Posts for July 2,, 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:
Liberal unity, conservative
disarray led Supreme Court to the left [USA today, 7/1/15]: Four liberal justices hijacked the Supreme Court this year — and already
their conservative colleagues appear to be plotting revenge. How else to
explain a term in which Justice Clarence Thomas wrote 19 dissents,
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg only one?
The court's liberals prevailed in most important cases, but it may not
last [Wash Post, 7/1/15]: The Supreme Court was no less polarized this term, nor were its opinions
any less divided. But its landmark decisions saving the Affordable Care Act and
declaring that the Constitution provides a right for same-sex couples to marry
create nationwide norms for an increasingly divided country. In the next term,
the court could be pressed to decide whether states that restricted abortion
rights or voting procedures or gun ownership have gone beyond what the
Constitution protects. Already, the justices have chosen to again examine the
use of race in college admissions. In each of these instances, the court may
allow states to adopt widely diverging rules.
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:
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:
U.S. justices take up new Arizona redistricting panel
challenge [Reuters / SCOTUS blog,
6/30/15]: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to take up a fresh challenge
to a commission in Arizona that draws legislative districts just a day after
ruling on a related case. The new case, brought by a group of voters, questions
some of the decisions made by the commission, including the consideration of
minorities in drawing state legislative boundaries.
The case is Harris v. Arizona
Indep. Redistricting Commission.
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
Connecticut set to loosen very tough drug
penalties [SJ Merc, 7/1/15]: They will go
from some of the most draconian in the country to some of the most lenient this
fall.
http://www.pressreader.com/usa/san-jose-mercury-news/20150701/281573764352671/TextView
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:
Polygamous
Montana trio applies for wedding license [AP, 7/1/15]: A federal appeals court has revived
a South Carolina inmate's claim that prison officials have violated his due
process rights by holding him in solitary confinement for 20 years.
5th
Circuit tells courts to issue same-sex marriage rulings [AP,
7/1/15]: A federal
appeals court Wednesday instructed judges in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas
to wrap up gay marriage cases in their states in line with last week's U.S.
Supreme Court ruling.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GAY_MARRIAGE_FIFTH_CIRCUIT
New threat to public employee unionism [SCOTUS blog, 7/1/15]: Reacting to an undoubted invitation by the Supreme Court to
raise the issue, a group of California public school teachers on
Tuesday persuaded the Justices to review the constitutionality of
requiring government workers to pay fees to support any labor union
activity. The case involves a direct request for the Court to overrule a 1977
decision that had upheld such fees under “agency shop” rules.
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