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Full-Text Articles in Law
The True Legacy Of Atkins And Roper: The Unreliability Principle, Mentally Ill Defendants, And The Death Penalty’S Unraveling, Scott E. Sundby
The True Legacy Of Atkins And Roper: The Unreliability Principle, Mentally Ill Defendants, And The Death Penalty’S Unraveling, Scott E. Sundby
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
In striking down the death penalty for intellectually disabled and juvenile defendants, Atkins v. Virginia and Roper v. Simmons have been understandably heralded as important holdings under the Court’s Eighth Amendment jurisprudence that has found the death penalty “disproportional” for certain types of defendants and crimes. This Article argues, however, that the cases have a far more revolutionary reach than their conventional understanding. In both cases the Court went one step beyond its usual two-step analysis of assessing whether imposing the death penalty violated “evolving standards of decency.” This extra step looked at why even though intellectual disability and youth …
Cleaning Up The Eighth Amendment Mess, Tom Stacy
Cleaning Up The Eighth Amendment Mess, Tom Stacy
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
This article criticizes the Court's interpretation of the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause and offers its own understanding. The Court's jurisprudence is plagued by deep inconsistencies concerning the Amendment's text, the Court's own role, and a constitutional requirement of proportionate punishment. In search of ways to redress these fundamental shortcomings, the article explores three alternative interpretations of the Clause: (1) a textualist approach; (2) Justice Scalia's understanding that the Clause forbids only punishments unacceptable for all offenses; and (3) a majoritarian approach that would consistently define cruel and unusual punishment in terms of legislative judgments and penal custom. …
From Breard To Atkins To Malvo: Legal Incompetency And Human Rights Norms On The Fringes Of The Death Penalty, Linda A. Malone
From Breard To Atkins To Malvo: Legal Incompetency And Human Rights Norms On The Fringes Of The Death Penalty, Linda A. Malone
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
No abstract provided.
Confidentiality And Juvenile Mental Health Records In Dependency Proceedings, David R. Katner
Confidentiality And Juvenile Mental Health Records In Dependency Proceedings, David R. Katner
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
Providing children's disclosures to their mental health therapists greater protection in juvenile dependency cases recognizes the importance of privacy in therapeutic communications. Numerous children are required by juvenile courts to divulge the most intimate details of their lives to mental health experts only to have those disclosures revealed in court proceedings. Reversing the presumption that children's mental health records may be discussed openly in dependency litigation and requiring courts to perform in camera reviews affords children the dignity and respect adults take for granted. Ensuring greater confidentiality for children's mental health records is one step the legal system should take …
Access Denied: Incarcerated Juveniles And Their Right Of Access To Courts, Amy E. Webbink
Access Denied: Incarcerated Juveniles And Their Right Of Access To Courts, Amy E. Webbink
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal
In the current flux of an increasingly punitive juvenile justice system, one of the system's great injustices receives little attention. Unconstitutional conditions of confinement for juveniles do not receive appropriate legal exposure. Challenges to these conditions are more difficult in light of the Supreme Court's recent restriction of a prisoner's right of access to the courts. This Note will analyze why a different standard of "meaningful access" is necessary to protect juveniles.