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Can A Twenty-First Century Texas Tolerate Its Nineteenth Century Judicial Selection Process Commentary., Charles Bleil Jan 1995

Can A Twenty-First Century Texas Tolerate Its Nineteenth Century Judicial Selection Process Commentary., Charles Bleil

St. Mary's Law Journal

Judicial selection by popular election is no longer practical in Texas. Texans must question the adequacy of the Texas judicial selection process for the next century. The history of Texas has seen the implementation of various methods for selecting the judiciary. Initially, the creation of courts by the Republic of Texas’s Constitution required joint ballot of both houses of the Texas Congress to select judges. However, in 1876, Texas began holding elections for jurists by popular vote. This enactment was in response to the drafters’ desire to limit government intervention during the Reconstruction era. Although the suitability of popular election …


Chief Justice Calvert: Man Of Imperturable Integrity In Memoriam., Thomas M. Reavley Jan 1995

Chief Justice Calvert: Man Of Imperturable Integrity In Memoriam., Thomas M. Reavley

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


Did We Treaty Away Ker-Frisbie Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas., Timothy D. Rudy Jan 1995

Did We Treaty Away Ker-Frisbie Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas., Timothy D. Rudy

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article explores whether U.S. ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Civil and Political Covenant) provides the American judiciary with reason to jettison the Ker-Frisbie doctrine. If the United States does not forego use of the Ker-Frisbie doctrine the country will violate its international obligations arising from a major human rights treaty. Part II discusses the customary norm of international law which forbids—and the American rule which permits—forcible abductions overseas. It also reviews whether extraterritorial abductions violate customary international law. Part III discusses applicability of the Civil and Political Covenant to the Ker-Frisbie doctrine and details …


Shading Of America: Keynote Address Before The 1995 National Conference Of Law Reviews Address., Antonia Hernandez Jan 1995

Shading Of America: Keynote Address Before The 1995 National Conference Of Law Reviews Address., Antonia Hernandez

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


Chief Justice Calvert, Our Highly Regarded Of Counsel In Memoriam., Lloyd Lochridge Jan 1995

Chief Justice Calvert, Our Highly Regarded Of Counsel In Memoriam., Lloyd Lochridge

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


The Subjection Of Women . . . Still: Unfulfilled Promises Of Protection For Women Victims Of Domestic Violence Comment., James Martin Truss Jan 1995

The Subjection Of Women . . . Still: Unfulfilled Promises Of Protection For Women Victims Of Domestic Violence Comment., James Martin Truss

St. Mary's Law Journal

Throughout American history, women have fought to realize a full and independent legal identity, equal to men. Nonetheless, issues such as domestic violence have often remained obscured due partly to the judicial system’s reluctance to intrude into “family matters.” Although courts have long-since renounced the common-law rule which allowed a husband to discipline his wife, the plight of the battered woman remained largely ignored by courts and legislatures. The pervasiveness and severity of domestic violence are widely documented. On June 1, 1991, the Texas Supreme Court created the Gender Bias Task Force of Texas (Task Force) to consider whether gender …


Appellate Review Of Criminal Cases In Texas., Ellen Bloomer Mitchell Jan 1995

Appellate Review Of Criminal Cases In Texas., Ellen Bloomer Mitchell

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article guides Texas practitioners in effectively preparing and presenting criminal cases on appeal. Its primary focus concerns the standards of review appellate courts use in determining the merits of the issues raised before them and, equally important, proper preservation and presentation of those issues. This Article does not exhaust the matters which may be raised on appeal in a criminal case. Rather, it covers a variety of issues and errors commonly raised in the “ordinary” criminal appeal. Understanding and utilizing this information in the presentation of issues on appeal will help the practitioner direct the appellate court to find …


Capital Punishment: The Humanistic And Moral Issues Address., Helen Prejean Jan 1995

Capital Punishment: The Humanistic And Moral Issues Address., Helen Prejean

St. Mary's Law Journal

Death row reminds us that justice is not equal. Death sentences, opposed to being reserved for only the most heinous crimes, are generally related to the profile of the victim and identity of those most outraged by the crime. The majority of people on death row killed a white person, even though one-half of homicide victims in the United States are people of color. Because of this, and the fact that the law almost always sides with people of wealth and power, the death penalty works to compound societal trauma instead of healing or solving anything. The skewed and harmful …


Oil And Gas Issues Involved In Cercla Reauthorization., Joseph R. Dancy, Victoria A. Dancy Jan 1995

Oil And Gas Issues Involved In Cercla Reauthorization., Joseph R. Dancy, Victoria A. Dancy

St. Mary's Law Journal

After several decades of environmental legislation, the regulated community faces an extremely complex and costly matrix of obligations and responsibilities. For industry in general, the most expensive environmental statute enacted has been the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). CERCLA created the Hazardous Substances Superfund (Superfund) and established retroactive liability for remediation of hazardous substance contamination. President Clinton admitted CERCLA does not work and even labelled the Superfund a “disaster.” Even though public and private entities have already spent twenty billion dollars on the CERCLA program since its inception, only around ten or twenty percent of …


Federalism Revisited: The Supreme Court Resurrects The Notion Of Enumerated Powers By Limiting Congress's Attempt To Federalize Crime Comment., Larry E. Gee Jan 1995

Federalism Revisited: The Supreme Court Resurrects The Notion Of Enumerated Powers By Limiting Congress's Attempt To Federalize Crime Comment., Larry E. Gee

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Comment argues the federal system must be preserved and the Supreme Court should build upon the interpretation of the Commerce Clause in United States v. Lopez to reinstate the Framers’ vision of federalism. The social justifications for the Court’s expansive construction of the Commerce Clause during the past sixty years no longer existed to justify the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. Part II of this Comment traces the background of Commerce Clause jurisprudence, focusing on social justifications for traditional rubber stamping of Congress’s broad exercises of power. Part III reviews the Fifth Circuit’s reasoning in deeming the Gun-Free …


Beauty And The Beast: Physical Appearance Discrimination In American Criminal Trials Comment., David L. Wiley Jan 1995

Beauty And The Beast: Physical Appearance Discrimination In American Criminal Trials Comment., David L. Wiley

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Comment considers physical appearance discrimination by jurors in criminal trials. It proposes remedial measures to eliminate discrimination and effectuate the underlying purposes of jury trials. Part II of this Comment examines the psychological process of corporeal attribution and discusses the underlying philosophic dichotomy of image and substance. It surveys the role modern American culture plays in discrimination in the American criminal law system and discusses parallel relationships between race, sex, and physical appearance discrimination. Part IV explores constitutional ramifications of fostering and promoting physical appearance discrimination in criminal trials. Finally, Part V presents remedies designed to ensure criminal defendants …


The Texas Home Equity Controversy In Context Forum - Introduction., James W. Paulsen Jan 1995

The Texas Home Equity Controversy In Context Forum - Introduction., James W. Paulsen

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Essay provides some historical and legal context for the Texas home equity debate during the 1990s. It begins with an examination of early Texas homestead law, which did not clearly prohibit home equity lending. Part II describes the genesis of the homestead exemption in Texas. Public policy surrounding the homestead law had at least three components: protection of debtors, protection of women, and the fostering of an independent spirit in Texas settlers. Part III evaluates the Texas Constitution’s 1876 ban on home equity loans and the subsequent public debate up until the 1970s. Although criticism of the prohibition on …


Home Equity Reform In Texas Forum., Jerry Patterson Jan 1995

Home Equity Reform In Texas Forum., Jerry Patterson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Texas citizens should vote on home equity reform to be able to decide for themselves whether they desire the benefits of home equity borrowing. Texas is the only state in the nation that prohibits homeowners from using their home equity as they see fit such as to educate their children, to start or expand small businesses, or to enjoy their retirement years. Critics to home equity reform in Texas do not fully understand the scope of the amendments or the benefits that come with reform. The myth that equity loans would trigger an increase in foreclosure rates cannot be documented …


The Texas Homestead: The Last Bulwark Of Liberty Forum., Henry B. Gonzalez Jan 1995

The Texas Homestead: The Last Bulwark Of Liberty Forum., Henry B. Gonzalez

St. Mary's Law Journal

For more than 155 years Texans have adamantly supported the principle that the fundamental need for shelter justifies strict constitutional protection of homes from creditors in all but a few situations. This Article discusses where homestead protection came from and why it should not be lightly discarded. The Texas Constitution contains many rights and liberties for the protection and benefit of the state’s citizens. Unique among these treasured liberties is the protection of a person’s homestead from forced sale or foreclosure by creditors. A group of bankers and other financiers—for whom a homestead is nothing more than collateral and a …


Use Of A Pen Register May Be A Search Within The Purview Of Article I, Section 9 Of The Texas Constitution., Angie Patrick Jan 1995

Use Of A Pen Register May Be A Search Within The Purview Of Article I, Section 9 Of The Texas Constitution., Angie Patrick

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Richardson v. State, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Richardson’s second petition for discretionary review to determine whether law enforcement’s use of a pen register constitutes a search. The use of a pen register may be a search within the purview of Article I, Section 9 of the Texas Constitution. Courts use the reasonable-expectation-of-privacy test, from Katz v. United States, to determine whether a search has occurred under the Fourth Amendment. In Richardson, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reviewed whether the use of a pen register equates to a search despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s determination in …


Flow Control Ordinances That Require Disposal Of Trash At A Designated Facility Violate The Dormant Commerce Clause., Laura Gabrysch Jan 1995

Flow Control Ordinances That Require Disposal Of Trash At A Designated Facility Violate The Dormant Commerce Clause., Laura Gabrysch

St. Mary's Law Journal

In C & A Carbone, Inc. v. Town of Clarkstown, the Court held flow control ordinances that require disposal of trash at a designated facility violate the Dormant Commerce Clause. In the absence of congressional action, the Court has recognized—the Dormant Commerce Clause—restrictions on states’ ability to regulate interstate commerce. The Dormant Commerce Clause doctrine does not emanate directly from the Constitution, but instead flows from the body of Commerce Clause jurisprudence that has gained legitimacy throughout the years. In Carbone, the Court elevated the economic interests of one local waste processor over Clarkstown’s environmental and public protection. This type …


International Law Of Trade Preferences: Emanations From The European Union And The United States., Kele Onyejekwe Jan 1995

International Law Of Trade Preferences: Emanations From The European Union And The United States., Kele Onyejekwe

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article posits that the increase of tariff arrangements, like the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), is evidence of the “hardening” of a body of international trade-preference law. It contends that the law of trade preferences is widely practiced in international affairs and the developed nations which terminate all trade preferences for developing countries most likely engage in illegal conduct under international law. Classical international law principally consisted of the law between nations and an international law of trade preferences in any form was unthinkable. Thus, neither international cooperation nor a duty for developed countries to assist developing countries is …


A Settlement Offer Above Policy Limits Does Not Trigger An Insurer's Stowers Duty To Act Reasonably., James Martin Truss Jan 1995

A Settlement Offer Above Policy Limits Does Not Trigger An Insurer's Stowers Duty To Act Reasonably., James Martin Truss

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


Foreigners On Texas's Death Row And The Right Of Access To A Consul Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas., S. Adele Shank, John Quigley Jan 1995

Foreigners On Texas's Death Row And The Right Of Access To A Consul Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas., S. Adele Shank, John Quigley

St. Mary's Law Journal

Foreign nationals arrested in the United States confront the disadvantage of mounting a criminal defense in several ways. In most cases, they are unfamiliar with U.S. customs, police policies, and criminal proceedings. Although U.S. courts strive to prevent bias against accused based on alienage, discrimination does occur. To minimize the disadvantages experienced by accused foreigners, international law guarantees the right of consular access. Under internationally accepted norms applicable in the United States, an accused foreigner is entitled to contact his home-state consult office for assistance. Furthermore, mere involvement of a consul may encourage local government to follow procedural norms and …


Towards Equal Opportunity In Canada: New Approaches, Mixed Results Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas - Commentary., John Hucker Jan 1995

Towards Equal Opportunity In Canada: New Approaches, Mixed Results Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas - Commentary., John Hucker

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


The Women's Convention And The Equal Protection Clause Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas., Michael J. Corbera Jan 1995

The Women's Convention And The Equal Protection Clause Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas., Michael J. Corbera

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article addresses whether the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Women’s Convention) violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Because international treaties such as the Women’s Convention carry the same weight and are subject to the same treatment as U.S. federal law, the constitutionality of the Convention is dictated by U.S. jurisprudence. Part II of this Article outlines and discusses the origin and content of the Women’s Convention. Part III contains a historical review of gender jurisprudence in the United States, with particular emphasis on …


The Spoliation Tort: An Approach To Underlying Principles., Steffen Nolte Jan 1995

The Spoliation Tort: An Approach To Underlying Principles., Steffen Nolte

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


J.E.B. V. Alabama Ex Rel. T.B.: Excellent Ideology, Ineffective Implementation., Nancy J. Cutler Jan 1995

J.E.B. V. Alabama Ex Rel. T.B.: Excellent Ideology, Ineffective Implementation., Nancy J. Cutler

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


The Size Of A Government Body Is Not Subject To A Vote Dilution Challenge Under Section 2 Of The Voting Rights Act Of 1965., Peter J. Beverage Jan 1995

The Size Of A Government Body Is Not Subject To A Vote Dilution Challenge Under Section 2 Of The Voting Rights Act Of 1965., Peter J. Beverage

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Holder v. Hall, the Court held the size of a government body is not subject to a vote dilution challenge under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Act consists of two primary components, Sections 2 and 5, designed to eliminate and prevent subtle voting practices and procedures utilized to obstruct minority voter participation. Section 5 requires states with a history of discriminatory voting practices to obtain federal preclearance before changing a voting standard, practice, or procedure. Section 2 addresses the existing methods utilized to deny or abridge a citizen’s right to vote.  In Holder, the …


Private Plaintiffs May Not Maintain Aiding And Abetting Suits Under Securities Exchange Act Section 10(B) And Securities And Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5., Ginger E. Margolin Jan 1995

Private Plaintiffs May Not Maintain Aiding And Abetting Suits Under Securities Exchange Act Section 10(B) And Securities And Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5., Ginger E. Margolin

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Central Bank v. First Interstate Bank, the United States Supreme Court held that private plaintiffs may not maintain aiding and abetting suits under Securities Exchange Act Section 10(b) and Security and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-5. The Court views Section 10(b) of the 1934 Act as a “catchall antifraud provision” that makes the use of “any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance” in contravention of the provision a violation of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules if such acts occur during the purchase or sale of securities. Rule 10b-5 is substantially the same as Section 10(b). However, neither Section 10(b) …


Trying To Make Ends Meet: Reconciling The Law And Practice Of Human Rights Amnesties Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas - Commentary., Robert O. Weiner Jan 1995

Trying To Make Ends Meet: Reconciling The Law And Practice Of Human Rights Amnesties Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas - Commentary., Robert O. Weiner

St. Mary's Law Journal

The problem of amnesty for widespread human rights violations in the Americas illustrates the credibility gap in public international law. This Commentary reviews applicable standards and attempts to identify a minimum state response to past human rights violations. It also examines the question of amnesties, offers certain legal interpretations, and presents some criteria for an amnesty framework which might be reconcilable with the state’s international obligations. This Commentary’s aim is not to suggest amnesties are a proper response to the problem of past human rights abuses, however, it does acknowledge amnesties have so far been the most common response. It …


In Re Oluloro: Risk Of Female Genital Mutilation As Extreme Hardship In Immigration Proceedings Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas - Recent Development., Patricia Dysart Rudloff Jan 1995

In Re Oluloro: Risk Of Female Genital Mutilation As Extreme Hardship In Immigration Proceedings Symposium - Human Rights In The Americas - Recent Development., Patricia Dysart Rudloff

St. Mary's Law Journal

On March 23, 1994, in In re Oluloro, Immigration Judge Kendall Warren’s decision indicated the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) should consider human rights abuses directed at women. The overriding concern was the possibility that two young U.S. girls would suffer female genital mutilation (FGM) if the INS deported their mother to Nigeria. In reaching the decision to suspend the mother’s deportation, Judge Warren condemned FGM as “cruel and serv[ing] no known medical purpose.” Judge Warren ruled the practice presented an extreme hardship for the girls. Unfortunately, the court’s ruling has no precedential value because the INS did …


Robert Wilburn Calvert, The Prudentialist In Memoriam., L. Wayne Scott Jan 1995

Robert Wilburn Calvert, The Prudentialist In Memoriam., L. Wayne Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


Chief Justice Calvert: Simple Rules Made Him Great In Memoriam., Jack Pope Jan 1995

Chief Justice Calvert: Simple Rules Made Him Great In Memoriam., Jack Pope

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.


Appellate Review Of Criminal Cases In Texas - Foreword Foreword., Charles F. Baird Jan 1995

Appellate Review Of Criminal Cases In Texas - Foreword Foreword., Charles F. Baird

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.