Posts for May 6, 2015
These are the posts that are accumulated in our
newsletter which goes out every 4-6 days during the school year. The posts are
organized by the major units in our Con Law (5th ed.) student textbook.
I. Introduction to Law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5th edition of Constitutional
Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to
this unit:
II. Defining the Political System: Federalism and Checks and
Balances [See
TOPICS 11-15 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law]
Here are recent articles that are relevant to this unit:
The
American Presidency
[TOPIC 15]
States respond to US appeal in immigration
lawsuit [AP, 5/5/15]: States fighting President Barack Obama's plan to spare millions of
immigrants from deportation say they agree with a Texas judge who has
temporarily blocked the president's action.
III. The Political
System: Voting and Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5th edition of Constitutional
Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:
They can't vote, but
undocumented immigrants are California's newest political force [OC Register, 5/6/15]: They live in the country
illegally. They pepper their rallies with the chant “undocumented and
unafraid.” And they cannot vote.Still, some politicians have heard their
voices.In California, undocumented immigrants have political clout.
As Hillary Clinton
arrives in Bay Area, a look inside pricey political fundraisers [CC Times, 5/5/15]: Hillary Clinton and many of
the Bay Area's deep-pocketed Democratic donors are old buddies, but Wednesday
will be the first time she comes with her hand out as a declared candidate for
president in 2016.
‘Kill the Gays’ Bill
Inspires Push for Warnings Labels to Voters [SJInside, 5/5/15]:
Reasonable people agree that the infamous "kill the gays" bill
is an affront to society, hateful piffle from some reclusive Bible-thumping
attorney. Deplorable as it was, the “Sodomy Suppression Act” Matt McLaughlin
proposed for the state ballot has managed to spark healthy discussion about the
citizen initiative process.
Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)
Myers: Bills ‘Sponsored’
in Sacramento by Outside Groups Usually Become Law [KQED, 5/6/15]: There are a lot of reasons why
legislation lives or dies at the state Capitol, but one powerful reason may be
whether it’s been championed — or in some cases completely written — by
influential interest groups.
California lawmakers
stall roadside test for drugged drivers [AP, 5/5/15]: An Assembly
committee has rejected making California one of more than a dozen states that
allow police to conduct roadside testing for marijuana and other drugs.
IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4th,
5th, 6th, and 8th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent
articles that are relevant to this unit:
Court: warrantless cellphone
tracking not illegal search [AP, 5/5/15]: Investigators do not need a search warrant to
obtain cellphone tower location records in criminal prosecutions, a federal
appeals court ruled Tuesday in a closely-watched case involving the rules for
changing technology.
Justices
Alito and Scalia Liken Death Penalty Opponents to Terrorists [Dorf on
the Law, 5/4/15]: “Justices
Alito and Scalia seem to be saying that if Glossip and other petitioners must
be slowly burned to death (Justice Kagan's characterization), that's
unfortunate, but necessary to prevent the terrorists, i.e., the death penalty
opponents, from continuing in their hostage-taking.” Interesting.
Conservative Nebraska looks at abolishing
death penalty [AP, 5/5/15]: There's not a lot of sympathy for the 11 men on death row in Nebraska,
but spurred by frustration about the growing difficulty and cost of carrying
out executions, lawmakers are considering eliminating the death penalty.
V. 1st Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and
Assembly) [See TOPICS
29-33 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to
this unit:
Student's Facebook Rant Against Teacher Is Free
Speech, Judge Rules [School Law
Blog, 5/6/15]: A federal district judge has
ruled that an Oregon 8th grader's rant to a friend on Facebook that his health
teacher was "just a bitch" and "she needs to be shot" was
not a true threat of violence but was instead protected free speech.
The
decision in Burge v. Colton School District can be found at:
Why Can Clergy Opt Out of Same-Sex Marriage? [Justia, 5/6/15]:
Professor Dorf considers the intricacies of a question Justice Antonin Scalia
posed during last week’s oral argument in the same-sex marriage cases—whether,
if the Court finds a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, clergy who will
not officiate at same-sex weddings must thereby forfeit the power to officiate
at opposite-sex weddings.
VI. 14th Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working,
Citizenship & Immigration [See
TOPICS 34-41 in the 5th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to
this unit:
International Law, Citizenship and Immigration [TOPIC 40-42]
John
Paul Stevens says some Guantanamo Bay detainees should be given reparations [Wash
Post, 5/5/15]: Retired Supreme
Court justice John Paul Stevens said this week that the government should
compensate detainees still being held at Guantanamo Bay even after
authorities determined that they did not pose a threat to the United
States.
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