Constitutional Law Commons^™

Medicaid Expansion, The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, And The Supreme Court's Flawed Spending Clause Coercion Reasoning In National Federation Of Independent Business V. Sebelius, L. Darnell Weeden

Cleveland State Law Review

The issue to be addressed is whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA or “Obamacare”) manifest goal of promoting the general welfare of the nation by encouraging states to expand their existing Medicaid plans is a coercive use of Congress’ power under the Spending Clause if the federal government permanently picks up at least 90 percent of the cost of the expansion. The Spending Clause grants Congress the power “to pay the Debts and provide for the . . . general Welfare of the United States.” To make certain that federal money given to the States is used …

Brady, Arkansas Rule 17.1, And Disclosure Of Scientific Evidence And Expert Opinion, J. Thomas Sullivan

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

The United States Constitution as well as state procedural rules require prosecutorial authorities to disclose evidence to the defense as a means for ensuring fairness in the prosecution of individuals charged with criminal offenses. When prosecutorial authorities fail to disclose evidence as required, the integrity of the criminal justice system is threatened and the defense is unable to adequately prepare for trial. This threat is illustrated and magnified by the substantiation of prosecutorial misconduct claims in high profile trials where prosecutors have been unable to resist the temptation not to disclose evidence that could damage the prosecution's case, or, where …

The Rise And Demise Of The Absolute Dominion Doctrine For Groundwater, Joseph W. Dellapenna

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

Increased human populations, together with increased per capita water usage and climate changes, have resulted in our planet coping with greater water shortages than ever before. Groundwater has played, and will continue to play, a critical role in dealing with water shortages. Consequently, more and more attention, legal and otherwise, is being given to groundwater across the United States.

Much legal confusion about groundwater exists. For starters, there is no single legal definition for groundwater. Moreover, the law has developed legal categories such as percolating water and underground streams which, while contradictory to scientific hydrology, remain embedded in the law. …

The Con Law Professor With Judicial Appointment Power, Theresa M. Beiner

Law Faculty Scholarship

This essay explores whether, how or, perhaps, to what extent President Barack Obama’s time as a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago is reflected in his approach to judicial appointments. Three things are striking about President Obama’s initial approach to judicial selection. First, he has appointed the most diverse bench of any President. Second, he has appointed judges rather slowly compared to his predecessors. And, finally, he has appointed a rather politically moderate bench. How might these particular and in some ways surprising aspects of President Obama’s judicial appointments reflect – or not reflect – his time as …

The Growing Pains Of Graham V. Florida: Deciphering Whether Lengthy Term-Of-Years Sentences For Juvenile Defendants Can Equate To The Unconstitutional Sentence Of Life Without The Possibility Of Parole, Therese A. Savona

St. Thomas Law Review

This article will provide a basic understanding of Eighth Amendment jurisprudence and then explores how the most recent United States Supreme Court cases of Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama affect juvenile resentencing. Additionally, this article addresses the most recent trend presented in juvenile cases where the juvenile defendant is charged as an adult, tried as an adult, and sentenced accordingly. Specifically, the issue of a lengthy term-of-years sentence in states such as California and Florida appear to be the battleground of diverse opinions, more so perhaps than other states.

Pre-Apprendi Sentencing: Issues Surrounding The Retroactivity Of An Unconstitutional Sentence, Priscilla S. Zaldivar

St. Thomas Law Review

This comment ventures to provide a manageable resolution to the issues that have arisen from the implementation and subsequent limitations of the federal sentencing guidelines. Part II discusses the sentencing guidelines' history, creation, and evolution. This part also reviews the pertinent cases that have shaped the relevance and application of the sentencing guidelines by the U.S. Supreme Court. Part III details the successful retroactivity of the Boggs Act as a real-world example of the feasibility of retroactivity. Finally, Part IV provides an administrative solution to the problems with retroactive application of the Booker/Fanfan decision in order to remedy the unconstitutional …

Sixth Amendment Right To Counsel: Broaden The Scope, Decriminalize, And Ensure Indigents A Fair Chance In Court And In Life, Maria C. Pena

St. Thomas Law Review

Part I of this comment explains the history of the Sixth Amendment and the right to counsel, beginning at English common law through the current status of the right. Part II discusses the collateral consequences and social stigma an individual is faced with after conviction of a crime, despite the fact that the accused was not sentenced to jail. Part III summarizes the current problem an ex-convict faces based on the initial denial of assistance of counsel and offers a solution to this problem by explaining that the right to counsel should be extended to all criminal prosecutions. In addition, …

Students, Security, And Race, Jason P. Nance

UF Law Faculty Publications

In the wake of the terrible shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, our nation has turned its attention to school security. For example, several states have passed or are considering passing legislation that will provide new funding to schools for security equipment and law enforcement officers. Strict security measures in schools are certainly not new. In response to prior acts of school violence, many public schools for years have relied on metal detectors, random sweeps, locked gates, surveillance cameras, and law enforcement officers to promote school safety. Before policymakers and school officials invest more money in strict security measures, this Article provides …

A Dilemma Of Doctrinal Design: Rights, Identity And The Work-Family Conflict, Lauren Sudeall Lucas

Faculty Publications By Year

This symposium article suggests that with regard to the work-family conflict, we may have exhausted doctrine’s potential in setting a constitutional foundation for women to be treated as equals in the workplace and requiring that they not be discriminated against in the event that they decide to start a family. For purposes of this piece, those accomplishments constitute the first phase or “first generation” of progress. This article is concerned with how doctrine relates to “second generation” issues arising from the work-family conflict: how to balance work and family once some initial level of equality has been achieved; how to …

Reclaiming Equality To Reframe Indigent Defense Reform, Lauren Sudeall Lucas

Faculty Publications By Year

Equal access to resources is fundamental to meaningful legal representation, yet for decades, equality arguments have been ignored in litigating indigent defense reform. At a time when underfunded indigent defense systems across the country are failing to provide indigent defendants with adequate representation, the question of resources is even more critical. Traditionally, advocates seeking indigent defense reform have relied on Sixth Amendment arguments to protect the rights of indigents in this context; however, the Sixth Amendment approach suffers from a number of shortcomings that have made it a poor tool for systemic reform, including its exclusive focus on attorney performance …

Is Economic Protectionism A Legitimate Governmental Interest Under Rational Basis Review?, Roger V. Abbot

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Blocking The Ballot: Why Florida’S New Voting Restrictions Demonstrate A Need For Continued Enforcement Of The Voting Rights Act Preclearance Requirement, Michael Ellement

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Why Non-Discrimination Policies In Higher Education Require A Second Look: The Battle For First Amendment Freedom In The University Setting, Rebecca D. Ryan

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Giving Consumers A Leg To Stand On: Finding Plaintiffs A Legislative Solution To The Barrier From Federal Courts In Data Security Breach Suits, Patricia Cave

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Establishment Clause: A Revisit, Robert A. Sedler

Law Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Modern Models Of Organ Donation: Challenging Increases Of Federal Power To Save Lives, Jonathan G. August

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

Much of today's scholarship on noninformed consent organ donation models has focused on either presumed consent or paid donation systems. Recently, however, individual states and foreign countries have begun to rethink their organ donation procedures in an attempt to increase donation rates.

Looking specifically at the informed consent model and the brand-new Israeli incentive program, this note first examines the success rates of these programs as potentially viable alternatives to traditional organ donation models. Next, this note argues that adopting these programs at the federal level will not violate the United States constitution under First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment challenges, …

Negative Lawmaking Delegations: Constitutional Structure And Delegations To The Executive Of Discretionary Authority To Amend, Waive, And Cancel Statutory Text, R. Craig Kitchen

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

In Clinton v. City of New York, the Supreme Court suggested congressional delegation of the power to amend, waive, or cancel statutory text violates bicameralism and presentment. This Article reexamines the Court's holding and shows that it has had little impact on judicial review of lawmaking delegations. The article then proposes an analytical framework for lawmaking decisions by categorizing them as either positive or negative delegations. It discusses the different types of negative delegations that congress can make, thereby granting the executive partial or total power to negate statutory text. The article then discusses how such negative delegations are constitutionally …

Quill's Call To Action: Will Congress Update Commerce Clause Nexus Requirements In Light Of Cloud Computing, Molly Schneider

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

In Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, the Supreme Court emphasized that Congress is the proper authority to promulgate rules governing state taxation of interstate commerce. Despite this confirmation of authority, Congress has only successfully set a uniform state sales-and-use tax regime once with the Mobile Telecommunication Sourcing Act. Since the enactment of the MTSA, states have continually attempted to adapt tax regimes to new technologies, but have been severely limited by the Commerce Clause.

One area of particular focus has been cloud computing due to the industry's complicated web of locations. This note will discuss whether states need Congress to …

San Francisco's Checkout Bag Fee Ordinance And The Problem Of Proposition 26, Nicole Misha Goodwin

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

In 2012, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors enacted the county's Checkout Bag Ordinance. Designed to decrease the use of disposable checkout bags and mitigate their harmful environmental effects, the ordinance requires all retailers to charge ten cents per paper or reusable checkout bag distributed to their customers. Fifteen months later, the California electorate passed Proposition 26 that added a definition of a "tax" to the California Constitution to recategorize certain regulatory fees. The reclassification will undoubtedly affect state and local governments' ability to impose certain regulatory fees without prior authorization by the electorate.

Using the Proposition 26 framework to …

Something To [Lex Loci] Celebrationis: Federal Marriage Benefits Following United States V. Windsor, Meg Penrose

UC Law Constitutional Quarterly

The new question relating to same sex marriage is not "who decides," but who is married. The federal government and many states have historically relied on the place-of-celebration rule, or lex loci celebrationis, to determine who is married. This ensures that married couples do not lose their marital status simply because they travel across state borders or relocate to a new home. Under lex loci celebrationis, if the marriage is legally valid where it was celebrated, then the marriage is legally valid everywhere else.

This article address the most pressing unresolved question of United States v. Windsor: Will the federal …