Posts November 10, 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:

Obama doesn't make it onto a jury but is a big hit at the courthouse ]ABA Journal, 11/7/17]: Former President Barack Obama was dismissed from jury duty on Wednesday when he was selected for a jury panel that wasn’t needed for a trial.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/obama_doesnt_make_it_onto_a_jury_but_is_a_big_hit_at_the_courthouse/

Divided surveillance court revives drive to release opinions [Politico 11/9/17]: Judges on a largely secret federal surveillance court divided sharply in a ruling released Thursday reviving an effort by transparency advocates to force greater disclosure of the court's opinions.

https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/11/09/federal-surveillance-court-opinions-disclosure-244764

Check out the 6-5 FIISA Court ruling by going to:

http://www.fisc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/Misc%2013-08%20Opinion%20November%209%202017.pdf

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 Worrisome Future of Abortion Right [Linda Greenhouse in the NY Times, 11/9/17]:  turns out that we’re all living in Sheriff Joe country now.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/opinion/the-worrisome-future-of-abortion-rights.html

III. POLITICS AND THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS (See Topic 16-20 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are someecent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Election results reinforce GOP urgency to confirm judges [CNN, 11/9/17]: Tuesday's elections favoring Democrats could give conservative forces more urgency in an area President Donald Trump is already moving on aggressively: reshaping the federal courts. Trump and his advisers are moving at break-neck speed compared with past presidents. Republicans pushed four conservative US appeals court judges through the Senate last week, and with a total of eight appeals court appointees, Trump has won far more Senate confirmations than his three immediate predecessors did at this point in theik.r presidencies. A hearing on six nominees is scheduled for next week.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/08/politics/senate-trump-courts/index.html  https://www.courthousenews.com/gop-senators-push-divisive-judicial-nominees-toward-confirmation/

'My Democratic friends are mad at me': Donna Brazile explains herself in deep-left San Francisco pSF Chron, 11/9/17]: After publishing an unfettered memoir critiquing Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential bid, former Democratic Party leader Donna Brazile on Thursday doubled down on her criticism of the nominee before a receptive audience in deepest-left California.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/At-SF-appearance-Donna-Brazile-discusses-12346618.php

gislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)

Senate passes measure requiring sexual harassment training for senators, aides [Oilitico, 11/9/17]” The Senate unanimously approved legislation late Thursday that institutes mandatory sexual harassment training for senators and aides — a potentially meaningful shift amid calls for overhauling Capitol Hill's system for handling harassment complaints. 

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/09/congress-sexual-harassment-training-senators-aides-244762

Senate GOP’s tax bill points to nasty fight ahead [Politico, 11/9/17]: There are dramatic differences between the House and Senate versions of the tax overhaul, imperiling Trump's desire to sign legislation by year end.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/09/senate-tax-bill-2017-244743

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 :

Ohio voters approve amendment expanding crime victim rights [Jurist, 11/9/17]: Ohio voters on Tuesday approved an amendment that will give Ohio crime victims more Constitutional rights. Issue 1 passed with over 82 percent of the vote, giving crime victims more rights and requiring that those rights be as well protected as the rights of the criminal suspects. The rights provided by this amendment include the right to notice of the release or escape of the accused and the right to reasonable protection from the accused, as well as others. This amendment will repeal and replace some of the language currently used in Article I, Section 10a of the Ohio Constitution. This expands the rights of crime victims by providing more detailed and explicit language than Section 10a of the Ohio Constitution. This expands the rights of crime victims by providing more detailed and explicit language than Section 10a offered previously.

 http://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2017/11/ohio-voters-approve-amendment-expanding-crime-vihttp://www.jurist.org/paperchase/2017/11/ohio-voters-approve-amendment-expanding-crime-victim-rights.php.

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:

Podcast: When the Government Speaks [Newseum, 11/0/17]: What do a Confederate flag license plate, a statue of the Ten Commandments, and a student painting depicting cops as pigs all have in common? They’re all examples of government speech.

http://www.newseuminstitute.org/2017/11/10/podcast-when-the-government-speaks/

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]