Monday, August 14, 2017

Posts for August 14, 2017
These are the posts that are accumulated in our weekly newsletter which goes out throughout the school year. The posts are organized by the major units in our Constitutional 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]

Indicting the President: President Clinton’s Justice Department Says No [Justia, 8/14/17]: Professor Rotunda explains his legal conclusion in the opinion letter he authored for Ken Star regarding the ability of a federal grand jury to indict a sitting president. Rotunda points out that the key difference between then and now is the presence of a special prosecutor statute protecting independent counsel from removal.

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:

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

Sessions Calls ‘Evil Attack’ in Charlottesville an Act of Domestic Terrorism [CNS, 8/14/17]: Attorney General Sessions on Monday said that a fatal attack in Charlottesville on Saturday in which a driver plowed into a crowd protesting a rally of white supremacists meets the legal definition of domestic terrorism.

Spanking a child isn't abuse unless there's proof of harm, Utah Supreme Court says [Salt Lake Trib, 8/12/17]: The court’s ruling, released Wednesday, reversed an earlier finding by a juvenile court, which said that hitting a child with “any object” constituted abuse. A couple — who weren‘t identified in the case — had spanked their four children with belts, and the state put the children into custody of the Division of Child and Family Services in February 2016.

Killings of Black Men by Whites are Far More Likely to be Ruled “Justifiable” [The Marshall Project, 8/14/17]: The disparity remains no matter the circumstances and has persisted for decades.

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:

Missouri School Censors Gay Students and Then Apologizes, But Is It Still Missing the Point? [EdLawProfs blog, 8/14/17]: Local news reports that a Missouri high school censored the yearbook comments of two openly gay students.  The yearbook allows seniors to write a quote or statement under their picture, which becomes part of the published yearbook.  One student wrote, “Of course I dress well. I didn’t spend all that time in the closet for nothing.”  The other wrote, “If ‘Harry Potter taught us anything, it’s that no one should have to live in the closet.”

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]

Can we get along? A California conversation about immigration [SJ Merc, 8/13/17]: Rebecca Goddard doesn’t understand why some of her fellow Californians have labeled her a racist simply because she supports increased enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.

No comments:

Post a Comment