Posts for July 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 (5^th ed.) student textbook.

I. Introduction to Law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5^th 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 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

A Dream Undone [NY Times Mag, 7/29/15]:Inside the 50-year campaign to roll back the Voting Rights Act.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/29/magazine/voting-rights-act-dream-undone.html?_r=0

Fox lowers threshold for early debate [Politico, 7/28/15]:  The change serves to guarantee the presence of candidates such as Lindsey Graham and Carly Fiorina.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/fox-republican-debate-lowers-threshold-120748.html

Donald Trump says he'd tap Sarah Palin for a Cabinet post [Politico, 7/28/15]:  Donald Trump has succeeded in alienating many of his fellow Republicans with his personal attacks, but if he does win in November 2016 and is forced to assemble a cabinet of GOP allies, he knows exactly whom he would call on: Sarah Palin.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-2016-sarah-palin-cabinet-post-120747.html

IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 8^th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit

 

Courts are giving reduced terms to many child-porn defendants [ABA Journ., 8/1/15]: U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin of the Northern District of Ohio polled a jury in February about what jurors thought a suitable sentence would be for Ryan Collins, a child pornography defendant who was found guilty of having 19 videos and 93 still images on his computer.

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/courts_are_giving_reduced_terms_to_many_child_porn_defendants

 

V. 1^st Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and Assembly) [See TOPICS 29-33 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

10 Little known or long forgotten facts about the First Amendment [Concurring Opinions, 7/29/15]: The author shares some little known or long forgotten facts about the First Amendment.

http://concurringopinions.com/archives/2015/07/fan-70-first-amendment-news-10-little-known-or-long-forgotten-facts-about-the-first-amendment.html

VI. 14^th Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working, Citizenship & Immigration [See TOPICS 34-41 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Supreme Court's Abercrombie ruling marks a setback for employers [ABA Journ., 8/1/15]: Justice Antonin Scalia spoke briefly off the cuff when he delivered the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in a case raising a claim of religious discrimination in employment.

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/supreme_courts_abercrombie_ruling_marks_a_setback_for_employers

Boy Scouts lifts ban on gay leaders [Jurist, 7/29/15]: The National Executive Board of Boy Scouts of America on Monday voted to amend its leadership policy to effectively allow openly gay individuals to serve as leaders and employees of the organization. 

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2015/07/boy-scouts-of-america-amends-leadership-policy.php