Posts November 13, 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 th5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

The American Presidency [TOPIC 15_

Hargan v. Garza As The Trump Administration's Vision For DOJ ]Take Care blog, 11/13/17]” Last week, Marty Lederman gave the Solicitor General’s recent filing in Hargan v. Garza a pretty thorough drubbing. To name a few of the filing’s oddities that Marty explores in more detail:

https://takecareblog.com/blog/hargan-v-garza-as-the-trump-administration-s-vision-for-doj

III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns (See Topic 16-20 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are someecent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Under Minnesota law, voters may not wear political badges, buttons, or other apparel to polling places, even if the items being worn do not refer to either a candidate or an issue. In Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky, the justices today agreed to decide whether this ban violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech.

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/minnesota-voters-alliance-v-mansky /’

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)

California's Senate to hand over all sexual abuse complaints to outside investigators [AP, 11/13/17]: In the wake of new allegations against a California state senator and criticism of a "pervasive" culture of sexual harassment, the leader of California's Senate said Sunday that all abuse complaints will now be handled by independent investigators and more iççnformation will be released to the public.

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

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 :

In Reeves v. Alabama, the justices declined to wade into the question of when an atorney’s representation of a criminal defendant is so inadequate that it violates the defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to have help from an attorney, and how courts should make that determination. The denial of cert fave rise to dissents from Justices Kagan, Ginsburg, and Sotomayor, but, interestingly, not Justice Vreyer. (If four justices had cvoted to accept the case for a full hearing, then it would not have been rejected.)

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/reeves-v-alabama/

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:

Supreme CoS urt to weigh anti-abortion speech restrictions [USA Today / Bloomberg / Reuters, 11/13/17]:  The Supreme Court is wading back into the competing issues of reproductive rights and religious liberty. The court agreed Monday to decide whether a California law requiring pregnancy centers to post notices about publicly funded abortion and contraception services violates the free-speech rights of religious objector.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/13/supreme-court-weigh-anti-abortion-speech-restrictions/762584001/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-13/pregnancy-clinics-get-u-s-supreme-court-review-in-speech-clash

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-voters/supreme-court-to-hear-minnesota-voter-apparel-law-challenge-idUSKBN1DD1S8

In the first of today’s grants, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Beccefra, the justices agreed to weigh in on a challenge by “crisis pregnancy centers” – nonprofits that try to steer pregnant women away from having abortions – to a California law that requires the centers to convey specific messages. The law mandates that nonprofits that are licensed to provide medical services post notices to inform their patients that free or low-cost abortions are available and to provide the telephone number of the state agency that can put the patients in touch with providers of those abortions.

http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/national-institute-family-life-advocates-v-becerra/

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: