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Full-Text Articles in Law

Subverting Symbolism: The Matthew Shepard And James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act And Cooperative Federalism, Kami Chavis Simmons Oct 2012

Subverting Symbolism: The Matthew Shepard And James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act And Cooperative Federalism, Kami Chavis Simmons

Faculty Publications

Hate crimes continue to persist in the United States and undermine the traditions and values to which the country aspires. Until recently, however, the stringent jurisdictional limitations of existing federal legislation made it difficult for the federal government to prosecute these crimes. In October 2009, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act (the "HCPA"). The HCPA significantly expands the federal government's authority to prosecute defendants accused of hate crimes because it dispenses with a previous jurisdictional requirement that made it difficult to prosecute many such crimes. The HCPA also represents an expansion …


Stakeholder Participation In The Selection And Recruitment Of Police: Democracy In Action, Kami Chavis Simmons Jan 2012

Stakeholder Participation In The Selection And Recruitment Of Police: Democracy In Action, Kami Chavis Simmons

Faculty Publications

Modem police culture tolerates or cultivates police misconduct and corruption in many ways. Failures to identify, monitor, and discipline "problem" officers; a belief that violence is a necessary part of law enforcement; and the code of silence; are organizational characteristics that need to be addressed in order to remedy organizational failures to hold law enforcement officers accountable. In order to address these cultural characteristics, police departments should carefully select police officers less likely to engage in these behaviors and adhere to these beliefs. Viewed through the lens of stakeholder participation, however, a fundamental shift should occur regarding how these new …