

Memorandum Fourth Amendment Warrantless Search Consent Exception & Request For New Trial, Rosi Lehr

Rosi Lehr

The court correctly held the roommate’s consent was a valid exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment because he has common authority and voluntarily consented. The district court correctly held the Judge’s response to the Jury’s question was not improper because he has broad discretion when responding to a jury’s request. Harmless error is error that does not affect the outcome of the case and may be found when the defendant cannot show the case was prejudiced by the Judge’s response

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The Right To Remain Silent: Addressing A Government Attorney Client Privilege In The Context Of A Grand Jury Subpoena, Matan Shmuel Jan 2012

The Right To Remain Silent: Addressing A Government Attorney Client Privilege In The Context Of A Grand Jury Subpoena, Matan Shmuel

Matan Shmuel

This article presents a resolution for the circuit split over whether a federal agency can invoke the attorney client privilege in a federal grand jury investigation. This article analyzes the current state of the law across each circuit and provides a resolution of the conflict for the supreme court to consider. The resolution involves a balancing test which weighs three competing factors: public need for the information; government need in confidentiality; and grand jury interest in the information. The solution is intended for the supreme court to consider when this issue hits the court

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Persuasive Visions: Film And Memory, Jessica M. Silbey Jan 2012

Persuasive Visions: Film And Memory, Jessica M. Silbey

Jessica Silbey

This commentary takes a new look at law and film studies through the lens of film as memory. Instead of describing film as evidence and foreordaining its role in truth-seeking processes, it thinks instead of film as individual, institutional and cultural memory, placing it squarely within the realm of contestability. Paralleling film genres, the commentary imagines four forms of memory that film could embody: memorabilia (cinema verite), memoirs (autobiographical and biographical film), ceremonial memorials (narrative film monuments of a life, person or institution), and mythic memory (dramatic fictional film). Imagining film as memory resituates film’s role in law (procedural, substantive …

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Does Private Enforcement Attract Excessive Litigation? Evidence From The False Claims Act, David Y. Kwok Jan 2012

Does Private Enforcement Attract Excessive Litigation? Evidence From The False Claims Act, David Y. Kwok

David Y Kwok

Private litigation can help correct wrongs, but the right to litigate can also be abused. The structure of the U.S. judicial system can make it difficult to determine how frequently private parties misuse litigation. Utilizing a new data set of False Claims Act litigation, I conduct a systematic evaluation of private litigation in the fraud context. I find law firms generally pursue a cooperative strategy with the Department of Justice rather than adopting abusive litigation practices. This suggests that private litigation may effectively complement public enforcement and that such litigation may be helpful in other areas of law.

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Defense Counsel, Trial Judges, And Evidence Production Protocols, Darryl K. Brown Jan 2012

Defense Counsel, Trial Judges, And Evidence Production Protocols, Darryl K. Brown

Darryl K. Brown

This essay, a contribution to the 2012 Texas Tech Symposium on the Sixth Amendment, argues that constitutional criminal adjudication provisions are fruitfully viewed not primarily as defendant rights but as procedural components that, when employed, maximize the odds that adversarial adjudication will succeed in its various goals, notably accurate judgments. On this view, the state has an interest in how those procedural mechanisms, especially regarding fact investigation and evidence gathering, are invoked or implemented. Deficient attorney performance, on this view, can be understood as a problem of the state’s adversarial adjudication process, for which public officials—notably judges, whose judgments depend …

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