Constitutional Law Commons^™

Sovereignty, Rebalanced: The Tea Party And Constitutional Amendments, Elizabeth Price Foley

Faculty Publications

Arguably since the Marshall Court and undoubtedly since the New Deal, the U.S. Constitution has been subverted to the point where its original meaning has been substantially lost inside a tangled knot of Supreme Court case law. Like termites eating away at the constitutional architecture, Supreme Court interpretations of provisions such as the Commerce Clause, taxing and spending power, Privileges or Immunities Clause, Ninth Amendment, Tenth Amendment, and Eleventh Amendment have so rotted them that they no longer serve the critical functions originally envisioned.

Salazar V. Buono: A Missed Opportunity To Clarify The Reasonable Observer Test, Sumahn Das

University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class

No abstract provided.

Education As A Counterterrorism Tool And The Curious Case Of The Texas School Book Resolution, Diane Webber

University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class

No abstract provided.

Conflicts Over Conflicts: Challenges In Redrafting The Aba Standards For Criminal Justice On Conflicts Of Interest, Laurie L. Levenson

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

Currently, an ABA Task Force faces the considerable challenge of redrafting the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice. Prosecutors and defense counsel need clear guidance on how to handle conflicts of interest rules. However, the initial challenge is in identifying those questions a code of ethics should answer when it comes to conflict situations. With the help of prominent lawyers, academics and judges who participated in a series of roundtables on the new ABA standards, this article identifies forty of the key questions to ask about conflicts of interests. These questions allow real progress to be made toward creating a code …

Witness Preparation: Regulating The Profession's Dirty Little Secret, Roberta K. Flowers

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

Although all attorneys understand that coaching a witness to testify falsely is unethical, additional ethical restraints surrounding witness preparation in criminal cases are not clearly defined by case law, rules of professional conduct or even the newly drafted Criminal Justice Standards for Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys. Many have suggested that the line between proper witness preparation and improper witness coaching is not clear. This article explores some of the gray areas of the practice of witness preparation and why criminal attorneys from both sides of the aisle need guidance on permissible and impermissible conduct in this routine practice of criminal …

Prosecuting Terrorism: The Material Support Statute And Muslim Charities, Michael G. Freedman

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

The federal law prohibiting the provision of material support to terrorist organizations has been no stranger to controversy. From its politically charged origins through its repeated amendment after September 11, 2001, it has remained an important, but often critiqued, weapon in the government's legal response to terrorism. The most prominent legal challenge to the law lasted over a decade. It culminated in June 2010, when the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project. The Court's opinion, however, correctly recognized that important questions remain unresolved.

One such question, which this Note addresses, …

Reconciling Parliamentary Sovereignty And Judicial Review: On The Theoretical And Historical Origins Of The Israeli Legislative Override Power, Rivka Weill

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

It is often asserted that a formal constitution does not necessitate judicial review over primary legislation. Rather, a country may conceive of other mechanisms to protect the constitution from intrusion by the regular political bodies. The question arises whether the reverse holds true. Can we envision a country that exercises judicial review over primary legislation yet lacks a formal constitution? Surprisingly, Israel's constitutional system, prior to the famous 1995 United Mizrahi Bank decision, offers an affirmative answer to this question.

This article focuses on Israel's constitutional experience during its founding period. It further explains the unique revolutionary role performed by …

Quirky Constitutional Provisions Matter: The Tonnage Clause, Polar Tankers, And State Taxation Of Commerce, Erik M. Jensen

Faculty Publications

In Polar Tankers, Inc. v. City of Valdez, the Supreme Court in 29 struck down a City of Valdez levy that was in form a personal-property tax, but that primarily reached oil tankers using Valdez’s ports, on the ground that the levy violated the Tonnage Clause of the Constitution (“No State, shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage”). The Tonnage Clause, part of the constitutional structure intended to ensure federal primacy in regulating commerce, was once a staple of litigation, but Polar Tankers was the first Supreme Court case decided under the Clause since 1935. Polar …

Cooperation, Commandeering, Or Crowding Out? : Federal Intervention And State Choices In Health Care Policy, Jonathan H. Adler

Faculty Publications

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) substantially alters the respective roles of the federal and state governments in health care policy. Beyond the individual mandate, the ACA presents many questions of federalism, both constitutional and policy-related. This paper, prepared for a symposium sponsored by the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, addresses some of these federalism issues. After outlining some of the policy considerations for determining the proper federal and state balance in health care policy, it identifies constitutional limitations on the federal government’s ability to direct or even influence state policy choices, before discussing how federal …

Closing The Door On Misconduct: Rethinking The Ethical Standards That Govern Summations In Criminal Trials, Daniel S. Medwed

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

Closing argument is the most pivotal moment in a criminal trial. It represents the last opportunity for prosecutors to convince jurors of the defendant's guilt and for defense lawyers to show reasonable doubt. As a result, criminal lawyers may be tempted to conclude with sweeping arguments that pull at the heartstrings of their target audience, the jury. Scholars dating back to Aristotle have warned that the most persuasive arguments often contain an appeal to emotion-and that emotionally laden rhetoric can distract people from making rational choices.

Legal ethicists have struggled with the issues surrounding closing arguments, trying to reconcile the …

Enlightenment Liberalism, Lawyers, And The Future Of Lawyer-Client Relations, Robert F. Cochran Jr.

Campbell Law Review

I am going to address, from a Christian perspective, liberalism's relationship to the role and responsibility of the lawyer. Whether a United States lawyer could define Enlightenment liberalism or not, it is likely that the role he or she plays as an attorney every day was in large part shaped by liberalism's focus on individual autonomy. At the request of the conference organizers, I am also going to reflect on the future of lawyerclient relations.

A Jury Of Your Skinny Peers: Weight-Based Peremptory Challenges And The Culture Of Fat Bias, Margaret (Maggie) Elise O'Grady

Law Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Confidentiality And Disclosure: What The New Aba Criminal Justice Standards (Don't) Say About The Duties Of Defense Counsel, Cecila Klingele

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

Although the duty to keep client confidences is one of a defense lawyer's defining characteristics, there are times when a lawyer will disclose otherwise confidential information to protect the safety of third parties, convey information to successor counsel, or defend against claims of ineffective assistance. Although disclosure in such instances is sometimes mandated by state professional ethics codes, more often the decision to disclose is left to the discretion of the individual lawyer. One of the few formal resources that offers guidance to defense counsel in making disclosure decisions is the American Bar Association's Criminal Justice Standards for the Defense …

Every Step You Take, They'll Be Watching You: The Legal And Practical Implications Of Lifetime Gps Monitoring Of Sex Offenders, Sarah Shekhter

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

In 2006, California voters passed Proposition 63 ("Jessica's Law") which, among other provisions, required lifetime GPS monitoring of sex offenders. So far, California has only succeeded in fixing GPS devices to registered sex offenders on parole, yet this already constitutes the largest use of GPS monitoring anywhere in the world. A proper analysis of the constitutional issues surrounding electronic surveillance of parolees, probationers, and the released is warranted before further implementation.

This note explores past constitutional challenges to surveillance technology and sex offender legislation, applying their analyses to lifetime monitoring of sex offenders. It concludes that lifetime GPS monitoring threatens …

Waiving Goodbye To Rights: Plea Bargaining And The Defense Dilemma Of Competent Representation, Jane Campbell Moriarty, Marisa Main

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

The proposed amendments to the ABA Criminal Justice Standards for Prosecutors and Defense Lawyers ("Proposed Standards") address a number of problematic issues related to the roles of both prosecutors and defense attorneys. This Symposium Article considers waiver of rights in the context of the Standards, focusing on guilty pleas and the so-called "preconditions" that prosecutors generally require before even entertaining the defendant's proffer, colloquially termed "Queen for a Day" agreements It reviews the development in the law since 1993; the changes in the practice since that time; and the proposed changes to the Standards. The article focuses on the complex …

The Case For A Commerce Clause Challenge To State Antitrust Laws Banning Minimum Resale Price Maintenance, Barbara O. Bruckmann

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

This article explores the circumstances under which inconsistent state antitrust regulation of minimum resale price maintenance (or RPM) may be unconstitutional under the dormant Commerce Clause. In particular, a handful of states purport to prohibit RPM and thus conflict with the substantive treatment of RPM under the antitrust laws of other states. This conflict among the states stems from the Supreme Court's recent decision in Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc., 551 U.S. 877 (2007), in which the Court overturned its near-century old prohibition under the Sherman Act, and held instead that RPM should be assessed under a …

Taking Supremacy Seriously: The Contrariety Of Official Immunities, Donald L. Doernberg

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Immunities from suit, whether for governments or government officials, occupy a semi-sacred place in our jurisprudence. Trumpeting sovereign immunity, state and federal governments have long asserted that they are not subject to suit unless they have consented, and the courts have supported them. The U.S. Supreme Court has also created common law immunities for government officials and municipalities. Both kinds of immunity rest on a pervasive misunderstanding of English legal history and a convenient disinclination to consider the distinctive history and political philosophy that underlies the federal government. This Article does not examine the nuances of the official and municipal …

Reclaiming The Promise Of The Judicial Branch: Toward A More Meaningful Standard Of Judicial Review As Applied To New York Eminent Domain Law, Paula Franzese

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article asserts that the New York model of eminent domain and judicial review must be reworked to provide a meaningful balance between private property rights and concerns for public good. Part I sets forth current doctrine and procedure which New York agencies must follow when exercising the power of eminent domain. Part II explores how blight has become a "standardless standard" in New York. Part III examines New York courts' reluctance to overturn agency decisions and the potential for abuse that this creates. Part IV examines other jurisdictions which have imposed stricter standards when examining public use. Part V …

The U.S. Supreme Court Gets It Right In Arizona V. Gant: Justifications For Rules Protect Constitutional Rights, Shenequa L. Grey

St. Thomas Law Review

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the justifications or rationales for legal principles form the basis for compliance with the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution; and that therefore, failure to comply with those justifications leads to unconstitutional searches and seizures. Strict compliance with the underlying justifications prevents the courts from circumventing the Constitution by establishing a rule, then expanding it beyond its intended purpose. This article demonstrates and reiterates that compliance with the underlying justifications for establishing rules is essential to protecting individual constitutional rights. In addressing these issues, Part I of this article gives …

Gallenthin V. Kaur: A Comparative Analysis Of How The New Jersey And New York Courts Approach Judicial Review Of The Exercise Of Eminent Domain For Redevelopment, Ronald K. Chen

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article explores two explanations for why New Jersey and New York take different approaches to judicial review of exercises of eminent domain. Part I examines the approach of both states and their differing procedures for review of administrative agency determinations. Part II discusses how each states' courts and legislatures define "blight." Part III examines how New York's approach leaves municipal officials and redevelopers free to use the more flexible concept of "underutilization" as a proxy for "blight."

Condemning The Decisions Of The Past: Eminent Domain And Democratic Accountability, Christopher Serkin

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Essay argues that there is a seldom-recognized purpose to eminent domain: preserving the ability of elected representatives to respond to the will of the people. The author proposes that eminent domain allows government to depart from the policy choices of administrations which came before and is therefore a tool for acquiring "democratic legitimacy." He explores this theory by examining examples such as breaking up the adult use zones in Times Square and reclaiming New York's waterfront, which had been essentially cut off by highways.

Let There Be Blight: Blight Condemnations In New York After Goldstein And Kaur, Ilya Somin

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Article analyzes the New York cases of Kaur v. New York State Urban Development Corp. and Goldstein v. New York State Urban Development Corp. and asserts that the New York Court of Appeals erred in allowing such an expansive definition of "blight" and defining pretextual takings too narrowly. Part I Describes the two cases. Part II explains the concept of blight condemnation and how it was used in the two cases. Part III discusses how the two cases treat the federal constitutional standard for pretextual takings. The Article concludes that eminent domain reform requires a narrower definition of "blight" …

School Discipline Of Cyber-Bullies: A Proposed Threshold That Respects Constitutional Rights, 45 J. Marshall L. Rev. 85 (2011), Laura Pavlik Raatjes

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Adam Walsh Act's Sex Offender Registration And Notification Requirements And The Commerce Clause: A Defense Of Congress's Power To Check The Interstate Movement Of Unregistered Sex Offenders, Matthew S. Miner

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

The article discusses the Adam Walsh Act specifically the debate on the constitutionality of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) under the Commerce Clause. SORNA aims to set up a unified registry system to monitor sex abusers' movements across states facilitating crime prevention and resolution. It cites U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have established the authority of Congress to regulate interstate travel and illegal activities even if the threat is local in nature.

The Fifth Freedom: The Constitutional Duty To Provide Public Education, Areto Imoukhuede

Faculty Scholarship

“The fifth freedom is freedom from ignorance. It means that every[one], everywhere, should be free to develop his [or her] talents to their full potential – unhampered by arbitrary barriers of race or birth or income.” Lyndon B. Johnson This article argues that education is a fundamental human right that the U.S. Supreme Court has failed to recognize because of the Court’s bias towards negative, rather than positive rights. Viewed from the limited perspective of rights as liberties, the concern with declaring a fundamental right to education is that education legislation would be strictly scrutinized, thus causing the undesired result …

May It Please The Senate: An Empirical Analysis Of The Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings Of Supreme Court Nominees, 1939-2009, Lori A. Ringhand, Paul M. Collins Jr.

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Decentralization: Power, Extraconstitutional Influence, And Subnational Symmetry In The United States And Spain, James A. Gardner, Antoni Abat I Ninet

Journal Articles

In the Madisonian tradition of constitutional design, the foundation of a sustainable federalism is thought to be a scientifically precise balancing of national and subnational power. Experience shows, however, that national and subnational actors in highly diverse systems are capable of developing a rich array of extraconstitutional methods of mutual influence, so that the formal, constitutionalized balance of power rarely settles the question of the actual balance of power between levels of government. A more important factor in ensuring the long-term sustainability of a meaningfully federal system is the degree of symmetry across subnational units in their relation to the …

Is Constitutionalism Liberal?, Bruce P. Frohnen

Campbell Law Review

Let me begin with the obvious: I am not claiming that any scholar, or educated person, believes that the only constitutions that have ever existed have been liberal. Everyone knows or should know that, for example, the Greek constitutions of Solon, Lycurgus, and others discussed in Aristotle's Politics predate liberalism by many centuries.' Moreover, constitutions come in a wide variety of forms, and many of these, whether written or unwritten, have explicitly been illiberal. What I maintain is that there is a prejudice among lawyers in particular that constitutions must be liberal in order to be worthy of the name. …

Is Modern Legal Liberalism Still Compatible With Free Exercise Of Religion?, Donald R. Mcconnell

Campbell Law Review

Classic liberal legal thought has clearly been shaped by the influence of Christianity. But in recent years, the movement, like ancient Gnosticism, has some Christian elements, but has become a decidedly anti-Christian force in the courts. This comparison tracks well with the analysis of other parallel modern intellectual movements by the political scientist Eric Voegelin. It is also supported by current events such as the recent Federal District Court opinion by Chief Judge Vaughn Walker in Perry v. Schwartzenegger. Liberalism has transformed from an attempt at neutrality, to an established religion that not only promotes its own perverse version of …

Were The Framers - And The Writers Who Influenced Them - Unable To Foresee The Extent Of Secularization That Could Result From The Separation Of Church And State?, Teresa M. Blake

Campbell Law Review

While the United States is filled with religious sects, denominations, worshippers, and even fanatics, the truth is that American society has become largely secular.' When analyzing society's trend toward secularization from a legal perspective, it is only natural to begin with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment 2-the clause responsible for the separation of church and state. But is today's secular society really the brainchild of the Framers of the Constitution? Or is it an unintended result that was far beyond their realm of foreseeability? This Comment addresses these questions by surveying the writings of several influential Constitutional Framers. …