Jurisprudence Commons^™

Salinastroika: Recent Developments In Technology Transfer Law In Mexico., Mark O'C. O'Brien, Carlos R.V. Muggenburg

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Why The United States Should Adopt The First-To-File System For Patents., Bernarr R. Pravel

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Recent Developments In Civil Rights Law (As Presented At The Common Cause 20th Anniversary Celebration At St. Mary's School Of Law On November 3, 1990) Address., Archibald Cox

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Alamo Lumber And Texas Usury Law: Playing With Fire In The Usury Forest., Terry W. Wright, W. Alan Wright, Scott G. Night

St. Mary's Law Journal

The effect of Alamo Lumber Co. v. Gold, and later cases interpreting third party assumption of debt as interest can be perilous to lenders. Lenders are in the business of offering loans to make money. Lenders achieve profit maximization by charging as much interest as possible in the market. Although economic and market factors are always considerations in a lender’s business, in Texas, lenders must also consider harsh usury laws that restrain the maximum amount of chargeable loan interest. Texas defines interest broadly. Statutes define interest as the receipt of compensation for the detention, forbearance or use of money. The …

Journal Wars., Michael Vitiello

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Empire Strikes Back., E. Joshua Rosenkranz

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Review Of Honorable Justice: The Life Of Oliver Wendell Holmes By Sheldon Novick., Michael S. Ariens

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Pyrrhic Victories And Glorious Defeats: Why Defendants Are Winning And Plaintiffs Are Losing The Struggle Over Actual Malice And Fictionalized Quotations., Richard A. Gonzales

St. Mary's Law Journal

This article reviews Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, a case of fabricated quotations. The article looks first at the legal background and Supreme Court's development of the actual malice standard. An analysis of the problem through journalistic ethics and investigation of the difficulties confronting libel plaintiffs will follow. Finally, the comment explores the misquotation problem from both a legal and a journalistic perspective.

Erisa Preempts All Texas Causes Of Action That Relate To An Employee Benefit Plan Including The Insurance Code, The Deceptive Trade Practices Act And Common Law., Brent Biggs

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Limitations On Medical Malpractice Damages Pursuant To The Medical Liability Act Are Constitutional In Wrongful Death Cases., Lynn B. Layne

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Incurable, Reversible Error Occurs Whenever The Jury Feels Animus Toward Or Solidarity With Witnesses Or Litigants Because Of Ethnicity Or Race Due To An Attorney's Suggestions Made During Closing Argument, No Matter How Open Or Subtle And With Finesse Those Suggestions May Be., Glenn D. Levy

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Human Rights Revolution Address., Thomas Buergenthal

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Preserving Error On Appeal In Texas Civil Cases: A Practical Guide For Civil Appeals In Texas Article Foreword., John Cornyn Iii

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Preserving Error On Appeal In Texas Civil Cases: A Practical Guide For Civil Appeals In Texas., John Hill Cayce Jr.

St. Mary's Law Journal

Fatal procedural errors can prevent appellees from preserving judgements and appellants from seeking review of court decisions on appeal. This article is a practical guide identifying critical concepts necessary to preserve the various rights of appeal. By examining the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, the author identifies procedural pitfalls attorneys may face when attempting to preserve appeals to the Texas Supreme Court or the appellate courts of Texas. Although the Texas Supreme Court has endeavored to eliminate procedural traps from civil appeals, a significant number of requests for appeal fail because lawyers do not follow the requirements necessary to preserve …

Oil In The Persian Gulf War: Legal Appraisal Of An Environmental Warfare., Margaret T. Okorodudu-Fubara

St. Mary's Law Journal

Oil, modern history’s most “powerful” natural economic resource stood at the epicenter of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and became the latest unconventional weapon of warfare. The objective of this Article is to assess the legal implications of this recent environmental warfare involving the “oil weapon,” the first of its kind in recorded history. The experiences from national and international wars demonstrate one sure victim of wars, even barring human losses, is the environment. The delicacy of mankind’s planetary ecosystem necessitates urgency addressed to protecting the environment in the international struggle for arms control and disarmament agreement. This Article indicates …

Texas Fetal Rights: Is There A Future For The Rights Of Future Texans., S. Jeffrey Gately

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Texas, contrary interpretations, whether a fetus is a person or non-person, create unpredictable and irreconcilable outcomes. The author contrasts the differences found in Texas law regarding the rights of unborn children in the areas of property, family, criminal, and tort law. At conception, a fetus enjoys property rights. However, under the auspices of family law, a mother may not collect child support until birth but may seek contribution for prenatal care prior to birth. Criminal protection of a fetus is unavailable in Texas unless the fetus is born alive. If criminal activity results in still birth or fetal destruction, …

Judge Jack B. Miller In Memoriams., L. Wayne Scott

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Court Of Criminal Appeals Versus The Constitution: The Conclusivity Question., Susan Bleil, Charles Bleil

St. Mary's Law Journal

This Article examines the Texas Constitution’s grant of authority to appellate courts to review questions of fact and the Texas Supreme Court’s treatment of that authority. It then contrasts that treatment with the contrary position taken by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals since 1981. It also examines the sentiments of the courts of appeals themselves. The analysis of the decisions demonstrates the highest courts of Texas do not uniformly view the constitutional provision in question. It also shows resulting confusion and dissatisfaction. The Court of Criminal Appeals needs a better, more logical approach in interpreting the Texas constitution. Also …

The Carryforward Of Net Operating Losses And Other Tax Attributes After Bankruptcy Reorganizations., Martin M. Van Brauman

St. Mary's Law Journal

When stock is exchanged for debt in a bankruptcy reorganization, potentially abusive tax situations can result if the reorganization occurs strictly for the carryforward of tax attributes to the acquiring corporation. The basic question is to what extent the discharge of indebtedness provisions, the application of the various statutory and judicial requirements, and the consolidated return regulations prohibit or restrict the carryforward of the tax history of the debtor corporation. Bankruptcy reorganization for a corporation under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code can take the form of either a recapitalization or a reorganization. Because a “G” reorganization involves a discharge …

The Texas Tax Relief Act After Twelve Years: Adoption, Implementation &(And) Enforcement., Michael Weiss

St. Mary's Law Journal

The Texas Tax Reform Act, an amendment to the Texas constitution, undertook to create and enforce spending limits. The Texas Government first followed the spending limits in the 1982-1983 biennium. The threat of veto from Governor Clemments forced the legislature to adopt a budget below the limit. Unfortunately, Texas taxpayers did not see the savings of 1982 repeated in subsequent years. Meaning, the amendment, which passed by an eighty-four percent majority, failed in its purpose for limiting the government growth and spending. The noncompliance of the LBB is in contravention of the people’s will and the laws established to set …

Postscript: In Budget Disputes Between Elected State Officials, Will The Rule Of Law Prevail., Gregory E. Maggs

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Scope Of The Eighth Amendment Does Not Include A Per Se Bar To The Use Of Victim Impact Evidence In The Sentencing Phase Of A Capital Trial., Jimmie O. Clements Jr.

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Payne v. Tennessee, the United States Supreme Court held the scope of the Eighth Amendment does not include a per se bar to the use of victim impact evidence in the sentencing phase of a capital trial. As a result of Payne, the realm of information admissible during the sentencing phase of a capital trial now includes victim impact evidence. The use of victim impact evidence improperly diverts the sentencer’s attention away from the defendant’s moral blameworthiness to the victim’s character and reputation. Although advocates of victim’s rights may see this decision as a victory, the reasoning of the …

A Trial Court's Refusal To Question Prospective Jurors About The Specific Contents Of Pretrial Publicity Which They Had Read Or Heard Did Not Violate A Defendant's Sixth Amendment Right To An Impartial Jury, Or Fourteenth Amendment Right To Due Process., Karen A. Cusenbary

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Mu'Min v. Virginia, the United States Supreme Court held a defendant has no right to ask jurors about the potential influence of prejudicial pretrial publicity. A defendant may ask only if the jurors can remain impartial. The Court mandates that overturning a trial court’s jury selection is allowable only if manifest error renders the trial fundamentally unfair. The Court did not find that the case involved sufficient public passion to necessitate a more extensive jury examination by the trial court to include inquiries involving the effect of pretrial publicity. The ruling in Mu'Min leaves too much discretion to the …

Nude Dancing Conveying A Message Or Eroticism And Sexuality Is Protected By The First Amendment But Can Be Limited Under State Police Powers Provided The Government Establishes A Substantial, Content-Neutral Purpose., Fred S. Wilson

St. Mary's Law Journal

In Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc., the Supreme Court held the First Amendment protects nude dancing as conveying an expressive message, but state police powers may limit protection if the government establishes a substantial, content-neutral purpose. It is a principal of constitutional law where an actor intends to convey a message by expressive conduct, the First Amendment protection extends to that expression. Traditionally, time, place, and manner regulations restricting expressive conduct based on either the subject-matter of the message or the viewpoint of the actor receive content-based classification. However, content-based regulation of expressive conduct is constitutional only when narrowly drawn …

An Independent And Adequate Procedural Rule Bars A State Prisoner, Who Has Defaulted His Entire Appeal, From Asserting A Federal Claim Unless The Prisoner Demonstrates Cause For, And Actual Prejudice Resulting From, The Procedural Default, Or In The Alternative, Proves A Fundamental Miscarriage Of Justice Will Result If The Federal Habeas Court Fails To Hear The Claim., Jared R. V. Woodfill

St. Mary's Law Journal

The current jurisprudential regime accepts a blanket procedural default policy which denies the federal habeas court its proper constitutional role. An ideological coup d’etat is needed which reappraises the modern procedural default doctrine and supplants it with a rule in the spirit of Fay v. Noia. Such a revolution would emphasize the federal habeas court’s role as a defender of constitutional rights. In an era of multifarious litigation and sociological jurisprudence, a habeas prisoner should not lose his life because a negligent public defender failed to preserve the right in procedural formaldehyde. On April 23, 1982, a court convicted Roger …

An Employer Cannot Avoid Its Obligation To Contribute To An Employee-At-Will's Pension Plan By Terminating The Employee., Carol Jendrzey

St. Mary's Law Journal

In McClendon v. Ingersoll-Rand Co., the Texas Supreme Court held an employer cannot avoid its obligation to contribute to an employee-at-will’s pension plan by terminating the employee. A minority of jurisdictions recognize an implied contract exception to the employment-at-will doctrine allowing termination only with cause. In these jurisdictions, employers who raise the defense of statute of frauds because there is no written employment contract may be defeated by the terms of employment articulated in employee handbooks and manuals. Though both the legislatures and the courts recognize a public policy interest in protecting employee pension plans, the United States Supreme Court …

Applying Edgewood V. Kirby To Analysis Of Fundamental Rights Under The Texas Constitution., Albert H. Kauffman, Carmen Maria Rumbaut

St. Mary's Law Journal

State constitutions are affirmative grants of power under which both stated and implied fundamental rights can be sought. A proposed test for fundamental rights under the Texas Constitution looks at three factors: the history of the topic within the Texas Constitution and case law; the actual language used in the controlling provision; and the importance of that value to the people of Texas. The declaration of a constitutional right as fundamental certainly has implications for future relationships between the people and the government.

The Edgewood v. Kirby case has the potential to change much in Texas. The case stands for …

A Practical Guide To The Admissibility Of Novel Expert Evidence In Criminal Trials Under Federal Rule 702., Cathleen C. Herasimchuk

St. Mary's Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Benign Classification Based On Race Must Be Narrowly Tailored To Achieve A Compelling Governmental Interest., Martha J. Hess

St. Mary's Law Journal

In City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., the Supreme Court held a minority business utilization plan (Richmond Plan) was violative of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The Richmond Plan required all builders awarded city construction contracts to subcontract, at minimum, 30% of the contract value to Minority Business Enterprises. A state government enacting legislation that burdens one class of persons and benefits a similarly-situated class must provide sufficient justification for its action to survive equal protection analysis. When distinction is based on race or national origin—classes considered inherently suspect—a reviewing court subjects the governmental legislation to strict scrutiny, …

Dtpa In The Courts: Two Empirical Studies And A Proposal For Change., Nancy Friedman Atlas, Scott J. Atlas, Raymond T. Nimmer

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.