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Full-Text Articles in Law
Justice Scalia’S Originalism And Formalism: The Rule Of Criminal Law As A Law Of Rules, Stephanos Bibas
Justice Scalia’S Originalism And Formalism: The Rule Of Criminal Law As A Law Of Rules, Stephanos Bibas
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Far too many reporters and pundits collapse law into politics, assuming that the left–right divide between Democratic and Republican appointees neatly explains politically liberal versus politically conservative outcomes at the Supreme Court. The late Justice Antonin Scalia defied such caricatures. His consistent judicial philosophy made him the leading exponent of originalism, textualism, and formalism in American law, and over the course of his three decades on the Court, he changed the terms of judicial debate. Now, as a result, supporters and critics alike start with the plain meaning of the statutory or constitutional text rather than loose appeals to legislative …
The Virtues Of Uncertainty In Law: An Experimental Approach, Tom Baker, Alon Harel, Tamar Kugler
The Virtues Of Uncertainty In Law: An Experimental Approach, Tom Baker, Alon Harel, Tamar Kugler
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Predictability in civil and criminal sanctions is generally understood as desirable. Conversely, unpredictability is condemned as a violation of the rule of law. This paper explores predictability in sanctioning from the point of view of efficiency. It is argued that, given a constant expected sanction, deterrence is increased when either the size of the sanction or the probability that it will be imposed is uncertain. This conclusion follows from earlier findings in behavioral decision research and the results of an experiment conducted specifically to examine this hypothesis. The findings suggest that, within an efficiency framework, there are virtues to uncertainty …
Before And After: Temporal Anomalies In Legal Doctrine, Leo Katz
Before And After: Temporal Anomalies In Legal Doctrine, Leo Katz
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Legal doctrine exhibits some striking temporal anomalies, previously not much adverted to. Wrongdoing looked at before it has occurred, and after is has occurred, is apt to look very different. I take up the two key components of wrongdoing seriatim, the harm-portion and the misconduct-portion: the "damage" part and the "liability" part. We tend to look at harm in a harm-agnifying way before it has occurred, and in a harm-inimizing way afterwards. We thus tend to think about negligence and the harm it wreaks in seemingly inconsistent ways. I examine and reject some possible explanations of this. Misconduct too looks …
The Inefficiency Of Mens Rea, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
The Inefficiency Of Mens Rea, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
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No abstract provided.
Why The Successful Assassin Is More Wicked Than The Unseccessful One, Leo Katz
Why The Successful Assassin Is More Wicked Than The Unseccessful One, Leo Katz
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No abstract provided.
Positivism And The Notion Of An Offense, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
Positivism And The Notion Of An Offense, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
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While the United States Supreme Court has developed an elaborate constitutional jurisprudence of criminal procedure, it has articulated few constitutional doctrines of the substantive criminal law. The asymmetry between substance and procedure seems natural given the demise of Lochner and the minimalist stance towards due process outside the area of fundamental rights. This Article, however, argues that the "positivistic" approach to defining criminal offenses stands in some tension with other basic principles, both constitutional and moral. In particular, two important constitutional guarantees depend on the notion of an offense: the presumption of innocence and the ban on double jeopardy. Under …
When The Rule Swallows The Exception, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
When The Rule Swallows The Exception, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
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No abstract provided.
Threats And Preemptive Practices, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
Threats And Preemptive Practices, Claire Oakes Finkelstein
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No abstract provided.
Crazy Reasons, Stephen J. Morse
Justice, Mercy, And Craziness, Stephen J. Morse
Justice, Mercy, And Craziness, Stephen J. Morse
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No abstract provided.
Imputed Criminal Liability, Paul H. Robinson
Imputed Criminal Liability, Paul H. Robinson
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Typically, the set of elements defining a crime comprise what may be called the paradigm of liability for that offense: An actor is criminally liable if and only if the state proves all these elements. The paradigm of an offense, however, does not always determine criminal liability. Even where all the elements of the paradigm are proven, rules and doctrines create exceptions that affect criminal liability. Some exceptions, such as insanity, duress, and law enforcement authority, can exculpate an actor even though his conduct and state of mind satisfy the paradigm for the offense charged. Such exculpating exceptions are grouped …
The Twilight Of Welfare Criminology, Stephen J. Morse
The Twilight Of Welfare Criminology, Stephen J. Morse
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No abstract provided.
The Twilight Of Welfare Criminology: A Final Word, Stephen J. Morse
The Twilight Of Welfare Criminology: A Final Word, Stephen J. Morse
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No abstract provided.