Law Commons^™

One Civil Libertarian Among Many: The Case Of Mr. Justice Goldberg, Ira H. Carmen

Michigan Law Review

It is common knowledge that in recent times the constitutional issues of greatest magnitude and of greatest public interest lie in the area of civil liberties. These cases almost always call for the delicate balancing of the rights of the individual, allegedly protected by a specific clause in the Constitution, and the duties that state or federal authority can exact from citizens in order that society may maintain a minimum standard of peace and security. It follows, therefore, that it is these often dramatic decisions which will largely color the images we have of participating Justices. Assume a free speech …

Habeas Corpus--Custody And Release From Custody Requirements Of Habeas Corpus--Viability Of Mcnally V. Hill In The Moden Context, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Section 2241 of Title 28 of the United States Code requires that a petitioner for a writ of habeas corpus be "in custody." As a corollary of the "custody" requirement, the common law tradition required that the effect of the writ must be the petitioner's "release from custody.'' Because the United States Constitution and the federal habeas corpus statutes guarantee the availability of the writ in general terms, it is to the common law that the courts have consistently turned for the definition of these terms and for the restrictive effect of these requirements on the availability of the writ …

The Longshoremen's And Harbor Workers' Compensation Act Of 1927: Half-Way Protection For The Stevedore And The Longshoreman, Robert E. Gilbert

Michigan Law Review

The law relating to longshoremen's remedies abounds with surprising anomalies, hyper-technical distinctions, and bits and pieces of judicial legislation. This situation stems largely from deficiencies in the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act of 1927, an inherently inadequate statute greatly distorted by recent judicial interpretation. This Comment undertakes an examination of the act's most salient shortcomings with a view to suggesting possible guidelines for what is believed to be necessary corrective legislation.

Divestiture Of Illegally Held Assets: Observations On Its Scope, Objective, And Limitations, William T. Kerr

Michigan Law Review

"Divestiture has been called the most important of antitrust remedies. It is simple, relatively easy to administer, and sure." This observation was made with reference to an order requiring divestiture of illegally held stock. In the context of the divestiture of illegally held assets, however, the statement is an oversimplification of myriad complex problems. This Comment will examine the difficulties encountered in eliminating the anticompetitive effects of a fully consummated merger found to have violated section 7 of the Clayton Act. No attempt will be made to assess the substantive doctrine upon which the violation in any instance was based, …

The Relative Priority Of Small Business Administration Liens: An Unreasonable Extension Of Federal Preference?, Ronald L. Olson

Michigan Law Review

During the past three decades, the priority of the federal government as against state and private creditors competing for the assets of debtors has been greatly strengthened. In terms of relative growth, the expansion of federal priority has been comparable to the increased commercial involvement of the United States. In more recent years, Congress and the judiciary have recognized that this increased governmental commercial activity necessitates a restriction in sovereign prerogatives. However, contrary to this general trend toward the contraction of sovereign prerogatives and for reasons appearing unsatisfactory to most commentators, the "sovereign prerogative" of priority to the assets of …

Federal Trade Commission Proceedings And Section 5 Of The Clayton Act: Application And Implications, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Although the primary responsibility for the enforcement of the antitrust laws falls upon governmental agencies, Congress has recognized the effectiveness of the private suit for damages as a deterrent and has sought to encourage such actions by providing for the recovery of treble damages by an injured party. To assist the private litigant, whose problem of proof is formidable, Congress enacted section 5(a) of the Clayton Act, which allows the introduction, as prima facie evidence of an antitrust violation, of a prior judgment or decree obtained by the Government. As a further aid to private litigants, section 5(b) provides for …

Antitrust And The Consumer Interest, Kenneth S. Carlston, James M. Treece

Michigan Law Review

Public control of business in the United States has proceeded, in most sectors of the economy, on the assumption that free, open competition in the market should be the primary regulator. It is felt that consumer welfare will be maximized by such an organization of the economy. Courts, governmental agencies, and, to a certain extent, private agencies have performed the role of ensuring that free markets are not displaced by other, less desirable alternatives.

Linkletter, Shott, And The Retroactivity Problem In Escobedo, J. Alan Galbraith

Michigan Law Review

Prior to the 1964 Supreme Court Term, decisions promulgating new constitutional rules were applied retroactively as a matter of course to final convictions. While dissents occasionally criticized the Court's failure to discuss the retroactive impact of a new constitutional rule, the potential effect upon final convictions of any single rule was not sufficiently acute to justify a departure from the normal grant of retroactivity. But the Court's decision in Mapp v. Ohio; which abruptly overturned Wolf v. Colorado and brought into doubt final state convictions resting upon illegally seized evidence admitted in reliance upon Wolf, caused courts and …

The Unanswered Questions Of American Ship, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The National Labor Relations Act does not specifically prohibit an employer from temporarily locking out his employees during collective bargaining negotiations. For many years, nevertheless, only lockouts used solely to avoid substantial economic loss as a result of union action-so-called "defensive" lockouts-were allowed. However, the emphasis which Congress placed on equality of bargaining pressure in enacting the Taft-Hartley amendments to the NLRA has caused a change in this judicial attitude. Although a few courts have gone so far as to suggest that the lockout should be as freely available as the strike, the United States Supreme Court has been more …

The Equal Protection Clause And Imprisonment Of The Indigent For Nonpayment Of Fines, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The practice of imprisonment for failure to pay a fine levied for a criminal violation originated in twelfth-century England; its subsequent unanimous acceptance in the United States is manifested in the provisions in the statutes of every state and of the federal government authorizing imprisonment for nonpayment of fines. A few states not only commit the defendant to jail for nonpayment of the fine, but impose hard labor as well. Some states, however, have mitigated to a degree the harshness of the practice. For example, Arizona restricts the total period of confinement for the crime and the default of the …

The Maritime Boundaries Of The States, Avrum M. Gross

Michigan Law Review

It has long been recognized that the boundaries of coastal states encompass certain adjoining maritime areas. The settled existence of those boundaries, however, stands in marked contrast to the confusion which has surrounded their location. The geographic extent of the waters to which state jurisdiction extends has remained largely undetermined.

The recent development of refined methods for extracting minerals from offshore areas has translated questions of state jurisdiction into issues of substantial economic significance. In this regard, an increasing number of disputes have arisen between the states and the federal government, primarily over rights to offshore oil deposits. The …

Discrimination In The Hiring And Assignment Of Teachers In Public School Systems, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

In the Brown v. Board of Education decisions of 1954 and 1955, the United States Supreme Court made it clear that separate public school facilities for pupils of different races are inherently unequal and constitute a denial of the equal protection of the laws. While it was not altogether clear from the language of the opinions whether segregated faculties in public schools are also unconstitutional, subsequent lower court decisions have held that racial discrimination in the selection and assignment of teachers is forbidden.

Bootstraps And Capital Gain--A Participant's View Of Commissioner V. Clay Brown, William H. Kinsey

Michigan Law Review

A closely held corporation may be sold in a variety of ways. At one end of the spectrum is an all-cash sale. In such a transaction, the seller receives the purchase price and has no further concern with the economic well-being of the business. The difficulty with this method, of course, is finding a purchaser with sufficient cash who is willing to pay a fair price.

At the other end of the spectrum is a full-fledged bootstrap sale, where there is no down payment other than from the underlying assets of the sold corporation, and the purchaser's obligation to pay …

Conditioning Of Relief From Unenforceable Judgment Upon Showing Of Meritorious Defense To Claim Upon Which It Was Entered Can Deny Due Process Of Law--Armstrong V. Manzo, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

When petitioner and his wife were divorced in 1959 she received custody of their minor daughter, and he was ordered to contribute fifty dollars per month toward the child's support. The wife remarried and, two years after the divorce, joined in proceedings initiated by her new husband in a Texas court to adopt the child. The adoption petition alleged that, during the two-year period, petitioner had failed to support the child in a manner commensurate with his ability. Under Texas law, proof of such a charge against a natural father makes his consent to the adoption of his child unnecessary. …

"Primarily For Sale" In I.R.C Sections 1221 And 1231 Held To Mean "Principally For Sale" Rather Than "Substantially For Sale" --Malat V. Riddell (U.S. 1966), Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Sections 1221 and 1231 of the Internal Revenue Code disqualify from capital gains treatment profits derived from the sale or exchange of property "held by the taxpayer primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of his trade or business." In deciding whether these sections deny capital gains treatment to profits realized by real estate dealers from the sale or exchange of land, the circuit courts, while examining similar facts in relation to the same criteria, have reached divergent conclusions. Two recent decisions, Municipal Bond Corp. v. Commissioner and Malat v. Riddell, illustrate these discordant results. In Municipal …

Eleventh Amendment, Judicial Code, And Federal Rules Of Civil Procedure Restrict Ability Of United States To Implead A State In Connection With Suit Commenced By A Private Citizen--Parks V. United States, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Suit was brought by an individual against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act to recover compensation for property damage alleged to have been caused by the Government's negligence in constructing and maintaining the physical components\ of a flood-control project in New York. Relying upon New York's promise to hold the United States harmless on any liability arising from damage of this nature, the Government impleaded the state. On a motion before the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York to dismiss the state as a third-party defendant, held, motion granted. The Federal …

Identification Of Property Subject To The Federal Estate Tax, Charles L.B. Lowndes, Richard B. Stephens

Michigan Law Review

Although the federal estate tax is imposed on the "transfer" of property, the amount of the levy is a specified percentage of the taxable estate. Correct computation of the tax depends, therefore, upon accurate identification of the property included in the taxable estate. However, the determination and application of the rules governing identification are relatively uncharted areas.

Foster Parents Versus Agencies: A Case Study In The Judicial Application Of "The Best Interests Of The Child" Doctrine, Sanford N. Katz

Michigan Law Review

A recurring problem which courts face is the need to resolve the conflict which arises when foster parents challenge the decision of agencies that have disqualified these persons from continuing their relationship with or adopting their foster child. This article will explore the role of courts in resolving these disputes and will suggest some criteria by which the courts may be guided in deciding such questions.

Labor Law--Nlrb Refuses To Apply Related Work Doctrine To Construction Site Picketing--Building And Construction Trades Council (Markwell & Hartz), Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The New Orleans Building and Construction Trades Council, an association of craft unions, was engaged in a labor dispute with Markwell & Hartz, the general contractor on a construction project. In support of its dispute with the general contractor (primary employer), the Council picketed all gates leading to the job site, although some gates had been specifically reserved for the exclusive use of those subcontractors (secondary employers) with whom the union had no dispute. Employees of the subcontractors refused to cross the picket line to perform work pursuant to their employers' contracts with the general contractor. Markwell & Hartz filed …

Labor Law-State Court Jurisdiction Over Employee's Damage Action Against Union For Failure To Process Fully Grievance Is Not Pre-Empted By The Nlrb-Sipes V. Vaca, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, discharged by his employer on the ground that he was no longer physically able to work, enlisted the aid of his union to contest the dismissal. Under the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the union and the employer, the union was to seek redress of employee complaints by means of a five step grievance procedure, with arbitration as the final step. The union processed plaintiff's grievance without success through the first four steps of the procedure, but refused to take the issue to the arbitral level. Plaintiff brought suit against the union in a Missouri county circuit …

Labor Law-Nrab Awards In Work Assignment Disputes Are Unenforceable Unless The Board Has Considered The Interest Of The Competing Union-Order Of R.R. Telegraphers V. Union Pac. R.R., Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

The Order of Railroad Telegraphers filed a complaint with the National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB), alleging that the Union Pacific Railroad had violated its collective bargaining agreement with the union by assigning work covered by that agreement to members of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks. The Telegraphers sought damages in the form of back pay, but did not demand job reinstatement. Notice of the Telegrapher's claim was served on the Clerks who declined to appear before the Board since they viewed the dispute as one which involved only an interpretation of the contract between the Telegraphers and the …

Ftc V. Jantzen: Blessing, Disaster, Or Tempest In A Teapot?, Thomas E. Kauper

Michigan Law Review

The court concluded that the Finality Act, by repealing the existing provisions for judicial enforcement proceedings in the courts of appeals, deprived it of jurisdiction to act upon the FTC's petition. It also approved earlier decisions holding that the Finality Act procedures were not applicable to orders issued prior to the act's effective date. These two rulings, in combination, indicate that there is no enforcement machinery now applicable to orders issued under the Clayton Act prior to July 23, 1959.

The question remains, however, whether enforcement of the Clayton Act has really been hampered, and, if so, whether the pre- …

Legal History In The High Court--Habeas Corpus, Dallin H. Oaks

Michigan Law Review

Ever since Chief Justice Marshall declared that courts could resort to the common law to determine what Congress meant by the term "habeas corpus" in a federal statute, the history of this venerable remedy has played an important role in the Supreme Court. Over the years, however, courts have moved away from using the writ of habeas corpus for its historic functions of eliciting the cause of commitment and compelling adherence to prescribed procedures in advance of trial until today it has become primarily a means by which one court of general jurisdiction exercises post-conviction review over the judgment of …

An Ex Parte Order May Not Serve The Function Of A Search Warrant Under The Fourth Amendment To Authorize A Physical Intrusion In Connection With A "Search" For Conversations--People V. Grossman, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

There was probable cause to believe that defendant Scandifia was implicated in a larceny of jewelry by false pretenses. Pursuant to section 813-a of the New York Code of Criminal Procedure, the Supreme Court in New York County issued an ex parte order authorizing the installation of an eavesdropping device in a service station owned by Scandifia. Shortly thereafter, police broke into the station's private office and installed a microphone. Conversations were overheard which indicated that defendant Grossman had in his possession two pistols received from Scandifia. An affidavit setting forth these conversations supplied the sole probable cause for a …

Authorization Of Involuntary Blood Transfusion For Adult Jehovah's Witness Held Unconstitutional--In Re Brooks' Estate, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Despite serious illness, plaintiff requested, in accordance with her religious beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness, that blood transfusions not be administered to her. Upon the request of her physician and several assistant state's attorneys, a court-appointed guardian was authorized to consent to a blood transfusion for the plaintiff, and a transfusion was administered. On appeal of the court's action to the Supreme Court of Illinois, held, order reversed. The authorization of a blood transfusion for an adult Jehovah's Witness who has only adult children is an unconstitutional interference with the patient's right to the free exercise of her religion.