Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Law
Linguistic Colonialism: Law, Independence, And Language Rights In Puerto Rico, Andrea Freeman
Linguistic Colonialism: Law, Independence, And Language Rights In Puerto Rico, Andrea Freeman
Faculty Scholarship
Part I reviews and analyzes courts' attempts to reconcile the conflict between the statutory English-language requirement for federal jurors, Puerto Rico's almost entirely Spanish-speaking population, and the Sixth Amendment's constitutional mandate. This part consists of three sub-parts: a description of Puerto Rico's linguistic landscape in comparison with that of the United States, a history of fair cross section challenges pertaining to the District of Puerto Rico, and a comparative look at fair cross section challenges in the Ninth Circuit. Part II examines the tension between language and constitutional rights through the lens of one case, Diffenderfer v. Gomez-Colon. In this …
Legislative Reform Of California’S Direct Democracy: A Field Guide To Recent Efforts, Glenn C. Smith
Legislative Reform Of California’S Direct Democracy: A Field Guide To Recent Efforts, Glenn C. Smith
Faculty Scholarship
This Article seeks to enhance the ability of California-initiative process reformers to gain wisdom from the past by briefly, yet comprehensively, reviewing recent proposals considered in the California legislature. Specifically, this "field guide" to initiative reform seeks to orient interested travelers to relevant California legislative exertions from 1997 to the present.' Although our orientation is informed by the entire range of legislative proposals within the dataset, we give special focus to bills proposing to enhance initiative-process deliberation-the ability of voters to understand and meaningfully deliberate about initiative proposals. We also concentrate on two categories of initiative-reform legislation during the period: …
More D (Deliberation) For California’S Dd (Direct Democracy): Enhancing Voter Understanding And Promoting Deliberation Through Streamlined Notice-And-Comment Procedures, Glenn Smith
Faculty Scholarship
This article seeks to enhance public consideration of the pros and cons of streamlining California's informal-administrative-rulemaking procedures for reforming the state's direct democracy. To provide a concrete focus for discussion and quick adoption, Appendix I includes proposed amendments to existing California statutory provisions. This article provides a context for considering the proposed legislation by elaborating on five questions: Why Deliberation? (Part I): In this Part, the Article makes the case, both on the substantive merits and on practical political grounds, for focusing on deliberation-enhancement as the best "next wave" of initiative reform.8 Why the Administrative Model? (Part II): This Part …