Posts October 25, 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:

Appeals court in Washington allows detained immigrant teen to seek abortion [USA Today / Dallas M-N / Jurist, 10/24/17]: A federal appeals court reversed itself Tuesday and ruled that the Trump administration cannot prevent an undocumented teenage girl from getting an abortion.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/24/federal-court-says-undocumented-teen-can-get-abortion/795929001/

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-politics/2017/10/24/undocumented-teen-texas-can-abortion-appeals-court-rules

http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2017/10/federal-appeals-court-grants-teen-immigrant-right-to-abortion.php

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15]

Trump purges enemies and reshapes party in his image [Politico, 10/25/17]: The president wins short-term victories with the retirements of Jeff Flake and Bob Corker, but the cost to the GOP agenda could be steep. 

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/24/trump-republicans-corker-flake-purge-244139

Three Pinocchios: Trump’s claim that he’s done more ‘by far’ than Obama in the fight against ISIS [Wash Post, 10/25/17]: President Trump has made a variation of this claim repeatedly over the months, starting in July, when he proclaimed: “In five months we have done more against ISIS than anybody’s done since the beginning and we are having tremendous success with that.” 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/10/25/trumps-claim-that-hes-done-by-far-more-than-obama-in-the-fight-against-isis/

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

California's chief justice calls for end to cash bail [AP, 10/24/17]: California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said Tuesday that the state should instead rely on risk assessments to determine whether defendants should be released. Cantil-Sakauye endorsed a report by the judiciary that called for an end to cash bail and said it should serve as a framework for discussions with Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature. 

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BAIL_REFORM

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:

First Amendment News [Concurring Opinions, 10/25/17]: This entire FAN post is devoted to recent developments concerning free speech on college campuses. This sampling reveals just how controversial and widespread this debate has become.

https://concurringopinions.com/archives/2017/10/fan-167-first-amendment-news-special-issue-robert-posts-arguments-draw-replies-from-erwin-chemerinsky-will-creeley-on-campus-speech-issue.html

Do Restrictions on Clothing Donation Bins Violate the 1^st Amendment? [Newseum, 10/24/17]: The U.S. Supreme Court could decide whether city laws that target unattended charity drop-off bins violate the First Amendment, resolving a split between the 6th and 9th Circuits.

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/10/24/do-restrictions-on-clothing-donation-bins-violate-the-first-amendment/

No 1^st Amendment Protection for Professor Who Spoke Out Against Cheating Students [Newseum, 10/24/17]: A former adjunct community college professor has no First Amendment retaliation claim arising out of his speech about students cheating, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.  The decision shows the expansive breadth of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos (2006), which provides no free-speech protection for public employees who engage in official, job-duty speech.

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/10/24/court-rules-no-first-amendment-protection-for-professor-who-spoke-out-about-cheating-students/

The 2nd Circuit case is Bhattacharya v. SUNY Rockland Community College can be found at:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13637739875386032469&q=Bhattacharya+v.+SUNY+Rockland+Community+College&hl=en&as_sdt=2006&as_vis=1

Federal Judge Invalidates Kentucky Law Barring Sex Offender Access to Social Media  [Newseum, 10/24/17]: Applying recent Supreme Court precedent, the judge found that the law violated the First Amendment. 

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/10/24/federal-judge-invalidates-kentucky-law-barring-sex-offender-access-to-social-media/

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:

International Law, Citizenship and Immigration [TOPIC 40-42]

Russia vetoes UN Security Council investigation into Syria chemical weapons attacks [Jurist, 10/25/17]: Russia on Tuesday vetoed the UN Security Council's resolution to extend the UN Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon (OPCW) investigation into the Syria chemical-weapons attack. In February Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that the Syrian government conducted "coordinated chemical attacks" on rebel-controlled portions of Aleppo.

http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2017/10/russia-vetoes-un-security-council-investigation-into-syria-chemical-weapons-attacks.php