Criminal Law Commons^™

A/S/L 45/John Doe Offender/Federal Prison - The Third Circuit Takes A Hard Line Against Child Predators In United States V. Tykarsky, Elizabeth D. Tempio

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Negligence-Based Environmental Crimes: Failing To Exercise Due Care Can Be Criminal, Joseph J. Lisa

Villanova Environmental Law Journal (1991 - )

No abstract provided.

The Year Of Truman Capote: Legal Ethics And In Cold Blood, David S. Caudill

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to use Capote’s In Cold Blood as a point of reflection on several ethical obligations of lawyers. In Part I, I focus on Capote’s accounts of the prosecution’s use of expert witnesses, and his suggestion that defense counsel were (i) unable or unwilling to deal with their personal conflicts of interest and (ii) incompetent, the latter of which became the subject of disciplinary investigations and federal court review. In terms of the duties of an advocate, Capote sees the prosecution as going too far, and the defense as failing to go far enough. In …

The Real (Sentencing) World: State Sentencing In The Post-Blakely Era, Douglas A. Berman, Steven L. Chanenson

Working Paper Series

Soon after the Supreme Court in Blakely v. Washington declared certain judicial fact-finding within a state sentencing guideline system unconstitutional, Justice O’Connor described the Court’s decision as a “Number 10 earthquake.” But two years after the Blakely ruling, the case’s broader impact and meaning for state criminal justice systems around the country has been largely overshadowed by developments in the federal sentencing system. Nevertheless, this is an exciting time for state sentencing. By granting review in yet another state sentencing case, California v. Cunningham, this past spring, the Supreme Court brings state issues to the national stage once more.

State …

The Brain-Disordered Defendant: Neuroscience And Legal Insanity In The Twenty-First Century, Richard E. Redding

Working Paper Series

Brain-damaged defendants are seen everyday in American courtrooms, and in many cases, their criminal behavior appears to be the product of extremely poor judgment and self-control. Some have a disorder in the frontal lobes, the area of the brain responsible for judgment and impulse control. Yet because defendants suffering from frontal lobe dysfunction usually understand the difference between right and wrong, they are unable to avail themselves of the only insanity defense available in many states, a defense based on the narrow McNaghten test. “Irresistible impulse” (or “control”) tests, on the other hand, provide an insanity defense to those who …

Write On!, Steven L. Chanenson

Working Paper Series

Modern federal appellate review of sentences is a recent phenomenon introduced by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. Before United States v. Booker, courts of appeal focused on enforcing the technical rules of the federal sentencing guidelines and did so with (over)zealous enthusiasm. In the new post-Booker world, appellate judges are supposed to review sentences for "reasonableness." But how are they supposed to determine what is - or is not - a reasonable sentence? The answer to this puzzle rests in the mind of the District Judge. This short essay argues that the sentencing judge must explain his reasons, and …

Evolution And Denial: State Sentencing After Blakely And Booker, Steven L. Chanenson, Daniel F. Wilhelm

Working Paper Series

Justice Louis Brandeis famously described the states as laboratories where individual jurisdictions can experiment with various legal strategies. In the wake of Blakley v. Washington, and United States v. Booker those laboratories have been working overtime. Since June 2004, both state legislatures and state courts have grappled with the significance of the United States Supreme Court's treatment of the Sixth Amendment in sentencing. It is unsurprising, given the extraordinary significance and potential reach of Blakely and Booker, that this Herculean task has produced divergent results.

Although there are many potential ways to sort those results, for the purposes of these …

Adult Punishment For Juvenile Offenders: Does It Reduce Crime?, Richard E. Redding

Working Paper Series

This chapter discusses the research on the general and specific deterrent effects of transferring juveniles for trial in adult criminal court, identifies gaps in our knowledge base that require further research, discusses the circumstances under which effective deterrence may be achieved, and examines whether there are effective alternatives for achieving deterrence other than adult sanctions for serious juvenile offenders. As a backdrop to this analysis, the chapter first examines the role of public opinion in shaping the get tough policies, and how policy makers have misunderstood and perceived support for these policies.

Multicultural Perspectives On Delinquency Etiology And Intervention, Richard E. Redding, Bruce Arrigo

Working Paper Series

In this chapter, we consider the possible reasons for the overrepresentation of African-American youth in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. We review research on discrimination in the justice system and possible differences between African American and White youth in the key risk factors for delinquency that exist at the individual, family, and peer-group and neighborhood levels. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for treatments and interventions aimed at preventing and reducing offending and justice system involvement among African-American youth.

Guidance From Above And Beyond, Steven L. Chanenson

Working Paper Series

Criminal sentencing does not just happen in the courtroom. Some key sentencing decisions happen long before court convenes, while other critical sentencing decisions take place long after court adjourns. Although the public focuses primarily on the black-robed figure wielding the gavel, sentencing reflects decisions by a veritable parade of actors, including legislators, sentencing commissioners, police officers, prosecutors, juries, trial judges, appellate judges, and executive branch officials. All of these people guide and constrain the sentencing process. Through their official actions, they inform each other about what is happening in their corners of the sentencing drama, and prod their counterparts to …

Negotiating Sex, Michelle J. Anderson

Working Paper Series

“Negotiating Sex” is a response to the two major proposals for rape law reform in legal scholarship today, as well as a proposal for a third way. Susan Estrich and Donald Dripps argue that sexual penetration should be legal unless the victim expresses her non-consent, a proposal I call the “No Model.” Stephen Schulhofer argues that sexual penetration should be illegal unless the defendant obtains affirmative consent for penetration through the victim’s words or conduct, a proposal I call the “Yes Model.” Under this model, according to Schulhofer, if a woman does not say “no,” and “her silence is combined …

Mental Disorders And The Law, Richard Redding

Working Paper Series

This chapter provides an introduction to the major classes of mental disorder and the ways in which they are salient to selected aspects of American criminal and civil law, focusing particularly on criminal law issues.

What Do Juvenile Offenders Know About Being Tried As Adults? Implications For Deterrence , Richard E. Redding

Working Paper Series

An underlying assumption in the nationwide policy shift toward transferring more juveniles to criminal court has been the belief that stricter, adult sentences will act as either a specific or general deterrent to juvenile crime. With respect to general deterrence - whether transfer laws deter would-be offenders from committing crimes - it is important to examine whether juveniles know about transfer laws, whether this knowledge deters criminal behavior, and whether juveniles believe the laws will be enforced against them. The current study is one of the first to examine juveniles' knowledge and perceptions of transfer laws and criminal sanctions. We …

Brave New World: U.S. Responses To The Rise In International Crime - An Overview, John F. Murphy

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Fighting International Crime And Its Financing: The Importance Of Following A Coherent Global Strategy Based On The Rule Of Law, Herbert V. Morais

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Revisiting Novel Approaches To Combating The Financing Of Crime: A Brave New World Revisited, Bruce Zagaris

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Playing Hide And Seek: How To Protect Virtual Pornographers And Actual Children On The Internet, Audrey Rogers

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Bad Children Or A Bad System: Problems In Federal Interpretation Of A Delinquent's Prior Record In Determining The Appropriateness Of A Discretionary Judicial Waiver, Jessica L. Anders

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

11/9-9/11: The Brave New World Order: Peace Through Law - Beyond Power Politics Or Peace Through Empire - Rationale Strategy And Reasonable Policy, Harvey Rishikof, Patrick Bratton

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

The Next Era Of Sentencing Reform, Steven L. Chanenson

Working Paper Series

This article charts a path for criminal sentencing in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent bombshell decision in Blakely v. Washington. Blakely has thrust sentencing systems across the country into turmoil. But Justice O’Connor was fundamentally wrong when, in her Blakely dissent, she exclaimed that “Over 20 years of sentencing reform are all but lost.” All is most assuredly not lost. Blakely, properly viewed, is an opportunity – albeit a disruptive one – to re-think and improve our sentencing systems.

The Blakely court interpreted the Sixth Amendment to require that any fact, other than the fact of prior conviction, …

Hoist With Their Own Petard?, Steven L. Chanenson

Working Paper Series

In 2003, Congress and the Department of Justice tried to increase their control over the United States Sentencing Commission and federal sentencing generally. Congress appeared to have achieved this goal when it passed the Prosecutorial Remedies and Tools Against the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (“PROTECT Act”), which resulted in reduced grounds for downward departures, Congressionally-revised text of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, and a constrained Sentencing Commission potentially devoid of judges. Yet pro-government interpretations of the PROTECT Act may have been premature because the Supreme Court has now struck down parts of Washington State’s legislatively-enacted sentencing guidelines in …

The Legacy Of The Prompt Complaint Requirement, Corroboration Requirement, And Cautionary Instructions On Campus Sexual Assault, Michelle J. Anderson

Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Why It Is Essential To Teach About Mental Health Issues In Criminal Law (And A Primer On How To Do It), Richard E. Redding

Working Paper Series

Studies consistently show a high prevalence of mental disorders among criminal defendants. Forensic mental health issues thus arise frequently in the criminal justice system and are commonly encountered by prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges—much more so than some criminal law doctrines (e.g., necessity, duress, impossibility) routinely taught in criminal law courses. Yet rarely are students taught about mental illness, how to represent mentally ill clients, adjudicative competence, the mental health needs of various offender groups and how these unmet needs may contribute to criminal behavior, or the use of mental health mitigation evidence at sentencing. If taught at all, such …

Restored To Health To Be Put To Death: Reconciling The Legal And Ethical Dilemmas Of Medication To Execute In Singleton V. Norris, Kursten Hensl

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

After Billions Spent To Comply With Hipaa And Glba Privacy Provisions, Why Is Identity Theft The Most Prevalent Crime In America, R. Bradley Mcmahon

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Making It Easier To Milk The Cow: The Southern District Of New York Collapses The Culpable Participation Doctrine And Sidesteps The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, Matthew W. Goulding

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Marital Immunity, Intimate Relationships, And Improper Inferences: A New Law On Sexual Offenses By Intimates , Michelle J. Anderson

Working Paper Series

Today, to one degree or another, marital immunity for sexual offenses persists in over half the states. Underlying the marital rape immunity has been the assumption that when a woman enters into a marriage, she is giving her ongoing consent to sexual intercourse. Professor Michelle Anderson argues that states must abolish this immunity to make the law formally neutral on the marital status of the parties. However, Professor Anderson argues, such formal neutrality is insufficient. The ideology of ongoing consent underlying the marital rape immunity has infected the way the legal system treats sexual offenses among intimates who are not …

Fighting The War On Drugs In The Twenty-First Century: A Prosecutor's Perspective, William H. Ryan Jr.

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

New Voices On The War On Drugs - Foreword, Anne Bowen Poulin

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

All Quiet On The Paper Front: Asserting A Fifth Amendment Privilege To Avoid Production Of Corporate Documents In In Re Three Grand Jury Subpoenas Duces Tecum Dated January 29, 1999, Thomas J. Koffer

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.