Criminal Law Commons^™

Protecting The Innocent: The Massachusetts Governor's Council Report, Joseph L. Hoffmann

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

The Moussaoui Case: The Mess From Minnesota, Afsheen John Radsan

William Mitchell Law Review

This article, after giving a brief history of the Moussaoui case, identifies the main paradoxes or problems of continuing to deal with him in the criminal system. By no stretch of the imagination does this article provide an exhaustive or comprehensive treatment of the Moussaoui case. Each problem, by itself, could be the subject of a separate law review article. This article suggests that Moussaoui, rather than Yaser Esam Hamdi, or Jose Padilla, or the detainees in Guantanamo Bay, could have served as the true test for determining the minimum process that the American Constitutional system owes to an individual …

Deterrence Versus Brutalization: Capital Punishment's Differing Impacts Among States, Joanna M. Shepherd

Faculty Articles

Recent empirical studies by economists have shown, without exception, that capital punishment deters crime. Using large data sets that combine information from all fifty states over many years, the studies show that, on average, an additional execution deters many murders. The studies have received much publicity, and death penalty advocates often cite them to show that capital punishment is sound policy.

Indeed, deterrence is the central basis that many policymakers and courts cite for capital punishment. For example, President Bush believes that capital punishment deters crime and that deterrence is the only valid reason for capital punishment. Likewise, the Supreme …

The Sui Generis Infallible Sniffing Dog And Other Legal Fictions: Illinois Vs. Caballes, Jerry E. Norton

Faculty Publications & Other Works

No abstract provided.

The Ictr And Justice For Rwandan Women, Mark A. Drumbl

Scholarly Articles

In this article, I hope to spring from the discussion of the ICTR's gender jurisprudence to a broader conversation that touches on the relationship between this jurisprudence and life for Rwandan women today. In particular, I'd like to consider three questions: What do both the gender jurisprudence and the jurisprudence at large of the ICTR mean to women, individually and collectively, in Rwanda? How do other modalities of accountability that operate in postgenocide Rwanda respond to gender violence and promote gender equality? What is the situation of Rwandan women today?

Mixed Signals And Subtle Cues: Jury Independence And Judicial Appointment Of The Jury Foreperson, Andrew Horwitz

Law Faculty Scholarship

Imagine that you are falsely accused of a serious crime and that you are now on trial before a judge and jury. You knew before the trial began that the judge had a reputation as a “law and order” judge, as a judge who was not at all receptive to the arguments of most criminal defense attorneys. You have been watching as the judge and your attorney have been engaged in what appears to be an adversarial battle throughout the trial, but you have taken some comfort in the fact that it will be the jury, not the judge, who …

Above Contempt?: Regulating Government Overreaching In Terrorism Cases, Peter Margulies

Law Faculty Scholarship

Prosecutors face the continual temptation to overreach in decisions about the control of information. At each phase of a criminal proceeding, from investigation through trial, prosecutors make crucial decisions about information to disclose and highlight with courts, juries, and the public. In ordinary times, courts, defense counsel, the media, and internal sources of oversight can place some constraints, however tenuous, on the prosecutor’s efforts to monopolize the management of information. However, external events, such as the attacks of September 11, 2001, can weaken these constraints, producing alarming spikes in prosecutorial power.

Myths And Realities In The Sameness/Difference Debate, Rosemary C. Salomone

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Naked Before The Law: Reality Porn And The Capacity To Contract, Benjamin J. Cooper

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note examines the legal challenges surrounding reality pornography, particularly through the lens of the Girls Gone Wild series, highlighting the tension between First Amendment protections for producers and the rights of participants. It argues that the legal framework governing consent, exploitation, and contractual agreements in this context is unclear and often fails to protect participants, many of whom face severe consequences. The analysis underscores the complexities of balancing public interest, contractual capacity, and the rights of minors in this lucrative yet legally fraught industry.

The Alchemy Of A Moral Discourse About The Biology Of Gender: Historical Sensitivity, Genetic Literacy, And The Will To Imagine A Different Equality, Doriane Lambelet Coleman

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article explores the intersection of biology, genetics, and gender, emphasizing the need for a cautious and informed approach when integrating scientific findings into legal and social policies. It highlights the historical misuse of science to justify discrimination and advocates for a nuanced understanding that balances genetic insights with ethical considerations. The author proposes moving beyond a one-size-fits-all model of equality to one that accommodates differences, ensuring equitable opportunities for all.

Home Alone: Children Of Incarcerated Mothers In New York City Under The Rockefeller Drug Laws, Aron M. Zimmerman

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The Rockefeller Drug Laws of 1973, among the harshest in the nation, have failed to reduce drug trafficking or abuse and have instead led to unjust outcomes, disproportionately impacting racial minorities and women. These laws, which mandate draconian sentences based solely on drug type and quantity, tie judges' hands and prioritize incarceration over treatment, despite evidence that treatment is more cost-effective and reduces recidivism. Recent reforms offer some progress, but significant systemic changes are needed to address the laws' ongoing harm and restore judicial discretion in sentencing.

The Future For Victims Of Violence: Will Vawa Be Renewed?, Jamie Friye

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Punishment Decisions At Conviction: Recognizing The Jury As Fault-Finder, Michael T. Cahill

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Constitutionally Excluded Confessions: Applying America's Lessons To A Democratic Iraq, Joseph T. Thai

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Jurisprudence Of Doubt: Missouri V. Seibert, United States V. Patane, And The Supreme Court's Continued Confusion About The Constitutional Status Of Miranda, Johnathan L. Rogers

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

Co-Teaching International Criminal Law: New Strategies To Meet The Challenges Of A New Course, Stacy Caplow, Maryellen Fullerton

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Expert Testimony In Capital Sentencing: Juror Responses, John H. Montgomery, J. Richard Ciccone, Stephen P. Garvey, Theodore Eisenberg

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The U.S. Supreme Court, in Furman v. Georgia (1972), held that the death penalty is constitutional only when applied on an individualized basis. The resultant changes in the laws in death penalty states fostered the involvement of psychiatric and psychologic expert witnesses at the sentencing phase of the trial, to testify on two major issues: (1) the mitigating factor of a defendant’s abnormal mental state and (2) the aggravating factor of a defendant’s potential for future violence. This study was an exploration of the responses of capital jurors to psychiatric/psychologic expert testimony during capital sentencing. The Capital Jury Project is …

The Negative Effects Of Capital Jury Selection, Andrea Lyon

Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In (Slightly Uncomfortable) Defense Of ‘Triage’ By Public Defenders, John B. Mitchell

Faculty Articles

This article argues that triaging is necessary for public defenders and is a response to the work of Professor Freedman. Because states lack money in areas of greater community concern, the defense of indigent criminals is neglected and substantial resources are not likely to be forthcoming. The author previously set out a solution of triaging, which can be conducted either haphazardly or according to some set of rational principles based on ethical theory. The author concurs with Professor Freedman to the extent that the United States Supreme Court in Strickland v. Washington effectively ensures that Sixth Amendment Constitutional guarantees will …

Reflections On The Essential Role Of Legal Scholarship In Advancing Causes Of Citizen Groups, Nadine Strossen

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

An Evidentiary Paradox: Defending The Character Evidence Prohibition By Upholding A Non-Character Theory Of Logical Relevance, The Doctrine Of Chances, Edward J. Imwinkelried

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Military Spying In The United States: When It Is Not Your Neighbor Knocking At Your Door, Where Do You Turn?, Miriam Schneider

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

This Note will describe the role of the military in the United States and its relationship to privacy rights. Part I of this Note will describe the historical underpinnings that led to a limited role for the military within the United States territory, beyond defending against attack. Part II will describe the expectations by the courts and legislature for the military. In addition, it will illustrate instances where the military, along with numerous federal agencies, overstepped its traditional, constitutional and legal bounds. Part III will offer the legislature's response to, and its subsequent regulation of, the military and other federal …

Summary Of Flores V. State Of Nevada, 121 Nev. Adv. Op. 72, Patti Ross

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Defendant Martha Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder by child abuse of her five-year-old stepdaughter, Zoraida Flores. Postmortem examinations concluded that the child had been physically abused and her death was caused by a blunt-force trauma to the head. Flores resided with her husband, Jose Flores, his five-year-old daughter Zoraida, Flores’ daughters and mother and an infant. Flores was the primary caregiver of the family while Jose worked to support them. On January 28, 2001, emergency medical personnel responded to the Flores’ apartment and provided assistance to Zoraida. They were unable to resuscitate the child. The postmortem examination of …

Summary Of Hymon V. State, 121 Nev. Adv. Op. 23, Bryson D. Perkins

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

In April 2001, Hymon stole a purse from a woman in the lobby of an auto repair shop. He ran, and two of the shop’s mechanics pursued him. They caught up to him when he fell on the curb, but he stood and swung a four- to six-inch long pocketknife. They backed away, allowing him to escape, but the police apprehended him shortly thereafter. After Hymon requested to represent himself, the district court conducted a Faretta canvass,2 and concluded that Hymon was competent to waive his right to counsel. Hymon was uncooperative and unwilling to communicate with the prosecutor, so …

The Accelerating Degradation Of American Criminal Codes, Michael T. Cahill, Paul H. Robinson

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nothing Plus Nothing Equals... Something? A Proposal For Flir Warrants On Reasonable Suspicion, Steve Coughlan, Marc Gorbet

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Over a series of decisions, the Court has been backing itself into a corner with its section 8 jurisprudence. Section 8 protects against unreasonable searches. Since the earliest ruling on the section in Hunter v. Southam} searches are prima facie unreasonable if they take place without a warrant. Thus, before conducting a search, police must have a warrant. Before getting a warrant, police must have information about the accused. Obtaining information about the accused probably involves conduct that qualifies as a search. Thus for example in K. v. Kokesch, R. v. Wiley, and R. v. Plant, perimeter searches, conducted in …

A Brave New World Of Criminal Justice: Neil Gerlach's Genetic Imaginary, Steve Coughlan

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

In this well written and intriguing book, Neil Gerlach asks why the criminal justice system has accepted DNA evidence in much the same way that our Anglo-Saxon predecessors accepted trial by ordeal. Why have we not instead shown the same caution we show polygraph evidence? To be sure, he does not present the issue in those terms, and might shudder at the analogy. Still, the central issue he pursues in the book is the question of how DNA evidence has managed to assume its current aura of infallibility, as evidence which is somehow uniquely objective and "true": how it has …

Conflicting Stories And Reasonable Doubt: Variations On W. (D.)'S Theme, Steve Coughlan

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Whether the guilt of an accused has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt is always a difficult issue, particularly so when the accused has testified. There is little difficulty when an accused's exculpatory testimony is accepted by the trial judge, since that of course leads unambiguously to an acquittal. More complex is the situation where a trial judge does not simply accept the accused's version of events — that is, most of the time. In those circumstances, trial judge must embark down the twisty road of deciding whether disbelieved testimony can nonetheless result in an acquittal, or alternatively whether an …

Why Restorative Justice Is Not Compulsory Compassion: Annalise Acorn's Labour Of Love Lost [A Review Of 'Compulsory Compassion: A Critique Of Restorative Justice,' Annalise E. Acorn (Vancouver: University Of British Columbia Press, 2004)], Bruce P. Archibald

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Annalise Acorn has produced an immensely engaging book about love, sexuality and law, written with verve and elan; however, it paints a hugely misleading picture of restorative justice that could be seriously damaging to what is arguably the most significant development in criminal justice since the emergence of the nation state. Restorative justice is changing the nature of criminal justice systems the world over. The Canadian criminal justice system is a leader in this regard, though it is far from being alone. Simplistic and dysfunctional systems of punitive criminal justice are being altered and supplemented by restorative programs that are …

Crawford V. Washington: The End Of Victimless Prosecution?, Andrew King-Ries

Faculty Law Review Articles

Domestic violence offenses are difficult to prosecute because the batterer's actions often make the victim unavailable to testify. Since the mid- 1990s, prosecutors have pursued "victimless" prosecutions' to combat the problem.2 Victimless prosecutions seek to introduce reliable evidence without the victim's in-court testimony, often to maintain the victim's safety or to avoid re-victimizing the victim.3 The victimless prosecution is based largely on the admission of hearsay statements that a victim makes to 911 operators, police officers, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and social workers.4 Victimless prosecution has been a highly successful tool in society's efforts to eradicate domestic violence and it is …