Criminal Law Commons^™

Rationalizing The Commission: The Philosophical Premises Of The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Aaron J. Rappaport

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Bright Line: A Contemporary Right-To-Counsel Doctrine, Pamela R. Metzger

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

The current right-to-counsel doctrine was developed in the 1970's. It created a bright-line rule still in effect today. The right to counsel attaches only at "critical stages" of a criminal prosecution. Under this critical stage doctrine, the right to counsel only attaches after the initiation of formal adversary proceedings and only applies to confrontations between the accused and the prosecution or law enforcement. In the years following the Supreme Court's development of the critical stage doctrine, national trends of mandatory sentencing and sentencing guidelines revolutionized criminal procedure and dramatically altered the roles of the system's key players.

Now, defense counsel's …

Criminal Defenders And Community Justice: The Drug Court Example, William H. Simon

Faculty Scholarship

The Community Justice idea and its core institution – the Community Court – is an ambitious innovation intended to generate new solutions and practices. It thus inevitably calls for adaptation of the established roles associated with the court system, and especially the criminal justice system. It asks practitioners to learn new skills, to accept new conventions, and to participate in the elaboration of a rapidly evolving experiment.

It is thus not surprising that many lawyers are anxious about the system. It remains an interesting question, however, whether their anxiety represents something more than the discomfort that change and challenge typically …

Criminal Law—Scarlet Letters: Traffic Stops Based On “Special” License Plates Must Follow The Letter Of The Constitution—State V. Henning, Piper Kenney Webb, Bruce H. Hanley

William Mitchell Law Review

The Minnesota Supreme Court recently addressed whether a Minnesota statute authorizing law enforcement to stop motorists based solely on the presence of special license plates issued primarily to repeat drunken drivers is proper under the United States and Minnesota Constitutions. In State v. Henning, the court held the statute unconstitutional by a 4-3 decision. Finding no persuasive reason to do otherwise, the court struck down the legislature's attempt to eliminate the requirement that law enforcement have “reasonable articulable suspicion” to conduct an investigatory stop of a motor vehicle. This article provides a brief survey of similar laws in other states …

Summary Of Salazar V. State, Rick Rawson

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Appeal from district court judgment of conviction on one count of battery with use of a deadly weapon with substantial bodily harm, one count of battery with a deadly weapon, and one count of mayhem with use of a deadly weapon.

Nothing Less Than The Dignity Of Man: Evolving Standards, Botched Executions And Utah's Controversial Use Of The Firing Squad , Christopher Q. Cutler

Cleveland State Law Review

While outrage boils to the surface when Utah uses its firing squad option, there is little substantive legal development concerning the firing squad's use. Few cases have challenged the firing squad's constitutionality. This article discusses the legal and political implications of the firing squad. Using the Supreme Court's everdeveloping Eighth Amendment jurisprudence as a guide, this article discusses whether the firing squad, both historically and in its present application, passes constitutional muster. Beyond those factors that trigger constitutional protection, this article discusses those elements of the firing squad's use which define society's humanity and demonstrate our dignity. In the end, …

Revenge Or Mercy? Some Thoughts About Survivor Opinion Evidence In Death Penalty Cases, Joseph L. Hoffmann

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

The Middle Class Fourth Amendment, Craig M. Bradley

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

To Err Is Human: The Judicial Conundrum Of Curing Apprendi Error, Joshua Fairfield

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Invisible Targets: Juvenile Prostitution, Crackdown Legislation, And The Example Of California, Pantea Javidan

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article examines the contradiction in California's legal framework where minors are criminalized for prostitution under California Penal Code section 647(b), despite being legally incapable of consenting to sex. It argues that such laws fail to protect child prostitutes, who are often victims of exploitation, and instead perpetuate their harm by punishing them rather than addressing the root causes of their situation.

The Silencing Of A Woman's Choice: Mandatory Arrest And No Drop Prosecution Policies In Domestic Violence Cases, Jessica Dayton

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article critiques mandatory arrest and no-drop prosecution policies in domestic violence cases, arguing that these policies undermine the autonomy of women by taking away their right to make decisions about their own safety and legal actions. The author advocates for a more flexible, victim-centered approach that respects each woman's unique circumstances and empowers her to make informed choices.

The Closet Becomes Darker For The Abused: A Perspective On Lesbian Partner Abuse, Marnie J. Franklin

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that lesbian partner abuse is systematically overlooked in both academic discourse and legal systems, which predominantly rely on heteronormative frameworks that fail to account for same-sex relationships. This exclusion perpetuates the marginalization of abused lesbians, who face unique barriers due to societal homophobia, internalized shame, and the legal system's reliance on heterosexual models of domestic violence.

Creating A New Tango: Re-Imagining Gender, Phyllis Goldfarb

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article explores how feminist legal theory is applied and developed through case studies and media analysis, emphasizing the interplay between theory and practice. It highlights the need to challenge traditional gender hierarchies and the role of media in shaping gender perceptions, advocating for a reimagined understanding of gender roles.

The Fault Lines Of Domestic Violence Enforcement, Josephine Ross

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

How The Overturn Of The Child Pornography Prevention Act Under Ashcroft V. Free Speech Coalition Contributes To The Protection Of Children, Emily D. Goldberg

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note examines the Supreme Court's decision in Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, which struck down portions of the Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) as unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The Court ruled that the CPPA's ban on virtual child pornography was overbroad, as it prohibited lawful speech that could have artistic, literary, or scientific value. The decision highlights the tension between protecting children from exploitation and safeguarding free speech, ultimately emphasizing the importance of allowing narratives that confront and address difficult issues like child sexual abuse.

By Any Means Necessary: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Texas' Dna Testing Law In The Adjudication Of Free-Standing Claims Of Actual Innocence, Daryl E. Harris

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract forthcoming.

Criminal Law: The Oklahoma Court Of Criminal Appeals' Procedural And Substantive Application Of Ring V. Arizona To Oklahoma's Capital Sentencing Scheme, Seth S. Branham

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reconceptualizing Criminal Law Defenses, Victoria Nourse

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In 1933, one of the leading theorists of the criminal law, Jerome Michael, wrote openly of the criminal law "as an instrument of the state." Today, criminal law is largely allergic to claims of political theory; commentators obsess about theories of deterrence and retribution, and the technical details of model codes and sentencing grids, but rarely speak of institutional effects or political commitments. In this article, the author aims to change that emphasis and to examine the criminal law as a tool for governance. Her approach is explicitly constructive: it accepts the criminal law that we have, places it in …

Ten Years Of Payne: Victim Impact Evidence In Capital Cases, John H. Blume

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

A little over a decade ago, in Payne v. Tennessee, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for capital sentencing juries to consider “victim impact evidence” (VIE). Reversing its prior decisions in Booth v. Maryland and South Carolina v. Gathers, a six to three majority of the Court held that “if the State chooses to permit the admission of victim impact evidence and prosecutorial argument on that subject, the Eighth Amendment erects no per se bar.” Part I of this Article will discuss the Court’s prior decisions in Booth and Gathers, and Parts II and III will …

Victim Characteristics And Victim Impact Evidence In South Carolina Capital Cases, Theodore Eisenberg, Stephen P. Garvey, Martin T. Wells

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

This article is available at:

http://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/facpub/290/.

The use of victim impact evidence (VIE) has been a standard feature of capital trials since 1991, when the Supreme Court lifted the previously existing constitutional bar to such evidence. Legal scholars have almost universally condemned the use of VIE, criticizing it on a variety of grounds.

Yet little empirical analysis exists that examines how VIE influences the course and outcome of capital trials. Moreover, the handful of empirical analyses that do exist rely on data gathered in simulation studies. Although valuable contributions have emerged from these experimental studies, such studies have often-rehearsed …

Speeding In Reverse: An Anecdotal View Of Why Victim Impact Testimony Should Not Be Driving Capital Prosecutions, Sheri Johnson

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Victim Characteristics And Victim Impact Evidence In South Carolina Capital Cases, Theodore Eisenberg, Stephen P. Garvey, Martin T. Wells

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The use of victim impact evidence (VIE) has been a standard feature of capital trials since 1991, when the Supreme Court lifted the previously existing constitutional bar to such evidence. Legal scholars have almost universally condemned the use of VIE, criticizing it on a variety of grounds. Yet little empirical analysis exists that examines how VIE influences the course and outcome of capital trials. We analyze the influence of VIE based on interviews with over two-hundred jurors who sat on capital trials in South Carolina between 1985 and 2001.

First, we describe the VIE introduced at sentencing trials, using a …

Nullification At Work? A Glimpse From The National Center For State Courts Study Of Hung Juries, Paula Hannaford-Agor, Valerie P. Hans

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

In recent years, the criminal justice community has become increasingly concerned about the possibility that jury nullification is the underlying motivation for increasing numbers of acquittals and mistrials due to jury deadlock in felony jury trials. In this Article, the authors discuss the inherent difficulty in defining jury nullification and identifying its occurrence in actual trials. They review the evolution in public and legal opinion about the legitimacy of jury nullification and contemporary judicial responses to perceived instances of jury nullification. Finally, the authors examine the possible presence of jury nullification through empirical analysis of data collected from 372 felony …

Miranda's Demise, Steven D. Clymer

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Miranda v. Arizona has been a prominent fixture of the American criminal justice system, as well as police television shows and movies, for more than a third of a century. And when, amid considerable fanfare, the Supreme Court in June 2000 announced its decision in Dickerson v. United States, it appeared that Miranda would retain that status for the foreseeable future. In Dickerson, a surprisingly large 7–2 majority settled a long-standing debate about the constitutional legitimacy of Miranda, holding that the Miranda rules are firmly grounded in the Fifth Amendment’s self-incrimination clause.

But now, a mere three …

Retribution For Rats: Cooperation, Punishment, And Atonement, Michael A. Simons

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

To mobsters, he is a "rat"; to drug dealers, a "snitch." To school children, he is a "tattletale"; to corporate executives, a "whistleblower." To cops, he is an "informant"; to prosecutors, a "cooperator." By whatever name he is known, the person who betrays his associates to the authorities is almost universally reviled. In movies, on television, in literature, the cooperator embodies all that society holds in contempt: he is disloyal, deceitful, greedy, selfish, and weak.

The cooperator, though, has long been a mainstay of our criminal justice system. For centuries, criminal defendants have received leniency in return for testimony …

Is It Ever Too Late For Innocence? Finality, Efficiency, And Claims Of Innocence, George C. Thomas Iii, Gordon G. Young, Keith Sharfman, Kate B. Briscoe

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

[Does it violate the Constitution] to execute a person who, having been convicted of murder after a full and fair trial, later alleges that newly discovered evidence shows him to be "actually innocent." ... [l]t is perfectly clear what the answer is: There is no basis in text, tradition, or even in contemporary practice (if that were enough) for finding in the Constitution a right to demand judicial consideration of newly discovered evidence of innocence brought forward after conviction.

Justice Scalia, joined by Justice Thomas, concurring in Herrera v. Collins.

Should innocent people be imprisoned as criminals? More …

Two Sides Of A "Sargasso Sea": Successive Prosecution For The "Same Offence" In The United States And The United Kingdom, Lissa Griffin

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Summary Of Daniel V. State, Clarke Walton

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

Appellant, Donald M. Mosely, shot and killed Frederick Washington and Mark Payne. At the same time, Terhain Woods and Antione Hall were also shot by Mosely, but both survived. On July 28, 1997, Moseley was convicted in district court of firstdegree murder, attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon, and burglary while in possession of a firearm. During Mosely’s trial, a number of errors occurred, which brought rise to this appeal. Because of these cumulative errors, the Nevada Supreme Court reversed appellant’s conviction and remanded the case for a new trial. In analyzing the issues raised by appellant on …

A Mind To Blame: New Views On Involuntary Acts, Deborah W. Denno

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the legal implications linked to recent scientific research on human consciousness. The article contends that groundbreaking revelations about consciousness expose the frailties of the criminal law's traditional dual dichotomies of conscious versus unconscious thought processes and voluntary versus involuntary acts. These binary doctrines have no valid scientific foundation and clash with other key criminal law defenses, primarily insanity. As a result, courts may adjudicate like individuals very differently based upon their (often unclear) understanding of these doctrines and the science that underlies them. This article proposes a compromise approach by recommending that the criminal law's concept of …

Decoupling 'Terrorist' From 'Immigrant': An Enhanced Role For The Federal Courts Post 9/11, Victor C. Romero

Faculty Scholarship

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft has utilized the broad immigration power ceded to him by Congress to ferret out terrorists among noncitizens detained for minor immigration violations. Such a strategy provides the government two options: deport those who are not terrorists, and then prosecute others who are. While certainly efficient, using immigration courts and their less formal due process protections afforded noncitizens should trigger greater oversight and vigilance by the federal courts for at least four reasons: First, while the legitimate goal of immigration law enforcement is deportation, Ashcroft's true objective in targeting …