Civil Law Commons^™

How The Antidiscrimination Law Of Commercial Transactions Really Works, Helen Norton

Seattle University Law Review

A variety of businesses now cite 303 Creative when seeking First Amendment protection for their refusal to serve certain customers based on those customers’ protected class status. How this litigation will play out remains to be seen. But future courts need not, and should not, repeat the 303 Creative Court’s misunderstanding of how the antidiscrimination law of commercial transactions actually works.

Part I of this Essay explains the Court’s longstanding understanding of the antidiscrimination law of commercial transactions, and then describes the Court’s failure to engage with this precedent in 303 Creative. Part II then identifies the 303 Creative decision’s …

Understanding The Big Three’S Wavering Support Of Environmental And Social Shareholder Proposals, Jeff Schwartz, Jefferson Jensen

Seattle University Law Review

Because of their substantial equity portfolios, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street (the Big 3) are central players in corporate governance. It is, therefore, critical to understand how they vote. One puzzle is that their support for shareholder proposals on environmental and social matters appears to waiver. In 2020, for instance, BlackRock supported 11.1% of environmental proposals at S&P 500 firms. In 2021, it seemingly reversed course, supporting 55.2%. It then flipped again, supporting 32.1% in 2022. Such statistics suggest that the Big 3 are constantly changing their views on these topics. This Article seeks to better understand whether this is …

Volume 48 Masthead, Seattle University Law Review

Seattle University Law Review

Volume 48 Masthead

The Private Cause Of Action Under Maine's Unfair Trade Practices Act, Steven A. Shaw

Maine Law Review

In 1970 the Maine Legislature passed the Unfair Trade Practices Act (UTPA) which declared unlawful any "unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce . . . ." UTPA-type statutes, now common to all states, offer several advantages. The statutes provide for a statutory award of attorneys' fees, create a private cause of action which is simple in comparison to analogous common law claims, and offer a flexible concept of unlawful conduct which many courts have shown a willingness to interpret broadly and sympathetically. Although Maine's UTPA was originally …

Hospital Accountability In Health Care Delivery, C. Elisabeth Belmont

Maine Law Review

In recent years, the role of community hospitals in health care delivery has undergone a dramatic change. Until the latter half of the twentieth century, a hospital was merely a "doctor's workshop," providing physicians with the physical facilities, equipment, and personnel necessary to treat their private patients. Due to progressive medical technology, today's hospital has moved from a passive role in patient care to more active participation in the delivery of total health care. The hospital has become a health care provider in its own right, furnishing a broad range of diagnostic and outpatient services, home care assistance, and specialized …

In Defense Of Civil Juries, Peter W. Culley

Maine Law Review

Criticism of the civil jury system is nothing new. In fact, virtually since its inception the civil jury has been embroiled in controversy. Typically critics argue that: the jury cannot handle the complex or technical case; there is great expense and delay attendant to trial by jury; jury adjudication is of low quality; verdicts rendered by different juries in cases involving similar facts often appear inconsistent. Recently, Justice Donald Alexander of the Maine Superior Court stated that "[t]he civil jury system has outlived its usefulness." In support of his basic premise that the civil jury system is merely an historical …

The Vitality Of The Doctrine Of Punitive Damages In Maine, Kevin F. Gordon

Maine Law Review

On four separate occasions between December 1981 and February 1982, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court called into question the continued vitality of the common law doctrine of punitive damages. The substantive propriety of punitive damages was not challenged by any of the defendants in those four cases. As a result, the Law Court assumed for the purposes of each opinion that punitive damages could be awarded by a court "in some instances without explicit statutory authorization." Nevertheless, in a footnote to Braley v. Berkshire Mutual Insurance Co., the court challenged this assumption. Noting that the doctrine of punitive damages initially …

Constitutional Issues Raised By The Civil-Criminal Dichotomy Of The Maine Oui Law, Bruce W. Smith

Maine Law Review

Moving to the forefront of a national trend, the Maine Legislature undertook a thorough reform of its operating under the influence (OUI) law in 1981. The new statute was billed "the toughest in the nation," largely because of a provision for mandatory prison sentences. The statute's most radical provision is not the mandatory prison term, however, but a section which gives prosecutors the option to treat less egregious first offenses as civil infractions rather than crimes. The section generates the broad issue addressed by this Comment: may trial by jury and other constitutional protections formerly afforded OUI defendants be denied …

Who Should Recover For Loss Of Consortium?, Martin S. Amick

Maine Law Review

For more than three centuries courts have recognized a husband's right, where a tortious injury to his wife detrimentally affects the spousal relationship, to recover damages for loss of consortium. For many years the prevailing view was that a wife had no corresponding right to bring a similar action in response to a tortious injury to her husband. Most jurisdictions, however, now allow both the husband and the wife to recover for loss of "spousal" consortium. The right to recover for loss of consortium was extended to the wife largely because modern courts recognized that it was inconsistent and unjustifiably …

Stacked Recovery Under Maine's Uninsured Motorists Statute: Connolly V. Royal Globe Insurance Company, Edward R. Benjamin Jr.

Maine Law Review

Foremost among the problems of automobile travel facing state legislatures may be that of ensuring adequate compensation for injuries and deaths suffered in traffic accidents. Frequently an injured party wins an award of damages against a negligent motorist, only to find the negligent party unable to meet the financial burden which the judgment imposes. The injured party, though innocent of any wrongdoing, may receive little or no compensation for injuries suffered. State legislatures have attempted to prevent such situations by enacting mandatory liability insurance laws, creating victim compensation funds, or requiring uninsured motorist coverage. Inherent weaknesses exist, however, in both …

Hanover Insurance Co. V. Hayward: Imposition Of Punitive Damages In Addition To Criminal Sanctions, David P. Silk

Maine Law Review

In Hanover Insurance Co. v. Hayward, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, sitting as the Law Court, addressed the issue whether punitive damages may be awarded against a defendant who has been criminally convicted for the conduct giving rise to the punitive damages claim. Although it affirmed the superior court's decision not to allow the award of punitive damages, the Law Court concluded that the imposition of criminal sanctions did not by itself bar punitive damages. Instead, the court indicated that criminal punishment is merely one factor to consider in determining whether an award of punitive damages would serve a meaningful …

The Federal Civil Rules After Half A Century, Maurice Rosenberg

Maine Law Review

The name Gignoux is not exactly a household word among the lay citizens of this country and would not qualify as one even if we count all the varied pronunciations people choose to accord it. Indeed, there are probably quite a few members of the bar who do not recognize the name or know anything about its bearer's works. That is their loss. Edward T. Gignoux has been doing so much for the betterment of justice in this country in so many ways and for so many years that he has clearly earned a place of high honor in the …

Ouellette V. Sturm, Ruger & Co. And Jones V. North American Aerodynamics: The Effectiveness Of Maine's Borrowing Statute In Cases Involving Corporations, J. Gordon Scannell Jr.

Maine Law Review

Maine's borrowing statute provides that a person may not bring an action in Maine that has been barred by the laws of another jurisdiction wherein all parties resided. In effect, the statute permits "borrowing" the limitation period of the other jurisdiction. In Ouellette v. Sturm, Ruger & Co., the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, sitting as the Law Court, interpreted the residency requirement of the borrowing statute as it relates to a corporation and held that for purposes of the statute a corporation is a resident of only the state in which it is incorporated. Because of the peculiar wording of …

United States Ex Rel. Arrow Electronics, Inc. V. G.H. Coffey Co.: Judicial Interpretation Of Timely Notice Under Federal Rule Of Civil Procedure 15(C), Brett Dwight Baber

Maine Law Review

In 1966, the United States Supreme Court amended Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(c) to eliminate lower court confusion regarding "relation back" of pleading amendments which sought to change the party against whom the claim was asserted. The Rule, as presently formulated, permits a plaintiff to add or change a party defendant after the statute of limitations has run provided that . . . . While the current Rule is more precise than the pre-1966 Rule in defining when "relation back" is permissible, it has not eliminated the sharp divergence among judicial opinion regarding the proper application of the Rule. …

Restraining The Prosecutor: Restrictions On Threatening Prosecution For Civil Ends, James A. Trowbridge

Maine Law Review

Prosecutors in some cases agree to dismiss criminal charges, admit a defendant to a diversion program, or enter a nolle prosequi in exchange for the defendant signing a waiver of any civil claims against law enforcement agents, governments, or private persons. The practice of a prosecutor bargaining for the release of law enforcement personnel or others from civil liability raises serious questions concerning the independence of the prosecutorial function, the relationship of prosecutors to other legal institutions, and the application of rules of professional responsibility. Generally, courts have been critical of these arrangements. The Model Code of Professional Responsibility (Code) …

Tuttle V. Raymond: Drawing The Line On Punitive Damages, Elting H. Smith

Maine Law Review

In Tuttle v. Raymond, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, sitting as the Law Court, reconsidered the appropriateness of Maine's common law doctrine of punitive damages. Under the doctrine, punitive or exemplary awards are permitted in tort actions, at the factfinder's discretion, for the purpose of deterring wrongful conduct. Prior to Tuttle, a plaintiff raised a claim for such an award if he proved by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant was guilty of intentional, wanton, malicious, reckless, or grossly negligent behavior. Because of the doctrine's uncertain justification and vague standards, however, punitive damages had become the subject of …

Beyond The Equity Power Of Bankruptcy Courts: Toxic Tort Liabilities In Chapter 11 Cases, Kaighn Smith

Maine Law Review

In 1982, three asbestos product manufacturers filed voluntary petitions for business reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The common reason for each of these filings was that tort liabilities threatened the financial survival of the corporation. Never, in the history of United States bankruptcy law, had any business sought bankruptcy relief for such a reason. By 1985, two more firms, another asbestos product manufacturer and a pharmaceutical company, filed Chapter 11 petitions for the same reason. The torts of these "debtors" in bankruptcy are similar; they extend from the manufacture and wide-spread marketing of products that …

Affirmative Judicial Case Management: A Viable Solution To The Toxic Product Litigation Crisis, Patrick Francis Harrigan

Maine Law Review

With increasing frequency, federal courts throughout the nation have confronted a multiplicity of "toxic tort" claims, claims for relief arising from chronic and latent illnesses or diseases allegedly caused by toxic substances. Toxic substances are substances whose manufacture, processing, distribution, use, or disposal presents or will present an unreasonable risk of injury to a person's health or to the environment. Because many of these unreasonable health risks are caused by consumer and industrial products, many toxic tort claims are actually "toxic product" claims. Examples of toxic product claims include those arising from the use, exposure to, or consumption of chemicals …

A Defendant's Right To Counsel In Commitment Hearings For Nonpayment Of A Criminal Fine, Barbara A. Appleby

Maine Law Review

The federal constitutional right of an indigent defendant to appointed counsel in state court proceedings derives from two constitutional provisions. First, the sixth amendment, as incorporated by the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment, provides the basis for an absolute right to counsel in criminal prosecutions leading to actual imprisonment. Second, the due process clause, as an independent source of individual rights, provides the basis for the right to counsel in civil proceedings. Both the sixth amendment and the due process rights may be implicated in a hearing for non-payment of a criminal fine. Title 17-A, section 1304 of …

Maine Civil Remedies By Andrew M. Horton & Peggy L. Mcgehee, Eric R. Herlan

Maine Law Review

If there is any ongoing dispute within the legal community that one could properly characterize as a Great Debate, that dispute concerns the nature and sources of judicial power. Most recently that debate has manifested itself in nuanced and subtle disagreements about how a court ought to interpret enacted law, whether found in statutes or written constitutions. That argument about judicial interpretation, and more precisely about the philosophical possibility of correct textual interpretations, is itself simply a more scholarly manifestation of an earlier dispute over whether judges should "legislate" when they resolve difficult legal issues, or should instead constrain themselves …

Maine Debtor-Creditor Law By Dennis M. Patterson, David J. Jones

Maine Law Review

Dennis M. Patterson, Esquire, has written a brief, practical guide to selected areas of collection practice entitled Maine Debtor-Creditor Law. Two immediate observations come to mind: first, that I plan to keep a copy of the book in my office library for future reference; second, that I am disappointed that the author omitted reference to several challenging issues that confront the attorney having a regular collection or foreclosure practice. This latter observation is both an indication of the usefulness of the book's treatment of the areas covered and a hopeful invitation to the author to expand on his subject matter …

Taxpayer Standing And The Preventive-Remedial Distinction: A Call For Reform, Alicia E. Flaherty

Maine Law Review

The Maine Law Court has observed that, "a central function of American courts [is] to protect and relieve the individual from injurious unconstitutional conduct by government officials." Apart from the political process, the judicial process is the only means through which citizens can ensure that government conforms to the law. The courts provide a forum for citizens to challenge the legality of official acts, and serve as a "means of correcting illegal practices of government officials which would otherwise be irreparable." The question of standing is a critical element of the court's task of balancing the individual's right to challenge …

In Pursuit Of The Appropriate Standard Of Liability For Defective Product Designs, Christina M. Moylan

Maine Law Review

Since the advent of strict products liability with the holding in Greenman v. Yuba Products Co. in 1963 and the promulgation of section 402A of the Restatement [Second] of Torts ("Restatement") in 1965, courts have struggled to strike an appropriate balance between competing social policies with respect to liability for defective products. On the one hand, those injured by defective products should not be burdened by the contractual intricacies of the law of sales or the onerous (virtually insurmountable in products cases) evidentiary obstacles of negligence. On the other hand, most courts agree that manufacturers and distributors should not be …

The Liv Golf V. Pga Tour Antitrust Case As A Case Study In Federal Civil Procedure, Michael J. Dube

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

This Article uses LIV Golf Inc. v. PGA Tour, Inc., a sophisticated and headline-grabbing antitrust matter, as a means of instantiating federal civil procedure concepts. The first Part of this Article addresses the unsuccessful motion for a temporary restraining order that in many ways shaped how the litigation proceeded. The second Part examines the dance that is discovery through a focus on a drawn-out dispute regarding a single interrogatory. The final Part drills down on a more novel discovery dispute that began the path towards settlement, namely whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 and related common-law doctrine …

A Study Of Civil Liability Views Of U.S. Midwestern Police, Daniel Hall, Morris Jenkins, Eric Lambert, Shanon L. Gillette, Yung Hyeock Lee

Justice, Law, and Public Safety Studies Department Faculty Conferences

In the past several years, there has been a greater social call for police officers to be civilly and/or criminally liable for their actions. It is unclear if concern for liability exists today among police officers and if this concern influences how officers interaction with community members. The current study explored the civil and criminal liability views of police officers and if officers feel that this liability changed how they provide services. Data for this survey came from a recent survey of police officers in the U.S. Midwest. The results will be presented and discussed

Towards A Legal Regulation To Withdraw Judicial Decisions In Jordanian Law, Alaa M. Alfawaeer, Ayman Al-Faouri

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

This study aims to address the deficiencies within the Jordanian legal framework on the withdrawal of final judicial decisions. The issue arises from the absence of provisions in the Jordanian Code of Civil Procedure regulating the concept of withdrawing a judicial decision, specifying its conditions, procedures, and the competent court for retracting a procedurally defective judicial decision for which the litigants are not responsible. Additionally, the law does not stipulate a legal timeframe within which a request to withdraw the judicial decision must be submitted, nor does it outline the legal consequences resulting from such a decision. By employing a …

University Of The District Of Columbia Law Review, University Of The District Of Columbia Law Review

University of the District of Columbia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Legal Basis And Procedures Unification On Oil Spill Damage Compensation In International Convention On Civil Liability For Oil Pollution Damage (1992) And The International Convention On Civil Liability For Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (2001): On Indonesian International Private Law Perspective, Cindy A. Prasasti, Kania P. Rahmadiani, Fayza N. Muthmainnah

Journal of Private International Law Studies

Oil spills into the sea have always been a major threat to the environment since the increase of oil and hazardous substances trade by sea-going vessels and seaborne craft since the 1960s. Consequently, it became necessary to ensure sufficient compensation for persons who suffer from damage caused by pollution emerging from the discharge of oil from ships. The 1969 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (Civil Liability Convention/CLC) and The 2001 International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (Bunker Convention) grant compensation for parties suffering from damages of oil pollution. Despite being established as …

Rules & Laws For Civil Actions: 2025 Ed., Stella Burch Elias, Derek T. Muller, Jason Rantanen, Caroline Sheerin, Maya Steinitz

Books

Rules and Laws for Civil Actions is an open-access resource for law students containing the U.S. Constitution, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and selected federal and state statutes. The book was created by a team of faculty members at the University of Iowa College of Law to supplement the study of Civil Procedure, Evidence, Constitutional Law, and other law school courses. In addition to containing the official text, each legal source found in Rules and Laws for Civil Actions is accompanied by an introductory section written by an Iowa Law professor …

Unintended Consequences: The New Test For Interlocutory Mandatory Injunctions, Jeff Berryman

Brooklyn Law Review

Interlocutory mandatory injunctions can be an important remedy during the pendency of a trial. With its decision in R. v. Canadian Broadcasting Corp, the Supreme Court of Canada revised its test for an interlocutory mandatory injunction, holding that it should require a higher threshold and be therefore harder to obtain than an interlocutory prohibitive injunction. This higher threshold requires that the applicant demonstrate a strong prima facie case that it will succeed at trial based on law and evidence. This change adds uncertainty to the process, ultimately complicating and adding costs to litigation.