Posts for August 20, 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 (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:

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

In January, President Trump vowed to hire 5,000 new Border Patrol agents. It never happened [LA Times, 8/18/17]: Five days after President Trump took office, he signed an executive order that promised a swift, sharp crackdown on illegal immigration — immediate construction of a massive border wall, quick hiring of 5,000 new Border Patrol agents and stepped-up deportation of undocumented migrants.

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-border-security-20170818-story.html

When Five Supreme Court Justices Said a President Can Be Indicted [“Just Security,” 8/18/17]: There are many reasons why it is important to know whether Donald Trump is immune from indictment and prosecution as a sitting president, even if special counsel Robert Mueller decides not to go that route. While the following does not provide a bottom line as to whether the president has immunity, it presents one piece that may help resolve that ultimate puzzle. The case in question is Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982).

https://www.justsecurity.org/44264/supreme-court-justices-president-indicted/

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:

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

Government warrant threatens privacy and free speech of all web users [SJ Merc, 8/17/17]: Regardless of your political views or web surfing habits, you should be concerned that the Justice Department got a warrant to require a web hosting company to turn over information on people who visited an anti-Trump protest site. It could have a chilling effect on both personal privacy and freedom of speech for people of all or no political persuasions.

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/17/government-warrant-threatens-privacy-and-free-speech-of-all-web-users/

No 8th Amendment Violation for 685-Month Sentence Imposed on a Juvenile [“Defense Newsletter blog,” 8/18/17]: In U.S. v. Mathurin, the11th Circuit  Court affirmed the defendant's conviction and 685-month sentence for multiple armed robbery and carjacking crimes committed while a juvenile.

http://defensenewsletter.blogspot.com/2017/08/mathurin-no-8th-amendment-violation-for.html

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:

Boston 'Free speech rally' cut short after massive counterprotest  [AP, 8/19/17]: Thousands of demonstrators chanting anti-Nazi slogans converged Saturday on downtown Boston in a boisterous repudiation of white nationalism, dwarfing a small group of conservatives who cut short their planned "free speech rally" a week after a gathering of hate groups led to bloodshed in Virginia.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Boston-cradle-of-liberty-braces-for-spirited-11943939.php

Free Speech: Hate-group bans evoke censorship [EB Times, 7/19/16]: First amendment advocates warn tech companies that denying service may backfire.

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: