Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Criminal Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Cleveland State Law Review

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 91 - 120 of 204

Full-Text Articles in Criminal Law

Bargaining For Testimony: Bias Of Witnesses Who Testify In Exchange For Leniency , Spencer Martinez Jan 1999

Bargaining For Testimony: Bias Of Witnesses Who Testify In Exchange For Leniency , Spencer Martinez

Cleveland State Law Review

This note explores the risk that a criminal witness will lie on the stand when he testifies pursuant to a cooperation agreement. Section II is a history of cooperation agreements and how the permissible scope of such agreements has been curbed in the interests of defendants' rights. Section III examines the practice as it exists today, and how, in spite of the risk of perjury, state and federal prosecutors are being given increasing discretion in drafting cooperation agreements. In section IV, the "safeguards" available to the defendant which test the veracity of allegedly-biased testimony are discussed. The conclusion is that …


A Current Look At Ohio's Juvenile Justice System On The 100th Anniversary Of The Juvenile Court, Scott C. Zarzycki Jan 1999

A Current Look At Ohio's Juvenile Justice System On The 100th Anniversary Of The Juvenile Court, Scott C. Zarzycki

Cleveland State Law Review

This Note takes a closer look at the problems associated with transferring juveniles to adult court by focusing on Ohio's juvenile transfer statute. Part II begins with an analysis of the history of the juvenile court, including its establishment and evolution throughout time. It also includes an analysis of how the common interpretation of the original approach to juvenile crime has created an overly narrow view of how to deal with the problem today. Part III examines the latest crime statistics that reveal a significant drop in juvenile crime. This section also explores various alternative explanations for the apparent rise …


Identification Of The Unknown Soldier And The Fight For The Right To Anonymity: The Human Genome Project And Implications Of A National Dna Database, Kelly S. Erbes Jan 1999

Identification Of The Unknown Soldier And The Fight For The Right To Anonymity: The Human Genome Project And Implications Of A National Dna Database, Kelly S. Erbes

Cleveland State Law Review

The focus of this writing is the use of DNA for identification purposes and the issues that arise when genetic traits and/or predisposition to physical or mental conditions are linked to the individual specifically, along with the implications of a national DNA database as a system of identification. It has become the general rule that it is not an unreasonable invasion of privacy to take DNA for the purpose of identifying criminal offenders through a DNA database. This writing will examine the potential for nonconsensual inclusion of nearly everyone into such a system, as well as the ramifications in the …


Appellate Review Under The New Felony Sentencing Guidelines: Where Do We Stand , Mark P. Painter Jan 1999

Appellate Review Under The New Felony Sentencing Guidelines: Where Do We Stand , Mark P. Painter

Cleveland State Law Review

Now that it has been more than four years since Senate Bill 2 became effective, this is a good time to analyze the cases to see where courts stand in their interpretations of the guidelines. This article will review the case law and show how different courts have dealt with the legislation. My analysis concentrates on one aspect of the guidelines in particular: the standard of review that appeals courts have used to determine the propriety of sentences. To illustrate my points, I focus on the issue of when judges can impose maximum prison sentences under the guidelines, one of …


The Imagination Is A Fertile Stomping Ground: Non-Enumerated Grounds For Departure From The United States Sentencing Guidelines Under 5k2.0, Jennifer L. Cordle Jan 1999

The Imagination Is A Fertile Stomping Ground: Non-Enumerated Grounds For Departure From The United States Sentencing Guidelines Under 5k2.0, Jennifer L. Cordle

Cleveland State Law Review

Individuality in sentencing is a hallmark of true justice. The United States Sentencing Commission, which provides for uniformity through a series of detailed guidelines, recognized the need for individuality in sentencing by allowing for discretionary departures. Though the Sentencing Guidelines provide some direction regarding departures, the Commission did not take all factors that may be relevant into account when developing the guidelines. Section I of this article describes the sentencing systems in effect in the United States both before and after the adoption of the Sentencing Guidelines. Section II discusses the types of departure grounds, explains when a non-enumerated ground …


Life, Death And The Law - And Why Capital Punishment Is Legally Insupportable , Peter Fitzpatrick Jan 1999

Life, Death And The Law - And Why Capital Punishment Is Legally Insupportable , Peter Fitzpatrick

Cleveland State Law Review

Given that law has an integral commitment to life, in this lecture I want to show how the law should manifest something of a fundamental dissonance, even a terminal incoherence, when law is called upon to deal death. That is what happens in the judicial discourse on the death penalty in the United States. I will approach this demonstration in a way that may at first seem paradoxical, in a way that will bring out the deep affinity between law and death. That affinity is one in which death is, in a sense, the limit of law; a limit that …


Shaken Baby Syndrome: Who Are The True Experts, Joseph D. Hatina Jan 1998

Shaken Baby Syndrome: Who Are The True Experts, Joseph D. Hatina

Cleveland State Law Review

Shaken baby syndrome is a serious form of child maltreatment, often involving infants younger than six months of age. It commonly occurs, yet it is frequently overlooked in its most chronic form and underdiagnosed in its most serious expression. Section II of this article will discuss the symptoms, presentation, and clinical findings of shaken baby syndrome. It will conclude by looking at recommendations from the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect. Section III delves into the history, function and statistics of Child Death Review Teams on a national level. The discussion ends by examining Ohio's proposed legislation concerning …


When Something Wicked This Way Comes: Evolving Standards Of Indecency - Thompson And Stanford Revisited , Jennifer L. Whitney Jan 1998

When Something Wicked This Way Comes: Evolving Standards Of Indecency - Thompson And Stanford Revisited , Jennifer L. Whitney

Cleveland State Law Review

If the death penalty becomes an option for children under sixteen, the unavoidable conclusion must be that we have reverted back to colonial theories of punishment. The issue facing the nation will again become at what age to draw the line. In this article I argue that, as a society, we must prevent such executions and refute claims that, as a result of the failure of the juvenile justice system to rehabilitate killers before they kill, a consensus in favor of reducing the minimum age of execution has evolved. Part II of this note presents the theories of colonial crime …


State V. Lovejoy: Hung Juries And Retrial Vs. Double Jeopardy And Collateral Estoppel, Nicole M. Ellis Jan 1998

State V. Lovejoy: Hung Juries And Retrial Vs. Double Jeopardy And Collateral Estoppel, Nicole M. Ellis

Cleveland State Law Review

This article argues that the Supreme Court of Ohio's decision in Lovejoy helps to preserve the purpose of our criminal laws, which is to protect society. The article starts by recapping the events leading up to trial, then it breaks down the court decisions on appeal. The analysis of these decisions arrives at the conclusion that allowing a defendant to be retried on charges in which the accused was not previously acquitted, but rather the jury was hung or there was a mistrial, does not frustrate justice but instead greatly increases the opportunities for justice. In addition, the accused is …


On Seeking Controlling Law And Re-Seeking Death Under Section 2929.06 Of The Ohio Revised Code , Margery B. Koosed Jan 1998

On Seeking Controlling Law And Re-Seeking Death Under Section 2929.06 Of The Ohio Revised Code , Margery B. Koosed

Cleveland State Law Review

This article explores and analyzes the two-pronged legal dilemma that confronted the court in State v. Marshall: in Ohio, finding the correct sentencing law is often difficult; and a recent amendment to the resentencing portion of that law, S.B. 258, destroys the efficiency that was characteristic of Ohio's previous resentencing framework. Consequently, Part II of this article examines the facts and holding of State v. Marshall and suggests that finding the applicable law must be simplified. Practitioner handbooks are often confusing and incomplete, in part as the Ohio legislature generates an ever-changing body of law. Justice and the lives of …


Where We Have Been, And Where We Might Be Going: Some Cautionary Reflections On Rape Law Reform, The Sixty-Eighth Cleveland-Marshall Fund Lecture , Joshua Dressler Jan 1998

Where We Have Been, And Where We Might Be Going: Some Cautionary Reflections On Rape Law Reform, The Sixty-Eighth Cleveland-Marshall Fund Lecture , Joshua Dressler

Cleveland State Law Review

We should always be looking to see where we are, how we got there, and where we appear to be going. My purpose in this article has been to ask those questions in the context of rape law. In evaluating rape reform, I have tried to be fair-minded and balanced in my observations. I have suggested areas in which the law should go further to protect against sexual misconduct, but I have also expressed my belief that rape law reform threatens to move in undesirable directions. In particular, I have argued that there is a risk that courts will follow …


Genetic Technology And Its Impact On Culpability For Criminal Actions , Marcia Johnson Jan 1998

Genetic Technology And Its Impact On Culpability For Criminal Actions , Marcia Johnson

Cleveland State Law Review

This article addresses only one issue, one which our judicial system ultimately must address: the criminal responsibility one will bear for committing a crime when the actions are determined by the actor's genetic make-up. Part I of the article traces the roots of genetic research from Darwinism to eugenics and Nazi racial purity theories. Part II reviews theories and studies which support the concept of genetic influence on social, particularly criminal, behavior. Part III considers the impact of the genetic revolution on our criminal justice system with special emphasis on the effect on our system's fundamental concept of free will. …


Rape Shield Statutes And The Admissibility Of Evidence Tending To Show A Motive To Fabricate 1998 John M. Manos Writing Competition On Evidence, Regan Kreitzer Latesta Clerk For United States Bankruptcy Court For The District Of Maryland Jan 1998

Rape Shield Statutes And The Admissibility Of Evidence Tending To Show A Motive To Fabricate 1998 John M. Manos Writing Competition On Evidence, Regan Kreitzer Latesta Clerk For United States Bankruptcy Court For The District Of Maryland

Cleveland State Law Review

Rape shield statutes were enacted in order to protect the rape victim from embarrassment and humiliation at the trial of the accused by restricting the admission of sexual conduct evidence. While these statutes, for the most part, succeed in protecting the victim and encouraging her to report the rape, they can have the effect of limiting the accused's ability to defend himself. Part II of this article discusses the advent of rape shield statutes in the United States. Part III examines case law construing the statutes with regard to prior sexual conduct as evidence of a motive to fabricate. Finally, …


The Criminal Corporation: Is Ohio Prepared For Corporate Criminal Prosecutions For Workplace Fatalities, Judy K. Broussard Jan 1997

The Criminal Corporation: Is Ohio Prepared For Corporate Criminal Prosecutions For Workplace Fatalities, Judy K. Broussard

Cleveland State Law Review

Although the public perception of the meaning of the term "corporate crime" includes white collar crimes such as embezzlement and insider trading, today corporate crime encompasses another meaning in American jurisprudence-violent corporate crime. Corporations charged with such violent crimes generally fall into two categories: (1) those that manufacture or market consumer products which cause death within the general public, and (2) those whose employees are killed due to fatal accidents within the workplace. The usual legal recourse against a corporation responsible for the death of a person, in either of the above categories, is the filing of a civil wrongful …


The Character Evidence Defense: Acquittal Based On Good Character, Thomas J. Reed Jan 1997

The Character Evidence Defense: Acquittal Based On Good Character, Thomas J. Reed

Cleveland State Law Review

This article centers on the case of United States v. Martinez, the only recent case in which an accused was acquitted on the ground of good moral character. Martinez illustrates the powerful effect of a good character evidence defense that showed the accused led a blameless life before being inveigled into drug courier service by an intimidating DEA informer. This article begins with a brief review of United States v. Martinez. Following a presentation of this case, the article shifts focus to examine what our sister discipline of psychology can tell us about human personality and the cross-situational stability of …


Florida's Community Notification Of Sex Offenders On The Internet: The Disregard Of Constitutional Protections For Sex Offenders, Andrea L. Fischer Jan 1997

Florida's Community Notification Of Sex Offenders On The Internet: The Disregard Of Constitutional Protections For Sex Offenders, Andrea L. Fischer

Cleveland State Law Review

One of the toughest challenges for the courts is determining how to balance society's need for protection against an individual's constitutional rights. This Note provides an analysis of the controversy concerning community notification of sex offenders who victimize children, with the discussion directed to the constitutionality of community notification over the Internet, and suggests other possible ways to help prevent repeat sex offenses against children. Part II begins by focusing on which members of our communities are sex offenders that victimize children and looks at the reasons why they choose children as their victims. In Part III, this Note traces …


On The Abolition Of Man: A Discussion Of The Moral And Legal Issues Surrounding The Death Penalty, Thomas J. Walsh Jan 1996

On The Abolition Of Man: A Discussion Of The Moral And Legal Issues Surrounding The Death Penalty, Thomas J. Walsh

Cleveland State Law Review

This article examines the moral and practical arguments supporting the death penalty in an effort to show why the United States should join other Western nations in the abolition of the death penalty. First, this article explores the historical context of the death penalty in the United States and examines the current status of constitutional doctrine on the death penalty. Next, because an analysis of the arguments for and against the death penalty are invariably charged with moral issues, an effort will be made to examine the moral aspects of the death penalty. The arguments offered in support of the …


Development Of A Criminal Law Clinic: A Blended Approach, Norman Fell Jan 1996

Development Of A Criminal Law Clinic: A Blended Approach, Norman Fell

Cleveland State Law Review

Traditionally law schools have viewed the study of law as an academic science with the development of theoretical skills and methodology being the objective of a legal education. There are legal educators who believe that a curriculum teaching the traditional model is the school's exclusive role and that the professional skills and values associated with the practice of law are more properly acquired by the emerging lawyer in post-graduation settings. This article discusses how the traditional law school curriculum is changing. Section II lays out the historical perspective of practical legal education, and then Section II discusses how this is …


Re-Righting The Right To Privacy: The Supreme Court And The Constitutional Right To Privacy In Criminal Law, Jana Nestlerode Jan 1993

Re-Righting The Right To Privacy: The Supreme Court And The Constitutional Right To Privacy In Criminal Law, Jana Nestlerode

Cleveland State Law Review

Since the 1970's, federal legislation has expanded privacy rights in nonconstitutional areas. Juxtaposed against this more liberal legislative trend is the action of a significantly more conservative judiciary which has, and is, contracting that right in those areas governed by the Constitution. An examination of the Supreme Court's most recent decisions in the criminal law arena readily bears witness to this proclivity.


When Defendant Becomes The Victim: A Child's Recantation As Newly Discovered Evidence, Christopher J. Sinnott Jan 1993

When Defendant Becomes The Victim: A Child's Recantation As Newly Discovered Evidence, Christopher J. Sinnott

Cleveland State Law Review

This note will explore the standards for granting new trials within the child recantation setting. It will argue that insistence on respecting the evidentiary statements of children is contrary to common sense and current research. As a result, the standards for new trial ought to be rethought. Part II will analyze the two prevalent standards used by courts to weigh the merit of a new trial motion and will show why both standards present a nearly insurmountable hurdle for a movant to satisfy. Part III will explore the special issues that confront a court each time a young "victim" testifies. …


Genetically Altered Admissibility: Legislative Notice Of Dna Typing, Jayne L. Jakubaitis Jan 1991

Genetically Altered Admissibility: Legislative Notice Of Dna Typing, Jayne L. Jakubaitis

Cleveland State Law Review

This note examines the conflict over acceptance of DNA evidence. Part I discusses the process of DNA typing as a form of scientific evidence and the courts' responses to this novel technique. Part II examines the legislative responses to DNA typing. Part III explores the potential impact of the admissibility statutes both on the courts and on the accused. Finally, Part IV suggests areas of legislative regulation which may aid in resolving the current difficulties of DNA typing.


Genetically Altered Admissibility: Legislative Notice Of Dna Typing, Jayne L. Jakubaitis Jan 1991

Genetically Altered Admissibility: Legislative Notice Of Dna Typing, Jayne L. Jakubaitis

Cleveland State Law Review

This note examines the conflict over acceptance of DNA evidence. Part I discusses the process of DNA typing as a form of scientific evidence and the courts' responses to this novel technique. Part II examines the legislative responses to DNA typing. Part III explores the potential impact of the admissibility statutes both on the courts and on the accused. Finally, Part IV suggests areas of legislative regulation which may aid in resolving the current difficulties of DNA typing.


Jury Waiver In Capital Cases: An Assessment Of The Voluntary, Knowing, And Intelligent Standard, Paul Mancino Iii Jan 1991

Jury Waiver In Capital Cases: An Assessment Of The Voluntary, Knowing, And Intelligent Standard, Paul Mancino Iii

Cleveland State Law Review

This Note analyzes both the federal and various state standards as to what constitutes a voluntary, knowing, and intelligent waiver of trial by jury in capital cases. Through this analysis it will become apparent that the various standards among the different jurisdictions of a voluntary, knowing, and intelligent waiver are marked with disparity. This Note also argues that the jury waiver statutes in many jurisdictions fail to provide enough information for the capital defendant to make a voluntary, knowing, and intelligent waiver of the right to trial by jury while cognizant of the relevant circumstances and likely consequences. This deficiency …


Dna Data Banking: The Dangerous Erosion Of Privacy, E. Donald Shapiro, Michelle L. Weinberg Jan 1990

Dna Data Banking: The Dangerous Erosion Of Privacy, E. Donald Shapiro, Michelle L. Weinberg

Cleveland State Law Review

This article begins by describing the increasing prominence of DNA evidence in legal matters, before explaining how investigatory agencies wish to use DNA in their criminal investigations: primarily DNA banks and DNA testing large portions of the population in the wake of a crime. The article goes on to discuss privacy concerns about DNA profiling and DNA databanks. It discusses the differences between traditional fingerprint banks, and the greater privacy threats posed by the DNA banks. It moves on to point out the various public and private sector abuses possible with wide-spread DNA profiling. Finally, the authors suggest that legislation …


Willfulness And Ignorance In Federal Criminal Law, Michael E. Tigar Jan 1989

Willfulness And Ignorance In Federal Criminal Law, Michael E. Tigar

Cleveland State Law Review

In confronting the system of federal crimes, no word has sown more confusion than "willfully." While the term appears in literally dozens of offenses in Titles 18 and 26 of the United States Code, its meaning may vary considerably. Moreover, willfulness may be added to a statutory offense definition by judicial decision or to the indictments' allegations by prosecutorial practice. However, the absence of a unitary judicial and legislative definition of willfulness is not a reason for throwing over well-established rules about criminal intent. Precision and differentiation, and not any single categorical imperative, are the goals. All the slogans deployed …


The Reign Of The Queen Of Hearts: The Declining Significance Of The Presumption Of Innocence - A Brief Commentary, Leroy Pernell Jan 1989

The Reign Of The Queen Of Hearts: The Declining Significance Of The Presumption Of Innocence - A Brief Commentary, Leroy Pernell

Cleveland State Law Review

The cherished concept of the presumption of innocence and the need for adjudication before sentence has eroded over the years. Taking its place is a growing belief that the safety of society depends on massive deprivation of liberty and property without predetermination of guilt. The notion of innocence has now become an inconvenient technicality as opposed to a valued principle. This article will examine the origin, history, and decline of the presumption of innocence in three contexts: (1) pretrial detention, (2) property forfeiture, and (3) trial stage -courtroom settings and jury instructions.


Scarlet Letter Punishment: Yesterday's Outlawed Penalty Is Today's Probation Condition, Leonore H. Tavill Jan 1988

Scarlet Letter Punishment: Yesterday's Outlawed Penalty Is Today's Probation Condition, Leonore H. Tavill

Cleveland State Law Review

The use of alternatives has sparked a whole host of new issues. The most significant of these new issues is the determination of who should or should not receive probation' and what kind of probation condition can be justified for certain criminals. Desperation, indefinite statutory provisions, and the resulting judicial discretion afforded to those on the bench has led to the imposition of some probation conditions which are unnecessarily harsh, unjustified, and possibly unconstitutional. Of particular concern is the growing use of "scarlet letter" probation conditions which require signs to be posted on the offender's property warning the public by …


Broken Promises And Involuntary Confessions: May A State Introduce Incriminating Statements Made By A Defendant As A Result Of Promises In A Plea Bargain Agreement If The Defendant Breaches That Agreement, Bradford C. Mank Jan 1988

Broken Promises And Involuntary Confessions: May A State Introduce Incriminating Statements Made By A Defendant As A Result Of Promises In A Plea Bargain Agreement If The Defendant Breaches That Agreement, Bradford C. Mank

Cleveland State Law Review

There is a substantial constitutional question concerning whether admissions made pursuant to a plea bargain that the defendant has breached are admissible under the fifth amendment's privilege against compelled self-incrimination or the due process clauses of the fifth and fourteenth amendments. Courts have reached conflicting results in regard to whether such statements are voluntary.10 This Article argues that it is difficult to resolve whether such admissions are voluntary because courts have not provided a clear definition as to under what circumstances a confession is voluntary in accordance with the dictates of the fifth and fourteenth amendments. Instead of focusing on …


Moving To Dismiss A Civil Rico Action, David J. Howard Jan 1987

Moving To Dismiss A Civil Rico Action, David J. Howard

Cleveland State Law Review

The use and abuse of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") has troubled judges and lawyers for some time while providing fertile ground for commentators. The plethora of RICO cases is equaled only by the tremendous proliferation of commentary. This Article, while admittedly contributing to this proliferation, is excusable, however, because its purpose is to facilitate summary disposition of RICO claims by providing a practical guide to achieving early dismissal under Rules 12(b)(6) and 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. It is impossible to set forth all grounds for dismissing every RICO complaint. The scope of …


Ford V. Wainwright, Statutory Changes And A New Test For Sanity: You Can't Execute Me, I'M Crazy, Steven J. Huff Jan 1987

Ford V. Wainwright, Statutory Changes And A New Test For Sanity: You Can't Execute Me, I'M Crazy, Steven J. Huff

Cleveland State Law Review

In Ford v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether the Eighth Amendment prohibits the execution of an insane inmate. In answering this query, the Court created a constitutional right not to be executed while incompetent. However, the Ford decision is not only important for its creation of a "new" constitutional right, it also has the potential of nullifying several state statutes in regards to the due process requirements of hearings addressing the issue of insanity at the time of execution. The Ford decision also requires that a new test of sanity be created the test of whether …