Criminal Law Commons^™

Summary Of Rogers V. State, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 25, Sean W. Mcdonald

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Appeal from judgment of conviction, pursuant to jury verdict, of driving under the influence of a controlled substance on grounds certain evidence was inadmissible.

Mcdonald's Other Right, Samuel L. Wiseman

Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.

Summary Of Nevada Ex. Rel Bd. Of Parole Comm’Rs V. Morrow, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 61, Danielle Woodrum

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

An appeal from a district court order clarifying a judgment granting a writ of mandamus, and a proper person appeal from a district court order granting a motion to dismiss

Summary Of Stockmeier V. State, Bd. Of Parole Comm’Rs, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 19, Chelsey Bosworth

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

A proper person appeal and counsel cross-appeal to have factual statements in a presentence investigation report (PSI) corrected after a prisoner’s sentencing.

Summary Of Hobbs V. State, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 18, Christopher Scott Connell

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

An appeal from a judgment of conviction, by way of jury verdict, for battery and injury to other property.

Employment Division V. Smith At The Supreme Court: The Justices, The Litigants, And The Doctrinal Discourse, Marci A. Hamilton

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Smith And Women's Equality, Leslie C. Griffin

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

“Like Wolves In Sheep’S Clothing”: Combating Racial Bias In Washington State’S Criminal Justice System, Krista L. Nelson, Jacob J. Stender

Seattle University Law Review

Despite their differences, both the majority and concurring opinions in Monday present new ways to address prosecutorial misconduct, deter the injection of racial bias into courtroom proceedings, and create substantively similar outcomes. Part II of this Note discusses the traditional prosecutorial misconduct test in Washington State, as well as the rules articulated by the Monday majority and concurrence. Part III discusses the implications of both the majority and concurring opinions, the primary differences in their approaches to deterrence, the degree of racial bias they require to warrant reversal of a conviction, and the discretion they afford the judiciary. Part III …

The Impact Of Implicit Racial Bias On The Exercise Of Prosecutorial Discretion, Robert J. Smith, Justin D. Levinson

Seattle University Law Review

The Article is organized as follows: Part II provides an introduction to implicit bias research, orienting readers to the important aspects of implicit bias most relevant to prosecutorial discretion. Part III begins the examination of implicit bias in the daily decisions of prosecutors. The Part presents key prosecutorial discretion points and specifically connects each of them to implicit bias. Part IV recognizes that, despite compelling proof of implicit bias in a range of domains, there is no direct empirical proof of implicit bias in prosecutorial decision-making. It thus calls for an implicit bias research agenda designed to further examine how …

Slavery Revisited In Penal Plantation Labor, Andrea C. Armstrong

Seattle University Law Review

This Article argues that society must critically examine the types of labor we require our inmates to perform and prohibit the imposition of slavery, even when the enslaved is an inmate. Part II focuses on the text and history of Section 1 of the Thirteenth Amendment11 and argues that the Amendment’s exception allowing forced inmate labor is not as broad as it first appears. Part III examines the Eighth Amendment and how the imposition of slave status on inmates should be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Lastly, Part IV applies these concepts to the history and operation of one such …

Dead Wrong: Why Washington’S Deadly Weapon Criminal Sentencing Enhancement Needs “Enhancement”, James Harlan Corning

Seattle University Law Review

This Comment confronts the difficult question of how to reformulate the deadly weapon sentencing enhancement to better align it with the policy goals of deterring and punishing armed crime. Part II explores the constitutional and practical defects in each of the three formulations of the sentencing enhancement’s armed requirement by delving into the enhancement’s legislative history and the judicial struggle to interpret it. Part III analyzes the need for a more nuanced approach to the weapon enhancement by exploring key criticisms about the enhancement’s scope and application. Part IV argues that the Washington legislature must provide courts with more rigid …

Domestic Violence And The Budget Crisis: The Use Of A Risk Assessment Tool To Manage Cases In Prosecutors’ Offices, Carrie M. Hobbs

Seattle University Law Review

This Comment addresses the growing concern that the incompatible forces of shrinking budgets and increased caseloads are leading to ineffective domestic violence case management, particularly in prosecutors’ offices. With so many cases and so few resources, prosecutors need tools to discern which cases should have priority. Recognizing that risk assessment tools have many drawbacks, this Comment advocates for development of a risk assessment tool that can help prosecutors determine which cases to pursue and assist them in making other pretrial determinations. Part II of this Comment provides a background on domestic violence research and isolates the issues that arise in …

“If Justice Is Not Equal For All, It Is Not Justice”: Racial Bias, Prosecutorial Misconduct, And The Right To A Fair Trial In State V. Monday, Michael Callahan

Seattle University Law Review

This Note argues that of the three opinions from Monday, Washington state courts should follow Chief Justice Madsen’s concurring opinion. The Monday decision also raises three questions that none of the opinions adequately answer: who does Monday apply to, what conduct does Monday forbid, and what is the legal source of the rules from Monday? The court will have to answer these questions in the future to determine the scope of its new rules. Part II of this Note discusses how Washington courts previously addressed the issue of prosecutorial misconduct and appeals to racial bias in trials. Part …

"Your Honor, May I Have That In Writing?" A Proposed Response To Violations Of The Federal Sentencing Written Reasons Requirement, Judy Ann Clausen

UF Law Faculty Publications

A disturbing trend has emerged in our federal courts. District judges are ignoring the statutory mandate to state in writing specific reasons for deviating from the range recommended by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Rather than vacating these out-of-range sentences, U.S. Courts of Appeals are affirming the sentences despite the fact that they are imposed in violation of law. This article proposes a solution to this problem.

In Part I, this article explores the historical and legal context for the written reasons requirement. Part II explores two circuit splits surrounding the written reasons requirement. Part III recommends that appellate courts adopt …

Addressing Human Trafficking Along The United States-Mexico Border: The Need For A Bilateral Partnership, Rocio Garza

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The note argues that human trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border is a complex issue rooted in economic disparities, weak legal frameworks, and the challenges of distinguishing trafficking from smuggling. It advocates for a bilateral partnership between the United States and Mexico to address the transnational nature of the crime, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts in prosecution, victim protection, and prevention.

The International Control Of Illegal Drugs And The U.N. Treaty Regime: Preventing Or Causing Human Rights Violations?, Daniel Heilmann

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The international drug control regime, established to preserve human health and welfare, faces criticism for prioritizing criminalization and punishment over education, harm reduction, and human rights. The regime's prohibition-oriented approach, while comprehensive, is challenged by modern human rights standards and the evolving illegal drug market. The article examines whether the regime remains effective and aligned with contemporary human rights principles, emphasizing the need to balance control measures with human rights protections.

The Criminal Class Action, Adam S. Zimmerman, David Jaros

All Faculty Scholarship

Over the past ten years, in a variety of high-profile corporate scandals, prosecutors have sought billions of dollars in restitution for crimes ranging from environmental dumping and consumer scams to financial fraud. In what we call “criminal class action” settlements, prosecutors distribute that money to groups of victims as in a civil class action while continuing to pursue the traditional criminal justice goals of retribution and deterrence.

Unlike civil class actions, however, the emerging criminal class action lacks critical safeguards for victims entitled to compensation. While prosecutors are encouraged, and even required by statute, to seek victim restitution, they lack …

The Impact Of Ashcroft V. Iqbal On Pleading, Alexander A. Reinert

Articles

No abstract provided.

Summary Of State V. Lucero, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 7, Brian Blaylock

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

An appeal of the Second Judicial District Court’s denial of the State’s motion to correct a reduced sentence imposed upon revocation of probation.

Statement Of David E. Aaronson In Support Of Hb 1075 To Repeal The Death Penalty, David E. Aaronson

Legislative Testimony & Comments

No abstract provided.

Summary Of Lamb V. State, 127 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 3, Erin Elliot

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Appeal from a judgment of conviction by a criminal defendant convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Proper Crime Recording As An Effective Feedback Tool In Articulating A Crime Policy, Kevin A. Unter

Georgia Journal of Public Policy

Crime policy is subject to the policy process just like other governmental policies.  An effective crime policy is one that reduces the amount of crime in a police department’s jurisdiction, e.g., the city.  Accordingly, crime policy consists of the same policy components – agenda setting, formulation, implementation, and feedback.  The implementation of any crime policy depends on the information collected by police departments, often through crimes reported to the department via 9-1-1 calls or brought to a police officer’s attention through proactive police work.  The success of that police work relative to the reported crime first depends on whether the …

And Death Shall Have No Dominion: How To Achieve The Categorical Exemption Of Mentally Retarded Defendants From Execution, J. Amy Dillard

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

And Death Shall Have No Dominion: How To Achieve The Categorical Exemption Of Mentally Retarded Defendants From Execution, J. Amy Dillard

All Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the Court’s categorical exclusion of mentally retarded defendants from execution and explores how trial courts should employ procedures to accomplish heightened reliability in the mental retardation determination; it maintains that if a mentally retarded defendant is subjected to a death sentence then the Atkins directive has been ignored. To satisfy the Atkins Court’s objective of protecting mentally retarded defendants from the “special risk of wrongful execution,” the article explores whether trial courts should engage in a unified, pre-trial competency assessment in all capital cases where the defendant asserts mental retardation as a bar to execution and how …

Such Visible Fiction: The Expansion Of Scott V. Harris To Prisoner Eighth Amendment Excessive Force Claims, Nina Frank

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Guns, Crime Control, And A Systemic Approach To Federal Sentencing, David E. Patton

Cardozo Law Review

Recent scholarship about the role of sentencing reform in reducing high levels of incarceration has focused on evidence-based, offender-specific solutions, such as how to better assess offenders' risk of recidivism and their amenability to diversionary programs. This Article proposes a new, systemic approach. In particular, it suggests that in cases where the primary rationale for steep sentences is crime reduction, as opposed to retributive notions of harm and blameworthiness, judges ought to engage in an evidence-based examination of how the government is making "use" of the sentences it seeks in its law enforcement efforts. And where the government's efforts fall …

Clarity And Confusion: Rico's Recent Trips To The United States Supreme Court, Randy D. Gordon

Faculty Scholarship

The complicated structure of the Racketeer and Corrupt Organization Act has bedeviled courts courts and litigants since its adoption four decades ago. Two questions have recurred with some frequency. First, is victim reliance an element of a civil RICO claim predicated on allegations of fraud? Second, what is the difference between an illegal association-in-fact and an ordinary civil conspiracy? In a series of three recent cases, the United States Supreme Court brought much needed clarity to the first question. But in another recent case, the Court upended decades of circuit-court precedent holding that an actionable association-in-fact must be embody a …

Summary Of Dieudonne V. State, 126 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 1, Charles Gianelloni

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Appeal from a criminal defendant claiming an absolute right to be sentenced by the same judge who accepted his plea deal. Defendant also objects to victim impact statements that were given at his sentencing trial, but were not properly sworn.

Violence Against Women In The United States And The State’S Obligation To Protect: Civil Society Briefing Papers On Community, Military And Custody Submitted To The United Nations Special Rapporteur On Violence Against Women, Rashida Manjoo, In Advance Of Her Mission To The United States Of America, Brenda V. Smith, Ashley Prather, Jaime M. Yarussi

Research Reports & White Papers

The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences visited the United States of America from 24 January to 7 February 2011. In the present report, she broadly examines the situation of violence against women in the country, including such issues as violence in custodial settings, domestic violence, violence against women in the military and violence against women who face multiple, intersecting forms of discrimination, particularly native American, immigrant and African-American women.

The Special Rapporteur highlights the positive legislative and policy initiatives undertaken by the Government to reduce the prevalence of violence against women, including the enactment and …

When The Child Abuser Has A Bible: Investigating Child Maltreatment Sanctioned Or Condoned By A Religious Leader, Basyle Tchividjian, Victor Vieth

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In many cases of child sexual and physical abuse, perpetrators use religious or spiritual themes to justify their abuse of a child. Although no known religion in modern culture suggests that sexual abuse is condoned or taught as part of its tenets, some church leaders engage in conduct suggesting the child is equally, if not more to blame than the perpetrator, while also urging immediate reconciliation between the perpetrator and victim. In more than one case, pastors have asked children to confess their own “sins” in being sexually abused and have even required children to “confess” in front of an …