Posts for June 29, 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:
John
Roberts to America: I'm in Charge Here [New Republic, 6/27/15]: When, just over two years ago, right-wing
superlawyer Michael Carvin filed his first lawsuit seeking to deny Affordable
Care Act tax credits to millions of individuals in states with federally
operated exchanges, die-hard ACA opponents saw one reason why the Supreme Court
might use an isolated four-word phrase to sabotage the ACA—that all five
conservative justices would vote their political gut.
A Term to Remember [New Republic, 6/26/15]: The
Supreme Court gave us a historic year for liberty and equality.
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:
High court gives red light to power plant
regulations [USA Today, 6/28/15]: A
narrowly divided Supreme Court struck down federal clean air regulations Monday
on coal- and oil-fired power plants that have been on the drawing board for a
quarter century. The 5-4 ruling blocks the Environmental Protection
Agency from jump-starting new rules designed to reduce the amount of
dangerous mercury and other toxins that pollute the nation's air, at an unknown
net cost to power plants and consumers.
The case is Michigan
v. EPA and can be found at:
The
American Presidency
[TOPIC 15]
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:
Justices Uphold Arizona’s System for Redistricting [AP / USA Today, 6/28/15]: The Supreme Court on
Monday upheld Arizona congressional districts drawn by an independent
commission and rejected a constitutional challenge from Republican lawmakers.
The 5-4 outcome preserves efforts in 13 states to limit partisan influence in
redistricting. Most notably, California uses an independent commission to draw
electoral boundaries for its largest-in-the-nation congressional delegation.
The case is Arizona State Legislature v.Arizona Independent
Redistricting Comm'n and can be found at:
Mike Huckabee Says He Wouldn't
Listen To The Supreme Court As President [BuzzFeed News, 6/28/15]: The former Arkansas governor
also said Chief Justice John Roberts “apparently needs medication for
schizophrenia.”
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
SCOTUS to Weigh Jury Instruction Dispute [CNS, 6/29/15]: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the appeal
of a Plano, Texas man convicted of conspiring to hack into his former
employer's computers while setting up his competing business. Michael Musacchio
was convicted in May 2013 of one felony count of conspiracy to make
unauthorized access to a protected computer and two felony counts of hacking.
He was later sentenced to 63 months in prison. The case is Musacchio
v. U.S.
Abandoned Symbols: Confederate Flags and Criminal
Justice [Justia,
6/29/15]: Amid nationwide discussions about removing the Confederate battle
flag from public display, Cornell University law professor Joseph Margulies
comments on the role of symbols and the American criminal justice system.
Justices uphold use of drug implicated in
botched executions [USA Today,
6/29/15]: A closely divided Supreme Court refused Monday to limit states' use
of a controversial execution method that dissenting justices said was akin to
"being burned at the stake." The court's conservative majority said
lethal injection remains the most humane method of execution, and that
challengers had not identified a suitable alternative, given a shortage of
drugs that has forced some states to experiment with less reliable
alternatives.
The case is Glossip
v. Gross and can be found at:
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:
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:
Crisis of the Dissents Divided? -- Disagreement among the Obergefell Four [Concurring Opinions, 6/29/15]: In the various news feeds and pundit commentaries concerning
the recent same-sex marriage case, the focus has been on the divide between the
majority and dissenting opinions. Some side with the majority, others with the
dissenters. Putting such differences aside for the moment, what is noteworthy
is that while the Justices in the majority all spoke with one voice, the same was not true for the
dissenters.
The Justices' Justice [Slate / Wash Post, 6/26/15]: For
years we feared the consequences of pushing social progress through the courts' Obergefell v. Hodges will
prove we shouldn't.
University Affirmative Action Gets U.S.
Supreme Court Review [Bloomberg /
Reuters / Chron of Higher Ed, 6/29/15]: The U.S. Supreme Court will consider
putting new limits on the use of racial preferences in college admissions,
agreeing to scrutinize the affirmative action policy at the University of Texas
for the second time. The justices Monday agreed to hear an appeal from a white woman who said she
suffered unconstitutional discrimination when she was rejected by the school in
2008. The case will test a policy that Texas says is crucial for ensuring a
diverse campus. The case is Fisher v. University of Texas at
Austin.
International Law, Citizenship and Immigration [TOPIC 40-42]
Long-held
Guantanamo detainee set for release
[Jurist, 6/28/15]: The US Periodic
Review Board announced Friday that one of the
longest-held detainees at Guantanamo Bay may
now be released to his home country of Saudi Arabia. Abdul Rahman Shalabi has
been on a nine-year hunger strike and would
be released ] into a Saudi Arabian government
rehabilitation program.
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