PC: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/21/us/ohio-abortion-ban-bill-criminal-law-trnd/index.html. By: Erica Rebussini Ohio House Bill 565: Is Extending the Death Penalty to Women’s Exercise of Their Constitutional Right to Abortion Going Too Far? Debates on abortion and the death penalty have respectively gained their own traction in our current political climate. While the criminalization of abortion is not a new concept[1], Ohio House Bill 565 treads into the realm of punishment by death.[2] … Continue reading Ohio House Bill 565: Is Extending the Death Penalty to Women’s Exercise of Their Constitutional Right to Abortion Going Too Far?

By: Matthew Donovan In 2017 alone, there were over 150 million visitors to Disney parks worldwide.[1] While a Disney park is largely viewed as a magical place where the grinning Mickey and giggly Minnie reside, any large amusement park with millions of yearly visitors has definite risks and security concerns. On its website, Disney does not “broadly discuss the specifics of our security procedures to … Continue reading Impersonating an Officer: Where is the Enforcement?

PC: Chris McGrath via Getty Images.  [https://www.axios.com/despite-fraught-ties-us-needs-turkeys-cooperation-on-khashoggi-1a9e7df9-9d92-4c23-a6ce-2198f0ec9044.html] By: Mollie Laird On October 2, 2018 Jamal Khashoggi went missing from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.[1] Quickly, speculation began to rise about Khashoggi’s whereabouts, including allegations of misconduct on behalf of Saudi Arabia, who dismissed their involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance.[2] After two tense weeks of speculation in the international press, the Saudis admitted that Khashoggi had been … Continue reading A “legal crossroads for the international community”?: Khashoggi’s Assassination and the Legal Avenues for the U.S. and the World

PC: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/students-file-join-harvard-lawsuit-defend-race-conscious-admissions-n696361 By: Riley Henry The use of “race conscious” policies, better known as affirmative action, in university admissions is once again being challenged in open court. Arguments for Students for Fair Admission v. Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College[1] began on October 15th in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The suit, brought by a group of Asian-American applicants who were … Continue reading Affirmative Action: Contrary to the Constitutional Principles and Policies of the United States?

PC: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/supreme-court-rules-for-police-officers-in-dc-house-party-case-that-involved-mystery-hostess-called-peaches/2018/01/22/87e5eb4a-fed3-11e7-bb03-722769454f82_story.html?utm_term=.974e0e0d9248 By: Lizzy Patrick The Supreme Court Justices reminisced on their party days while deciding District of Columbia v. Wesby,[1] where the Court held that an innocent explanation for being at a party does not negate probable cause for an arrest.[2] The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that “no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause…particularly describing the place to be searched, and … Continue reading Partiers Beware! Innocent Explanations for Attending a Party Do Not Negate Probable Cause for Arrest

By: Yanie Yuan Does Single-Sex Education Perpetuate Gender and Sex Stereotyping? Even Science Can’t Tell, Yet. In the United States, single-sex education has seen its highs and lows throughout history, as its constitutional legality and pedagogical value are under constant, fierce debate. In recent years, as the discussion around LGBTQ issues gains increasing attention, single-sex education, especially in the public sector, has again attracted scrutiny … Continue reading Does Single-Sex Education Perpetuate Gender and Sex Stereotyping? Even Science Can’t Tell, Yet

By: Joe Katz Today’s controversies over immigrants and refugees are a direct consequence of a bipartisan strategy that began in the 1990’s, which aimed to deal with America’s economic and social challenges by keeping immigrants out of the country. Following demands by media pundits and think tanks associated with both parties for “comprehensive immigration reform,” the Republican Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant … Continue reading More Immigrants = Less Crime: An Unwelcome Reality for American Policymakers

Photo Credit: Equal Justice Initiative By: Marina Batalias What is the goal of America’s criminal justice system? Is it to punish criminals? Rehabilitate criminals? Deter criminals from committing other illegal acts? Most modern scholarship would suggest that the true objective of America’s criminal justice system is some combination thereof.[1] The Supreme Court will hopefully provide more insight into these goals at the start of the … Continue reading A SCOTUS Prospective: Madison v. Alabama and Capital Punishment of the Incompetent

Photo Credit: The New York Observer, https://observer.com/2018/05/liuba-grechen-shirley-childcare-campaign-funds/ By: Creighton Boggs With less than forty-five days remaining until the midterm elections, political pundits continue to speculate that this may be the second “Year of the Woman.”[1] The first “Year of the Woman” was in 1992, when forty-seven women were elected to the House of Representatives and four women were elected to the Senate.[2] This is typically characterized as … Continue reading In What May Be the Second Year of the Woman, It’s Time to Ensure Childcare is Considered a Campaign Expense in State-Level Races Too

Photo Credit: Getty Images, via billmoyers.com By: Evan Stastny Article I, section I of the U.S. Constitution vests “all legislative powers” with the two houses of Congress.[1] Over the years this principle has been eroded through the development and growth of what has been referred to as the “fourth branch” of government: executive agencies.[2] Between 1998 and 2013, Congress has added more than fifty new … Continue reading Liberty Requires Accountability