Thursday, October 1, 2015

Posts for October 1, 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:

Right On: John Roberts Is Playing the Long Game [Bloomberg, 10/1/15]: Aghast at the decisions of the last Supreme Court term, conservatives caricatured John Roberts as a leftist; He most certainly is not.

A Chief Justice Without a Friend [Linda Greenhouse in the NY Times, 10/1/15]: Lest anyone suppose that the beating Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is taking from Republican candidates might cause liberals to enfold him in a comforting embrace, the current issue of The Nation puts that thought to rest.
Read the issue, “The Case Against the Roberts Court,” at:

High Court Takes Up Bank's Appeal of Iran Judgment [CNS, 10/1/15]: The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to look at a law that helps victims of a terrorist attack collect a $1.75 billion judgment against Iran's central bank. The case is Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran.

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 Slave-State Origins of Modern Gun Rights [The Atlantic, 9/30/15]: The idea that citizens have an unfettered constitutional right to carry weapons in public originates in the antebellum South, and its culture of violence and honor.

Mr. Clean Water Act' faces his biggest challenge [Greenwire, 9/30/15]: Now attorney Steve Samuels faces his greatest challenge: defending the Obama administration's controversial Waters of the U.S. rule, or WOTUS, which defines which wetlands, marshes, bogs, ponds and streams qualify for Clean Water Act protections. 

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:

CNBC sets GOP debate threshold at 3 percent of national polls; cutoff could narrow field [AP, 9/30/15]: CNBC announced debate criteria Wednesday that could narrow the crowded field of Republican presidential hopefuls. According to the network, any candidate that does not score 1 percent in at least one approved poll will be excluded from the Oct. 28 pair of televised debates.

Ask Bernie Sanders About Criminal Justice, He’ll Talk About Economics [The Marshall Project, 10/1/15]: Sidestepping the issue since his days as mayor of Burlington.

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)


McCarthy makes plain what Democrats have long suspected about the Benghazi committee [SF Chron / WSJ, 9/30/15]: Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy has yet to win the speaker's gavel, but he is already stepping into a rhetorical minefield that shows the perils of the job.

Bid to Overturn California's Vaccination Law Fails [CNS, 10/1/15]: Leaders of a grassroots campaign against California's new child vaccination requirements said Wednesday it fell short of the signatures needed to qualify the referendum for the 2016 general election.

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

 

'Nonsense' Murder Conviction Faces Review [CNS, 10/1/15]: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Thursday to review a decision finding that a man spent 15 years in prison based on a "nonsense" conviction. http://www.courthousenews.com/2015/10/01/nonsense-murder-conviction-faces-review.htm
Read the 7th Circuit decision which was appealed in Owens v. Duncan:

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:

California Law Punishing Paparazzi for High-Speed Celebrity Chases Is Upheld [THR Esq., 9/30/15]: Appeals court rules that it doesn't impinge free speech or press rights under First Amendment.
Read the decision in Raef v. Superior Court at:

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:

Federal Judge Allows Lawsuit Over Student Trauma to Advance [School Law Blog, 9/30/15]:  The judge allows a novel lawsuit against the Compton district that calls for help for students who have faced violence and other trauma. The case is Peter P. v. Compton Unified School District.
Read the judge’s opinion in turning down Compton’s motion to dismiss the case:



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