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Full-Text Articles in Law
The Hunter Doctrine: An Equal Protection Theory That Threatens Democracy, Robert H. Beinfield
The Hunter Doctrine: An Equal Protection Theory That Threatens Democracy, Robert H. Beinfield
Vanderbilt Law Review
Referenda effect basic constitutional objectives by allowing individuals to participate equally in the governing process. The Supreme Court recently relied on the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment' to invalidate a referendum procedure in Washington v. Seattle School District No. 1. A state initiative,which received support from a majority of the voting electorate,effectively forbade local school boards from implementing mandatory student reassignment programs aimed at eliminating de facto racial imbalance in state schools unless the electorate approved the proposed program. In finding an equal protection violation, the Court for the first time relied on a doctrine that it developed …
Federal Court Reform Of State Criminal Justice Systems: A Reassessment Of The Younger Doctrine From A Modern Perspective, Donald H. Zeigler
Federal Court Reform Of State Criminal Justice Systems: A Reassessment Of The Younger Doctrine From A Modern Perspective, Donald H. Zeigler
Articles & Chapters
The Supreme Court in its 1971 decision of Younger v. Harris prohibited federal court intervention in pending state criminal proceedings in the absence of special circumstances. This Article examines the Younger doctrine from a modern perspective and argues for its abolition. The Article shows that abstention in cases seeking reform of state criminal justice systems is inconsistent with federal court activism in other areas. It argues that state judges are not entitled to greater deference by federal courts than other state officials. It then explains why federal injunctive relief is essential to achieve systemic reform of state criminal justice. Finally, …