Military, War, and Peace Commons^™

The Decline Of Civil Jury Trials: A Positive Development, Myth, Or The End Of Justice As We Now Know It?, Xavier Rodriguez

St. Mary's Law Journal

Jury participation is helpful in many respects. It fosters an understanding of the third branch of government and the workings of the judicial system. It offers the opportunity for individuals to serve in a unique role: neutral factfinder. Moreover, in an age of declining voter participation, jury service provides individuals with the opportunity to directly participate in our governmental structure. Despite these positive attributes, jury trials as we knew them are on the decline. That may or may not be problematic, depending on what types of cases are being impacted. Where parties have reached a voluntary and informed settlement on …

Complexity And Efficiency At International Criminal Courts, 29 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 1 (2014), Stuart K. Ford

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

One of the most persistent criticisms of international criminal tribunals has been that they cost too much and take too long. In response, this Article presents a new approach that utilizes two concepts: complexity and efficiency. The first half of this Article proposes a method for measuring the complexity of criminal trials and then uses that method to measure the complexity of the trials conducted at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The results are striking. Even the least complex ICTY trial is more complex than the average criminal trial in the United States, and the most …

Contemporary Practice Of The United States Relating To International Law, January 2014, Kristina Daugirdas, Julian Davis Mortenson

Articles

• Progress Is Made Implementing U.S.-Russia Framework for Eliminating Syrian Chemical Weapons • United States Advocates for Syrian Peace Conference • United States Extends Deadline for Signing of Bilateral Security Agreement with Afghanistan • China Announces New Air Defense Identification Zone over East China Sea, Prompting U.S. Response • United States and Six Other States Reach Interim Agreement on Iranian Nuclear Program

Picking Up Where Katcoff Left Off: Developing A Framework For A Constitutional Military Chaplaincy, Malcolm H. Wilkerson

Oklahoma Law Review

Under existing precedent, portions of the military chaplaincy program are unconstitutional. Although presenting at least the appearance of the “establishment” of religion, the military chaplaincy program has never been successfully challenged on constitutional grounds—despite its history of more than two centuries. The only court that has directly confronted the issue upheld the military chaplaincy based on what appears to be a counter-intuitive application of the Free Exercise Clause. Namely, the military chaplaincy program ensures the free exercise rights of service members who, because of their military service, would otherwise be deprived of access to religious services. And indeed, when a …

Humanitarian Intervention Post-Syria: Legitimate And Legal?, Milena Sterio

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article looks at the state of affairs under international law by focusing on the existing ban on the use of force and the established exceptions thereto as of December 2014. Topics discussed include the concept of humanitarian intervention, the civil crises in Syria, and international law for the legality of military intervention in Syria. It also examines Harold Koh's proposed normative framework for humanitarian intervention.

The Intertwined Fates Of Affirmative Action And The Military, Robert Knowles

Loyola University Chicago Law Journal

This Article explores the deep connections between the crises facing the military and affirmative action. The military struggles with a sexual assault epidemic and a related failure to achieve gender and racial equality, both of which undermine its ability to effectively carry out its mission. Affirmative action faces growing skepticism from the American public and from the courts, which have been gradually eliminating the ground on which gender- and race-conscious measures can be constitutionally justified.

In this time of crisis for both, the military and affirmative action need each other like never before. Affirmative action needs the military to tell …

Sex Crimes Litigation As Hazardous Duty: Practical Tools For Trauma-Exposed Prosecutors, Defense Counsel, And Paralegals, Evan R. Seamone

Journal Articles

Military prosecutors and defense attorneys must both interact with traumatic case material stemming from victims, offenders, or evidence tied to a sexual offense. The context of the attorney's specific duties makes them susceptible to different types of indirect or "Secondary Traumatic Stress" [STS] stemming from the litigation. At base, STS generically describes the manner in which a person can be traumatized simply from hearing or being exposed to someone else's trauma or implementations that caused it.

Contemporary Practice Of The United States Relating To International Law, October 2014, Kristina Daugirdas, Julian Davis Mortenson

Articles

In this section: • United States Condemns Russia’s Use of Force in Ukraine and Attempted Annexation of Crimea • In Wake of Espionage Revelations, United States Declines to Reach Comprehensive Intelligence Agreement with Germany • United States Defends United Nations’ Immunity in Haitian Cholera Case • French Bank Pleads Guilty to Criminal Violations of U.S. Sanctions Laws • D.C. Circuit Strikes down Administrative Order Requiring Divestment by Foreign-Owned Corporation • United States Adopts New Land Mine Policy • United States Claims That Russia Has Violated the INF Treaty

Military Intervention And Diplomatic Engagement In Libya: A Collage Of Policy, Force, And Law, Paul Williams, Anna Triponel

Contributions to Books

The case of Libya demonstrates the extent to which the law plays a role in enabling, shaping and constraining complex military and diplomatic operations. The law underpinned a number of decisions made at the policy level regarding military and diplomatic engagement. Although prior military operations can provide guidance for decision-making in future military operations, the application of the law to each case will be unique. The Libyan case study provides an example of how the law and politics intertwined to achieve the U.S. government’s objectives of protecting the Libyan people against violent attacks by their leader. This chapter examines the …

The United States, China, And Freedom Of Navigation In The South China Sea, James W. Houck, Nicole M. Anderson

Faculty Scholarship

The need for a uniform understanding of international norms regarding freedom of navigation is increasingly important as more States develop capacity to act in the international maritime realm. Nowhere is the issue of freedom of navigation more contentious, with more potential to spark wider conflict, than in the South China Sea (SCS). Both the United States and China profess an interest in the free navigation of commercial vessels in the region. Beyond commercial shipping, however, the two nations disagree on the important issue of freedom of navigation for military vessels. The United States believes all nations have wide latitude under …

Unintended Consequences: The Posse Comitatus Act In The Modern Era, Mark P. Nevitt

Faculty Articles

America was born in revolution. Outraged at numerous abuses by the British crown—to include the conduct of British soldiers in the colonists’ daily lives—Americans declared their independence, creating a new republic with deep suspicions of a standing army. These suspicions were intensely debated at the time of the nation’s formation and enshrined in the Constitution. But congressional limitations on the role of the military in day-to-day affairs would have to wait. This did not occur until after the Civil War when Southern congressmen successfully co-opted the framers’ earlier concerns of a standing army and passed a criminal statute—the 1878 Posse …

Veterans Treatment Court: A Hand Up Rather Than Lock Up, Tabatha Renz

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

There has been a gradual national shift toward rehabilitation within the justice system. This has been especially important for veterans who make up only 8% of the total population, but account for 10% of those with criminal records. Recognizing that the traditional justice system is not equipped to handle cases of individuals whose underlying cause of offense is combat trauma, there has been a call to expand the Veterans Treatment Court ("VTC") program as an alternative for offenders who are veterans of the armed forces. This issue has been compounded by over a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, …

Veteran's Law Symposium: Keynote Address Delivered November 8, 2013, Tim Kaine

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivered this keynote address at the 2013 Journal of Law and the Public Interest Symposium. In this transcript of his speech, Senator Kaine discusses the importance of improving service for veterans disability claims, how the changing nature of society affects military and veterans issues, fundamental questions about 21st century warfare, and concludes by answering questions form the audience.

Contemporary Practice Of The United States Relating To International Law, April 2014, Kristina Daugirdas, Julian Davis Mortenson

Articles

• Another Mexican National Executed in Texas in Defiance of Avena Decision • Manhattan Arrest of Indian Consular Official Sparks Public Dispute Between the United States and India • United States Questions Claims Based on China’s “Nine-Dash Line” in the South China Sea • United States Takes Steps to Combat Illegal Trade in Wildlife • U.S. Compromises Facilitate Agreement on World Trade Organization’s Bali Package; Question Remains Whether Bali Package Requires Congressional Approval • Destruction of Syrian Chemical Arms Delayed • Iran Nuclear Agreement Is Implemented Notwithstanding Expressions of Distrust by Iran and the U.S. Congress

Contemporary Practice Of The United States Relating To International Law, July 2014, Kristina Daugirdas, Julian Davis Mortenson

Articles

United States Negotiates Prisoner Exchange to Secure Release of U.S. Soldier Held in Afghanistan • United States Refuses to Grant Visa to Iranian UN Envoy • Multilateral Naval Code of Conduct Aims to Prevent Unintended Conflict in Contested Areas of East and South China Seas • Senate Approves Treaties to Regulate Fishing • United States Indicts Chinese Military Officials for Economic Espionage • U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Terminate Long-Running Efforts to Force Argentina to Pay Defaulted Sovereign Debt • United States Condemns Uganda’s Antigay Law as Violating Human Rights • President Barack Obama Certifies That U.S. Peacekeepers in Mali …

Children, Armed Conflict, And Genocide: Applying The Law Of Genocide To The Recruitment And Use Of Children In Armed Conflict, Jeffery R. Ray

Barry Law Review

This paper shows that the use of child soldiers in armed conflict has the potential to be considered as genocide. A brief background of genocide is presented prior to the analysis. Part I of the analysis will discuss three issues: first, the modern understanding of genocide and the substantive areas of law that govern it; second, the definition of “child” within the international arena as it relates to child soldiering; third, a discussion to determine if children can constitute a “group” in the context of the law of genocide.

Part II provides a discussion elaborating on Part I, then analyzes …

Taxation Of Series Llcs In Texas: Bigger Isn't Always Better In The Lone Star State., Alyson Outenreath

St. Mary's Law Journal

Series Limited Liability Companies (series LLCs) are not yet widely popular as an entity of choice; but just as it took many years for traditional LLCs to become widely used, there could also come a day when series LLCs are the “go-to” entity of choice. One development in the law that will aid in this process is greater certainty in state taxation of series LLCs. Texas has provided some guidance with respect to the taxation of series LLCs for Texas franchise tax purposes after the comptroller’s issuance of Comptroller Private Letter Ruling 201005184L. In this ruling, the comptroller concluded that …

Power Play: An Examination Of Texas's Anti-Slapp Statute And Its Protection Of Free Speech Through Accelerated Dismissal., Dena M. Richardson

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Texas Anti-Indemnity Act., Taylor R. Beaver

St. Mary's Law Journal

Owners, general contractors, and subcontractors enter into agreements to ameliorate risk amongst those exercising control. Some of these include hold-harmless agreements, indemnity agreements, releases, and agreements conferring additional insured status to others. Typically, parties enjoy freedom to contract as they wish. Texas has long recognized, as a matter of public policy, a party’s right to draft contracts however it sees fit. Historically, risk-shifting agreements were enforceable if they passed the fair notice requirements, meaning the express negligence rule and the conspicuousness test. The trend in recent years, however, has been to limit exculpatory clauses. In 2011, the Texas Legislature effectively …

Texas Remedies In Equity For Breach Of Fiduciary Duty: Disgorgement, Forfeiture, And Fracturing., George P. Roach

St. Mary's Law Journal

The remedy of fee forfeiture against lawyer fiduciaries has been marginalized. Following Burrow v. Arce, Texas trial courts have frequently applied a no-fracturing rule that effectively bars a claim for breach of fiduciary duty against an attorney. Although the court in Burrow held actual damages were not a prerequisite for fee forfeiture, many Texas trial courts have not followed that precedent. Most Texas trial courts require the plaintiff to prove actual damages to survive a summary judgment motion. Others have openly asserted that not all legitimate claims for breach of fiduciary duty should be allowed as an alternative claim to …

The Dual Role Of A Chief Justice., Catherine Stone

St. Mary's Law Journal

Notwithstanding the growing trend of high-dollar judicial election campaigns, many citizens do not know what appellate judges and appellate courts do. Faced with the reality of obscurity and the ever-present potential of failed reelection campaigns, appellate judges work each day to fulfill the mission of appellate courts: to efficiently resolve the legal disputes presented in appeals from lower court decisions with written opinions that are well reasoned, thoroughly researched, and intellectually honest. It is the responsibility of the Chief Justice to promote that core mission with all justices on the court, thereby working to best serve the legal needs of …

The Aftermath Of Mexico's Fuel-Theft Epidemic: Examining The Texas Black Market And The Conspiracy To Trade In Stolen Condensate., Luke B. Reinhart

St. Mary's Law Journal

Organized crime has infiltrated the oil patch, creating a theft network with an annual value of $2–$4 billion. Over the past decade, Mexican drug cartels have plundered mass amounts of natural gas condensate produced by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex)—the governing Mexican agency for production and export of hydrocarbons. The Mexican government has not sat by idly. Pemex’s production losses have skyrocketed from $300 million, between 2006 and 2011, to an estimated $585 million in 2013 alone. Considering derivative costs associated with these thefts, Pemex’s annual losses reach into the billions. Diversified and driven by profits derived from the United States black …

The Extraterritorial Application Of The Fifth Amendment: A Need For Expanded Constitutional Protections., Guinevere E. Moore, Robert T. Moore

St. Mary's Law Journal

Since 2010, there have been forty-three cases—and ten deaths—involving the use of deadly force by United States agents against Mexican nationals along the border. Currently, the official policy is that officers may still use deadly force where they “reasonably believe”—based upon the totality of the circumstances—that they are in “imminent danger” of death or serious injury. Officers were found reasonable in using deadly force in situations as mundane as young boys throwing rocks. In light of these actions, the Mexican government has raised serious concerns about the disproportionate use of force by United States agents. The question now raised is …

In Pursuit Of Just Compensation In Texas: Assessing Damages In Takings Cases Using The Property's Tax-Appraised Value., Alexander B. Lutzky

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Duck-Rabbits And Drones: Legal Indeterminacy In The War On Terror, Rosa Brooks

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In the days and weeks immediately following the 9/11 attacks, “the law” offered little to lawyers or policy-makers looking for guidance. Indeed, for many the events of 9/11 became the legal equivalent of a Rorschach test: depending on the observer, the 9/11 attacks were variously construed as criminal acts, acts of war, or something in between, thus fitting into (or triggering) any of several radically different legal regimes.

Divergent interpretations of the law are common, of course. Legal rules often contain an element of ambiguity, and the “facts” to which law must be applied can frequently be construed in multiple …

In Sight, It Must Be Right: Judicial Review Of Va Decision For Reasons And Bases Vs. Clear Error, David E. Boelzner

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

"In sight, it must be right" was the advertising slogan of a chain of hamburger restaurants that featured visible grills so customers could see the food being prepared, the assumption being that under customers' watchful eyes the burgers would be grilled properly. The Board of Veterans' Appeals ("Board") provides the final decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") on a veteran claimant's entitlement to benefits, based on de novo review of a previous VA regional office determination. When in 1988 Congress provided in the Veterans Judicial Review Act for court review of agency decisions on veterans' claims for benefits, …

Serving Those Who Served, Edward G. Simpson, Iii, Gregory L. Collins

Law Student Publications

Forward from Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest, Vol. XVII, regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Despite the VA's massive budget and our country's growing veteran population, many veterans' issues are not being adequately addressed, and the legal needs of our veterans require our increased attention.

Using Force Against The "Weapons Of The Weak": Examining A Chemical-Biological Weapons Usage Criterion For Unilateral Humanitarian Intervention Under The Responsibility To Protect, Andrew M. Bell

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The civil war in Syria has demonstrated the international community's inability to act to protect civilians caught in mass atrocities during cases of U.N. Security Council deadlock, with permanent member vetoes presenting a significant legal obstacle to international humanitarian intervention.

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) construct, created in response to the NATO intervention in Kosovo, was originally designed to overcome such Security Council paralysis by transforming the debate from the "right" of states to intervene to the "responsibility" of the entire international community to protect civilians as well as open the door to legitimate unilateral humanitarian intervention in cases of …

From Villa Grimaldi To Guantánamo Bay: Remedying Human Rights Abuses In Chile And The United States, Nadia Shamsi

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article examines the effectiveness of transitional justice mechanisms in addressing human rights abuses, using Chile's experience under Augusto Pinochet as a model. It critiques the U.S. for failing to adopt similar approaches to accountability, particularly in addressing abuses at Guantanamo Bay and other detention centers. The analysis highlights the importance of combining truth commissions, criminal prosecutions, and reparations to achieve justice and promote democratic transition. It argues that the U.S. must align its domestic practices with the international human rights standards it promotes.

Just Violence, Alice Ristroph

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.