The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court [Paperback]

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court [Paperback]

Monday, November 5, 2012

Criminal Defendants on Trial - Motions to Dismiss Charges

Criminal Defendants on Trial - Motions to Dismiss Charges


Before Charges are Filed It is essential to retain an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible after the accused is arrested. In fact, if the police contact the accused during their investigation but before arrest, it is time to consult with a criminal defense lawyer. As the attorney discusses the investigation with the detective he might be able to convince the police not to make an arrest at all or to arrest on lesser charges. One of the attorney's primary functions is to attempt to reduce or eliminate the charges. That is the underlying thrust behind motions to dismiss throughout the entire case: to reduce or eliminate charges.


http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8295/8016271122_8bea151e22_m.jpg

Criminal Defendants on Trial - Motions to Dismiss Charges


After the arrest there is a slight window of two to three weeks before the State Attorney's Office files the formal charges. This is a crucial time window. Wouldn't it be great to be in the conference room when the State's case filing attorneys are considering what, if any, charges they will file in this case? Well, the accused cannot be there. The experienced criminal defense lawyer knows just how to present the facts in support of his client's position in front of this esteemed group of prosecutors so that they will give due consideration to the arguments for reducing or eliminating charges. This powerful tool takes place before they actually file charges. This, too, is akin to a motion to dismiss or reduce charges that the attorney can work with even before the case begins in Court.
After Charges Have Been Filed Once the State Attorney's case filing section decides on the charges, a written Information is filed with the Clerk in the Court file. At this point, these are the formal charges that the attorney will be fighting on his client's behalf. The Court will set an Arraignment, which is the first Court hearing. The formal charges may be read aloud in open Court unless the accused decides to waive the reading. Next the accused must make a choice between two possible pleas. The attorney will inform the Court if the accused intends to plead guilty [meaning a jury trial is not wanted and the Court can pronounce sentence right away], or the accused can plead not guilty [meaning a jury trial is desired and none of the Constitutional rights will be waived].


Supreme Court

Criminal Defendants on Trial - Motions to Dismiss Charges


If the attorney selects to file a Written Plea of Not Guilty and Demand for Jury Trial with the Court prior to the date of the Arraignment, the Court will waive the presence of the defendant and his/her attorney and the reading of the charges is also waived. This procedure can save the defendant a trip to the courthouse. This is the only Court hearing where the presence of the defendant can be automatically waived. [If a defendant lives out of state or has some particular impediment to appearing in Court personally, the attorney can file a written motion for the Court to waive his/her appearance and obtain an Order to that affect. This is beyond the scope of this article.]



Criminal Defendants on Trial - Motions to Dismiss Charges

Criminal Defendants on Trial - Motions to Dismiss Charges


Whether the defendant appears for formal Arraignment or waives it by Written Plea filed by his/her attorney beforehand, the attorney will always ask the Court for 15 days for the filing of Defense motions. The rules of Court generally set the time for making motions to dismiss at the time of Arraignment. It is rare that the lawyer could be prepared so soon in the representation to articulate grounds for dismissing the charges in writing including case citations of law. This is why the attorney asks for more time to investigate whether there are viable grounds for filing a Motion to Dismiss and to perform the proper legal research. If the grounds for dismissal are based on fundamental rights [i.e., rights that arise under the U.S. Constitution] they can be raised at any time during the pre-trial procedure.
The Written Motion to Dismiss There are two basic divisions of the Court system: civil cases concern money issues; criminal cases concern liberty interests. While in civil cases the motion to dismiss is filed with every answer to every complaint and is very often granted by the Court, in criminal cases a motion to dismiss is less often used. That is because in criminal cases the State brings the charges and only the State can change or alter the charges unless there are clear grounds for the Court to take control and dismiss as a matter of law. For example, if the statute of limitations has run, the Court can determine that from the record and dismiss that charge as a matter of law.

The criminal law motion to dismiss is actually more like the civil law motion for summary judgment. In both of these, the party making the motion is saying in effect that there are no material facts in dispute and therefore the law requires that the charge/complaint be dismissed. In civil cases, the other party will try to file affidavits or statements under oath that controvert the facts and thus require the case to go to a jury to decide the factual questions. In criminal cases, the State can file a traverse which is a response outlining the facts that are actually in dispute. If the State can show that there is a factual dispute, the motion to dismiss must be denied and the case must go to the jury to decide those facts.

The motion to dismiss must be made in writing and state that there are no material disputed facts and that the undisputed facts do not establish a prima facie case of guilt or that they do establish a complete defense. The attorney will cite to police reports, affidavits, depositions under oath, etc. to support the motion to dismiss. The motion must be sworn to under oath by the defendant or by someone with personal knowledge. All defenses available by plea, other than not guilty, must be raised by a motion to dismiss whether they relate to matters of form, substance, former acquittal, former jeopardy, not guilty by reason of insanity, or any other defense.

The function of the attorney remains constant. He is consistently trying to reduce or eliminate charges.
The State's Response to the Motion to Dismiss If the motion is sufficient on its face, the State must oppose by either traverse or demurer. A traverse says that the motion's factual assertions are false or incomplete and issues of fact remain as to whether the defendant committed the crime. A demurrer says that even if the facts alleged by the defendant are true and complete, dismissal cannot be granted as a matter of law. If the state's traverse or demurrer indicates ultimate facts that raise a material issue of fact in the case, the Court must deny the motion to dismiss.
Evidentiary Uses Sworn motions to dismiss and traverses are sharp tools in the criminal defense lawyer's hand as he crafts this pretrial battle. Even more they are power weapons for the trial because they are now in the record as admissions by party opponents. They will be admissible as substantive evidence if any of the State's witnesses change their testimony slightly at trial. As always, they can be used to impeach the witness' credibility.

Now it can be better understood why experienced criminal defense lawyers, whose role is to reduce or eliminate charges, seek to utilize the powerful tool of motions to dismiss in order to better their client's position during both pretrial and jury trial.

Criminal Defendants on Trial - Motions to Dismiss Charges






Supreme Court

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages

Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages


Introduction

Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages

Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages

Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages


Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages



Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages

In a criminal setting, it is commonly known that the accused has a legal right to be represented by an attorney. However, it is probably not as well known that the right to an attorney is limited and only exists during certain phases of a criminal proceeding called "critical sTAGes". The general right to an attorney is called the "Right to Counsel" and is provided for in the 6th AMendMent of the United States Constitution. "Counsel" simply refers to a lawyer or lawyers conducting a case in a court of law.

The 6th AMendMent right to counsel should not be confused with the right to an attorney provided in the 5th Amendment. The 5th Amendment deals with Miranda Warnings, which are popularized in the phrases recited by policemen upon arresting a suspect: "You have the right to remain silent...Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law...You have the right to an attorney". The 5th Amendment right applies to police custodial interrogations, while the 6th Amendment right deals with proceedings after formal charges have been filed by the state.

The 6th Amendment right to counsel is very broad and includes such matters as effectiveness of counsel and representing one's self. This article focuses mainly on the differences between 5th and 6th amendment rights, as well as the critical sTAGes during which the right to counsel may be invoked.

Differences between 5th Amendment and 6th Amendment Rights

As mentioned above, the Constitution provides for the right to an attorney in both the 5th Amendment and the 6th Amendment. There are significant differences between the two.

5th Amendment rights

Under the 5th Amendment, the right to an attorney applies only during a custodial interrogation by the police. A custodial interrogation means that the person is being held in custody by the police for the purposes of interrogation. An example of a custodial interrogation is when a person is detained at the police station for investigation of a crime.

The purpose of the 5th Amendment right is to allow the suspect to consult with an attorney even though formal charges have not been brought, and no arrest has yet been made. (Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694 [1966]).

During a custodial interrogation, the police are required to recite the Miranda Warnings mentioned above in order to inform the suspect that they are in fact being held in custody for an interrogation. Once the Miranda warnings are read or recited to the suspect, the person may decline to speak by stating that they wish to have a lawyer present. This is called "invoking the 5th Amendment right to an attorney".

Once the person invokes the 5th Amendment right to an attorney, the police cannot question them any further until a lawyer is present.

6th Amendment Rights

On the other hand, the 6th Amendment "right to counsel" applies after the suspect has already been booked, and formal charges have already been issued against the accused.

The right to counsel "attaches" when formal criminal adversarial proceedings have been initiated (begun), although it only may be invoked at certain points of the proceedings called "critical sTAGes". (Maine v. Moulton, 474 U.S. 159, 106 S. Ct. 477, 88 L. Ed. 2d 481 [1985]).

The purpose of the 6th Amendment right to counsel is to ensure that the accused is adequately protected by a lawyer in an adversarial setting. The key word to remember is "adversarial", meaning that the accused is being confronted by either the opposing Party or a state official such as a prosecutor or a judge.

Another major difference between the two rights is that the 5th Amendment right is not offense-specific, while the 6th Amendment right is offense-specific. This means that, during a custodial interrogation, if the suspect invokes the Miranda right, the police may not question them at all, even about different crimes. Under the 6th Amendment right, state officials may not question them about the crime they are being charged for, but they can question them about other crimes.

Critical Stages- Initiation of Criminal Proceedings

The Supreme Court case United States v. Hidalgo, 7 F.3d 1566 [11th Cir. 1993] sets forth a basic definition of a critical stage: "A critical stage of prosecution includes every instance in which the advice of counsel is necessary to ensure a defendant's right to a fAir trial or in which the absence of counsel might impAir the preparation or presentation of a defense" (United States v. Hidalgo, 7 F.3d 1566 [11th Cir. 1993]).

The first adversarial setting that an accused typically encounters is the initiation (beginning) of formal criminal proceedings. The case Brewer v. Williams, 430 U.S. 387 names the following situations as instances that initiate criminal proceedings.
Appearance in front of a judge for the purpose of issuing formal charges Preliminary hearings Indictments (this is where formal charges are brought against the accused in front of a grand jury) Information (this is like an indictment only it is written and presented by a public official rather than a grand jury) Arraignments

These phases of trial are considered to be "critical stages", and the accused definitely has the right to counsel during these stages. Also, it is at this point that the right to counsel is said to "attach", meaning that the accused can now claim their right to counsel. Take note that the initial appearance in court wherein the judge simply informs the accused of their charges and rights is not a critical stage.

Other phases of trial that courts have identified as critical stages are: pretrial hearings related to bail, the suppression of evidence, or the viability of the prosecution's case(Smith v. Lockhart, 923 F.2d 1314 [8th Cir. 1991]).

"Noncritical stages"-phases of trial during which the accused does not have the right to counsel

There are several phases of trial proceedings that are not considered to be critical stages. Courts refer to these as "noncritical stages", and the accused does not have the right to have counsel present during them. This is because they are considered to be preliminary matters that are unassociated with the more adversarial phases of prosecution. Examples of noncritical stages are:

· Fingerprint taking and analysis
· Investigative lineups
· Photographic identifications
· Taking samples of blood, Clothing, hair, handwriting, or voice samples
· Hearings to determine the existence of probable cause
· Recesses during defendant's testimony
· Proceedings regarding parole and probation issues
· Post-conviction proceedings

Again, the basic rationale is that such procedures are more administrative and lack the confrontational aspect that requires a lawyer. In other words, absence of an attorney at noncritical stages is not likely to impair the defendant's right to fair trial or presentation of a defense.

Finally, in misdemeanor cases, the right to counsel is only granted if imprisonment has been imposed on the person. Thus, if the punishment for a misdemeanor crime involves only a fine, then the right to counsel does not attach. The right to counsel is available in all felony cases.

Remedy for violation of Right to Counsel

Denial of counsel during a critical stage has monumental effects on the outcome of the case. This may happen if the accused requests a lawyer during a critical stage, but the court denies or ignores their request. The Supreme Court has held that such denials are an unconstitutional deprivation of a fair trial. (United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 104 S. Ct. 2039, 80 L. Ed. 2d 657 [1984]).The remedy for denial of counsel is that the conviction must be reversed.

Waiver/replacement of counsel

Defendants also have a 6th Amendment right to decline representation by a lawyer and represent themselves in court. Self-representation is also known as pro se representation. The court is required to allow pro se representation, but only if the defendant makes a knowing and intelligent waiver of the right to counsel. Also, the court must inform the person of the potential disadvantages of pro se representation. The defendant must understand that pro se representation involves not only persuasion, but includes knowledge of legal theories and proper court procedures.

Conclusion

Of course, all stages of a criminal trial are important in determining the outcome of the case. However, courts have decided that some phases of trial are "critical", in the legal sense that they require the presence of a lawyer. It is important to remember that while the right to counsel is a guarantee, it only applies to critical stages wherein the defendant faces an adversarial setting and are at risk of an unfair trial if unrepresented. If you feel that you have been denied the right to counsel during a critical stage of a trial, you may have further legal resource for your case.

Right to Counsel - Sixth Amendment and Critical Stages

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes

Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes


In June of 1999, the supreme court limited the way the Americans with Disabilities Act can be applied to
those suffering from diabetes, (referred to as the Sutton trilogy).

Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes

Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes

Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes


Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes



Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes

Prior to the June 1999 decisions, the Equal EmployMent Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal office that enforces the ADA, held that diabetics claiming disability under the law had to be evaluated on their condition without corrective measures. For example those with diabetes could still claim a disability that diabetes was controlled through medications, and without them they would suffer major life activities such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

The American Diabetes Association has expressed great concern over the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Americans with Disabilities Act claiming that it unfAirly constrains diabetics who are trying to control their condition with medication. If a diabetic does not attempt a medical remedy of the condition, the ADA does not apply, since in most instances, diabetes can be improved with medical intervention. However, by successfully controlling a diabetic condition with medication and the individual is not restricted from a major life activity, then the individual also loses the protection of the ADA. Complications of diabetes, such as diabetic retinopathy or diabetic neuropathy can in themselves affect a person's ability to work. An employee suffering from diabetes might require an individualized break schedule in order to check blood sugar, take insulin, or eat, which in turn might fall under the category of a "reasonable accommodation" on the part of the employer.

Surprisingly, in a large number of diabetes cases brought before the judicial system, the employer actually admits that the action being challenged was taken because of the person's diabetes. The case then revolves around whether the person was covered by the law (under the definition of disability) and, if so, whether the person"s diabetes would create a direct threat to others. However, in other cases the employer doesn't admit that it was motivated by the person's diabetes and, in such cases, the employee needs to provide direct or indirect evidence that proves that discrimination did occur.

Due to the ruling handed down in 1999, the American Diabetes Association advises members to look at both federal and state laws. Many states have disability discrimination laws that are more comprehensive than federal law.

Americans with Disabilities Act - Diabetes

Friday, July 20, 2012

The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1

The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1


Introduction: The United States Exclusionary Rule

The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1

The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1

The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1


The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1



The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1

Contemporary constitutional provisions integrated oftentimes explicit boundaries or restrictions on the investigatory power of the police. These constitutional stipulations typically suppleMent guarantees aimed at ensuring fAir standards in the criminal process for those detained or charged with a crime (1) Most of these docuMents echo themes first articulated in the United States ' Bill of Rights (2) and centuries later reiterated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (3)

These recent global developments are not surprising. The potential for tyranny is constant, even in modern societies. Throughout history, oppressive regimes have used their unlimited police powers to search the homes of politicalopponents, to detain dissidents without trial, to conduct "show trials" for political purposes, or to subject opponents to torture or other extreme forms of punishment. Limitless police powers take the greatest toll on society's most vulnerable members: the young, the homeless, the poor, racial or ethnic minorities, and political dissidents. It must be recognized, however, that in modern society, crime is one of the greatest threats to individual safety. If a society is so crime ridden that its members live in a perpetual state of fear, the niceties of constitutional liberty may seem unimportant to the populace. Fear of crime and criminals provokes a demand for government action. These two competing concerns are the beds surrounding the idea of the Exclusionary Rule. It all begins whenthe police excesses yield inculpatory evidence against a criminal accused. When evidence has been obtained in contravention of the Constitution, two opposing concerns meet: society's interest in seeing that persons guilty of crime are detected, prosecuted, convicted and punished, and a concurrent societal interest in safeguarding individual liberties against unlawful or leave police conduct. (Dawson, The Exclusion of Unlawfully Obtained Evidence.)

In the United States, these differing principles are presently resolved in favor of individual liberty, through the use of the exclusionary rule.(EN6) This rule, created my case-law, is anything but "resolved." Since its creation, the rule has led to extensive litigation and a never-ending flow of academic commentary. The debatesurrounding the issue has continued unabated in the United States for almost one hundred years.

The following dissertation will provide an in-depth look into the mandatory or automatic exclusionary rule doctrine of the United States. The following piece will present a detailed elucidation of the exclusionary rule as it stands today, as well as the history leading up to its inception together with the underlying reasons for its formulation. Furthermore, the benefits and detriments of the doctrine will be discussed, providing the views of both the proponents and opponents of the rule as well as an inquiry into the question of whether or not this Exclusionary Rule is really doing the Job it was intended to do, specifically to deter future illegal police conduct. An investigation intothe question of whether or not there needs to be other underlying policy reasons, aside from the deterrence of police misconduct rationale, for the application of the Exclusionary Rule, will also be conducted.

The piece will further explore beyond the borders of the United States and into Canada to observe how the idea of suppressing evidence obtained in violation of the individual's rights is applied abroad. The piece will discuss differences in the application of the mandatory exclusionary rule in the United States and the exclusionary rule in Canada to be discretionary and will compare and contrast policy reasons underlying their respective application of evidence suppression rules.

The dissertation will argue for the codification of the current mandatory or automaticexclusionary rule doctrine of the United States to a discretionary exclusionary doctrine which is currently applied in Canada. Such an amendment will endow the United States with benefits far beyond the ones the current exclusionary rule provides, such as bequeathing remedies to individuals whose rights have been violated as well as appropriate penalties for the ByRef conduct of the police.

The definition of the United States mandatory exclusionary rule

In order to deeply delve in to the critique of the Exclusionary Rule, it is vital to understand its definition, characteristics, and circumstances in which it is applied. In legal proceedings, the exclusionary rule prohibits the use of any evidence obtained in contravention of the U.S. Constitution. The rule is invokedwhen government authorities seize evidence in violation of the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unlawful searches and seizures. Evidence may be illegally obtained when government officials do not have a warrant to search an individual ' s premises or the warrant is defective. Law enforcement officers may also lack sufficient probable cause to arrest a person. In addition, the courts will automatically invoke the exclusionary rule when they find a violation of an individual's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination or a violation of a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel. Courts often refer to evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth, Fifth, or Sixth Amendment as "tainted" or "the fruit of a poisonous tree." A criminal defendant who claims an unreasonable searchand seizure is usually allowed to make the claims in a suppression hearing that is conducted before the trial. At this hearing the judge must determine what evidence will be suppressed, or excluded from trial.

This automatic exclusionary rule has 3 elements. First, there must be an illegal action by a police officer, or by someone acting as no agent of the police. Second, there must be evidence secured. The third element states that "there must be a casual connection between the illegal action and the evidence secured. If the defense believes such an offense has taken place, the defense lawyer may file a motion to suppress the evidence. It is then up to the prosecutor to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the evidence was collected without ByRef the defendant's Fourthamendment rights. If the prosecution fails to prove this case, the evidence will automatically be suppressed from the case-in-chief, and absolutely no consideration will be given to the probative news value of that evidence, even if it may be the only evidence out there. With time, the courts, after realizing the broad scope of this mandatory rule, began to narrow its application. There are now three exceptions to the exclusionary rule. In these cases, while the situation meets the three elements needed to trigger the exclusionary rule, the evidence will be allowed anyway. The first exception is the Independent Source Doctrine. This exception was created in the Supreme Court case of Segura and the Colon v. u.s. in 1984. In this situation, evidence is seized in two different physicalways. One of them is illegal, but the second seizure of the same evidence is legal. For example, if one were to photo-copy financial records without a warrant of someone suspected of embezzlement, but then later returned with a warrant and copied the information, that evidence would be allowed. The second exception is the Inevitable Discovery Doctrine. The case that added this exception was Nix vs. Williams, in 1984. This exception states that the evidence is seized in two different ways, but only one being physical. The evidence is secured physically by illegal means, but there is also a hypothetical seizure of the evidence that would not have been illegal. For example, if a dead body was buried, and the police violated a defendant's rights in order to force him to tell where the bodywas, this would be the illegal physical seizure. However, if there was a search for the body in progress that would have eventually crossed the area where the body was to be found, this would be the hypothetical seizure. The prosecution must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the evidence would have been located by this hypothetical means had it not been sized illegally. The third and final exception is that of Good Faith, which was added in the Supreme Court cases of U.S. vs. Leon and Mass. vs. Sheppard, both in 1984. In this case, a police officer receives a warrant from a magistrate and acts on it to seize evidence. However, there may have been an error in allowing the police officer to have the warrants. Since the point of the exclusionary rule is to deterpolice misconduct, and there would have been no misconduct by a police officer, the evidence would not be suppressed.

History of the rule

Between 1791 and 1914, the constitutionally guaranteed right of all citizens to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures remained virtually a-enforced by American courts. The Fourth Amendment had the words that warned the government not to engage in unreasonable searches and seizures, but lacked any means to restrain government officials from ByRef-> citizens ' Fourth Amendment rights. Not until 1914 in Weeks v. United States, [FN4] did the U.S. Supreme Court recognize that if evidence can be illegally obtained "and used in evidence against a citizen accused of an offense, the protection of the FourthAmendment ... is of no value, and, so far as those thus placed are concerned, might as well be stricken from the Constitution. " [] Thus, the United States faced the problem that, while the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches guaranteed and seizures, the judicial system, as the primary protector of constitutional rights, did nothing to deter or punish unreasonable searches and seizures. To give value to the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Weeks, held that the Federal government and its agencies could not use illegally obtained evidence against the accused at trial. In other words, the Court established an exclusionary rule that illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible at trialand applied it only to the Federal courts. [FN6] The Court propounded two central rationales for its adoption of the Exclusionary Rule. First, there was the need to protect citizens ' Fourth Amendment rights by deterring government conduct that violated those rights. [FN7] Second, there was the need to preserve the integrity of the judicial system by refusing to sanction illegal police conduct: "To sanction such proceedings [where illegally obtained evidence is admitted] would be to affirm by judicial decision to manifest neglect if not an open defiance of the prohibitions of the Constitution, intended for the protection of the people against such unauthorized action." [FN8] While Weeks represented a significant development in enforcing Fourth Amendment rights, its limitation tofederal courts greatly restricted the Rule's ability to enforce those rights.

Four decades later, in Mapp v. Ohio, [FN9] three police officers invaded Dollree Mapp's home. The officers knocked on her door and demanded entry. They suspected that someone they wanted to question was hiding inside. Mapp consulted her lawyer and refused to admit the officers. Later that day, four or more officers arrived at the home, which was still under surveillance by the original officers. The officers then finally and forcibly entered Mapp's home. About that time, Mapp's lawyer arrived at the home but was not permitted to see his client or to enter her house. Confronting the officers in her home, Mapp demanded to see their search warrant. After Mapp grabbed the purported warrants and placed it in herbosom, the officers forcibly recovered it from her. Mapp's arms were grabbed, twisted, forced into handcuffs, and she was dragged to her bedroom where she was forced to remain. The officers searched the enTire floor, including Mapp's bedroom and the basement of her home. The officers found "obscene materials and she was convicted of possession. Whether the officers had secured a warrant to search Mapp's home was subject to "considerable doubt," and no such warrant was produced at any subsequent legal proceeding. [FN10] Given the particularly egregious nature of the police misconduct, the Supreme Court felt compelled to bestow teeth to the Fourth Amendment by making the Exclusionary Rule, first enunciated in Weeks, applicable to the states.

In holding theExclusionary Rule applicable to both state and federal courts, the Mapp Court decided to close the courtroom door remaining open to evidence secured by official lawlessness in flagrant abuse of that basic right, reserved to all persons as a specific guarantee against that very same unlawful conduct. " [FN11] As in Weeks, the Mapp Court reiterated that without the Exclusionary Rule, the use of illegally obtained evidence to convict criminal defendants "tends to destroy the enTire system of constitutional restraints on which the liberties of the people rest." [FN12]

Mapp reiterated the dual rationales enunciated in Weeks: protection of citizens ' Fourth Amendment rights, and preservation of judicial integrity. [FN13] These dual rationales actually comprise only onejustification behind The Exclusionary Rule: the recognition that allowing unrestricted use of illegally obtained evidence will not discourage violation of the constitutionally protected right.

Competing Concerns regarding the Exclusionary Rule in the United States

The Exclusionary Rule is certainly one of those controversial doctrines that caries with it its own share of proponents as well as detractors. When evidence has been obtained in contravention of the Constitution, the two opposing concerns meet: society's interest in seeing that persons guilty of crime are detected, prosecuted, convicted and punished, and a concurrent societal interest in safeguarding individual liberties against unlawful or leave police conduct. [Metal]. In the United States, these differingprinciples are presently resolved in favor of individual liberty, through the use of the exclusionary rule. [FN6] But the status of the American exclusionary rule is anything but "resolved." Since its creation, the rule has led to extensive litigation and a never-ending flow of academic commentary. The debate surrounding the issue has continued unabated in the United States for almost one hundred years.

As aforementioned, generally, two opposing viewpoints have emerged from all the debate concerning the exclusionary rule. There are those who want to abolish the exclusionary rule and those who wish to retain it. The critics of the rule are evidently using more concerned with the idea of ensuring that the guilty are punished and kept in prisons than the view of making sure theconstitutional rights and liberties of the people are kept intact. The proponents, contrary to the critics, are obviously more interested in making sure that the liberties of the people are protected, even though that may come at a price of letting the guilty go free. Opponents of the exclusionary rule argue that this extreme remedy is not required by the Constitution. They claim the rule is merely created judicially fashioned to protect constitutional rights by deterring future police illegality. Critics complain that the exclusionary rule is not an effective deterrent and Informazioni a huge toll in lost convictions. According to critics, the rule's costs outweigh its negligible benefits. Therefore, it is invariably argued, the exclusionary rule should be replaced with some more effectiveand less costly alternative remedy.

In stark contrast, proponents of the exclusionary rule insist that it is mandated by the Constitution and serves as an effective deterrent. They argue that those who criticize its deterrent value fail to recognize that the rule is necessary to preserve judicial integrity and compensated individual victims of police illegality. Proponents complain that the rule's detractors mask to dissatisfaction with substantive constitutional guarantees, under an attack on the exclusionary remedy. If law enforcement obeys the constitutional rules, as they should, then there would be no illegally obtained evidence to be excluded. According to proponents, this remedy is matchless. No other device is equally capable of safeguarding the Constitution's guarantees in acriminal context.

The debate surrounding the exclusionary rule has been ongoing in the United States since the Weeks decision. Arguably, the historical debate is capable of being encapsulated into seven general criticisms and responses:

1) Criticism--The criminal is to go free because the constable has blundered. [FN123]

Response--Criminals do not go free because the constable blundered, but rather because official compliance with the requirements of the Fourth Amendment makes it more difficult to catch criminals. It is not the exclusionary rule but the Fourth Amendment which imposes a cost in lost convictions. [FN124]

2) Criticism--The exclusionary rule serves to handcuff the police in their legitimate and important effort to enforce the criminal law.[FN125]

Response--It is the constitutional exclusionary rule not the sanction, which imposes limits on the operation of the police. If the police abide by the Constitution, there would be no evidence to exclude. The exclusionary rule, by definition, operates only after "evidence has been obtained and flaunts before us the costs we must pay for constitutional safeguards. [FN126]

3) Criticism--The exclusionary rule does not provide a remedy for innocent persons who are the victims of leave conduct. The rule exclusively serves to benefit the guilty. [FN127]

Response--The Fourth Amendment protects everyone against unreasonable searches and seizures. The exclusionary rule inures to the benefit of all by decreasing the likelihood that anyone,"innocent" or "guilty," will be subjected to an leave search or seizure. In this fashion, individual liberty is benefited on a general level by the rule.

Criticism--Suppression motions, in which defendants seek the benefit of the exclusionary rule, unnecessarily shift the focus of the trial away from the defendants ' guilt or innocence. These hearings are costly and distract judges from other important matters. Finally, the court is not the proper forum to discipline police officers leave for their activities.

Response--Courts should be preoccupied with the manner in which evidence has been obtained, otherwise the Constitution's guarantees would be rendered meaningless. It is the courts that must assume the role of being the final arbiters ofindividual rights. Absent such judicial scrutiny, constitutional violations would go unnoticed. Similarly, without continual judicial review, the Constitution's guarantees would remain unarticulated and rarely defined. The Constitution would only be expounded on rare actions for assault, trespass and false imprisonment (novel), and prosecutions for resisting arrest or legislative seat of the police in the execution of their duty. [FN130]

6) Criticism--The exclusionary rule confers a disproportionate benefit on a defendant. A relatively minor violation of the Constitution results in the exclusion of evidence and necessitates that a guilty defendant go free. This windfall is contrary to the idea of proportionality that is essential to the concept of justice.

Response--This criticism is onlysignificant if one conceives the purpose of the rule to be compensation of the individual victim. [FN132] If the compensation rationale is used, however, the criticism remains inaccurate. A number of exceptions to the exclusionary rule have been created to ensure that all that is excluded is the evidence the police would not have found had they abided by the Constitution. The exclusionary rule does not confirm immunity on a defendant against future prosecution; it simply restores him to the position he would have occupied had his constitutional rights not been violated.

Criticism--The exclusionary rule in the United States is anomalous; other democratic nations do not employ an exclusionary rule and they are arguably as free as the United States. [FN134]

Response--The UnitedStates is not alone in employing an exclusionary rule; a number of nations use exclusion of evidence as a means to safeguard individual rights. For instance, England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany and France all have some form of an exclusionary rule.

Problems with the United States mandatory exclusionary rule

Looking at the above arguments, it is clear that the opponents and proponents are completely at opposite sides of the spectrum in deciding an issue which appears to have two possible conclusions: a) to continue maintaining the current exclusionary rule of the United States or b) to abolish it altogether. However, careful consideration and research into this particular sphere can lead one to ask the question of whether or not there is a thirdalternatives, one which would sit between automatic exclusion and admissibility of evidence. Perhaps this third approach would alleviate some of the competing concerns regarding the exclusionary rule currently implemented in the United States. However, prior to making an endeavor to formulate this third possible choice, it is vital to point out some of the quandaries with the current mandatory exclusionary rule.

The mandatory aspect is problematic

As stated above, the United States exclusionary rule is one of mandatory or automatic exclusion. This means that, even highly probative news evidence will be suppressed if the police seize it illegally. Proponents of an exclusionary rule must concede that the costs of such a rule occasionally seem too harsh. If a defendant charged withmurder is released because a relatively minor and unintended violation of his rights disclosed essential evidence, then it is difficult to deny that the rule occasionally Informazioni too high a price. The problem with the American exclusionary rule is that it is unable to effectively cope with such exceptional cases. Generally, the rule demands that evidence be excluded regardless of society's competing interest in not having a dangerous criminal released back into the community. This is a major problem.

The mandatory exclusionary rule does not do its Job

What is the ob of the exclusionary rule? What was the chief purpose for its establishment in the United States? Mapp reiterated the dual rationales enunciated in Weeks: protection of citizens ' Fourth Amendment rights, andpreservation of judicial integrity. [FN13] These dual rationales actually comprise only one justification behind The Exclusionary Rule: the recognition that allowing unrestricted use of illegally obtained evidence will not discourage violation of the constitutionally protected right. It is evident that the true aim of the Exclusionary Rule is to deter future police violation of constitutionally protected rights. Specifically, excluding evidence illegally obtained will chasten the government official to the extent that he or she will not engage in similar conduct in the future. It is implicit that if the offending government official would not be deterred from future illegality, then application of the Rule would be inappropriate. Indeed, in a series of cases after Mapp, theSupreme Court > held the Rule's application inappropriate where the exclusion would not deter future Fourth Amendment violations. In United States v. Calandra, [FN14] the Court declined to allow grand jury witnesses to refuse to answer questions based upon evidence illegally seized because the "incremental deterrent effect which might be achieved by extending the rule to grand jury proceedings is uncertain at best." [FN15] In United States v. Janis, [FN16] the Court permitted the use of evidence seized illegally by state officials in federal civil proceedings because the illegal conduct was not likely to be deterred by exclusion in that setting. [FN17] The Court cited two factors which made exclusion unnecessary * 49in the Janis homes. [FN18] First, sincethe evidence was suppressed in the state criminal trial, the officer had already been "punished" for ByRef the Fourth Amendment. [Fn 19] Second, since the evidence was also excludable at the federal criminal trial, the enTire criminal enforcement process, which was the concern and duty of these officers, would be frustrated by the exclusion of the evidence in both proceedings. [FN20] Thus, the Exclusionary Rule accomplished its intended goal of deterrence in the criminal courts, and any further possible deterrent effect that exclusion from federal civil proceedings might cause would be outweighed by the societal costs imposed by the exclusion. [FN21] More recently, in United States v. Leon, [FN22] the Court found the Rule's application inapplicable when police officersreasonably relied on a search warrant. [FN23] Since the constitutional error in Leon was made by the magistrate in approving the search warrant, there was no police illegality and hence nothing to deter. [FN24] Furthermore, the Court held that suppression of evidence obtained pursuant to a warrant should be ordered only on a case-by-case basis and only in those unusual cases in which exclusion will further the purposes of the Exclusionary Rule. [FN25] Leon is a powerful mandate holding that judges should not exclude evidence unless exclusion would deter future illegal police conduct.

Therefore, it is beyond dispute that the Exclusionary Rule, and the focus of modern Supreme Court opinions construing the Exclusionary Rule is the preservation of ourconstitutional rights through the deterrence of future police misconduct that violates those rights.

So is the exclusionary rule really deterring leave police seizure of evidence? For the Exclusionary Rule to deter future police misconduct, the exclusion of the evidence must be communicated to the offending officer, the officer must learn why it was excluded, and he or she must be provided with some incentive to improve his or her future performances. * 55 Absent these steps, is there motivation for a police officer to conform his or her conduct to the dictates of the Fourth Amendment?

Deterrence from wrongful conduct will only occur if notice of that conduct is effectively communicated to the wrongdoer. However, despite this apparent common sense notion, theExclusionary Rule contains no provision for any police "education." Indeed, whether the police officer who has violated a defendant's constitutional rights will ever learn that he or she has committed such a violation is, at best, uncertain. [FN48] For example, the most direct educational effect will be felt by those officers who attend the suppression hearing (perhaps because they must present evidence of their conduct) and actually hear the court's ruling on the motion. Even then, the basis of the ruling may not be clear to the officer, or she may feel that the result was the product of a misguided or even ill-conceived system, rather than the result of her misconduct. In any case, the offending officer often does not attend the suppression hearing, so no direct lesson ispossible. Whether the police officer is made aware of his or her misconduct will then depend upon how effectively the prosecutor or police supervisors communicate with the involved officers. Thus any educational effect of the Exclusionary Rule is unpredictable and often left completely to chance. [FN49]

An additional impediment to the educational aspect of deterrence of Fourth Amendment violations lies in the failure to file many potential prosecutions that result from constitutionally flawed investigations. A prosecutor, strongly believing that critical evidence is the product of illegal police activity, is not likely to even file the case. In these situations, whether the police officer learns that he or she illegally seized a piece of evidence will depend upon how well theprosecutor or police supervisor communicates with the offending officer. Again, any such communication is Mama at best.

Prior to a case even reaching a prosecutor, as the Supreme Court observed, the Exclusionary Rule "is powerless to deter invasions of constitutionally guaranteed rights where the police either have no interest in prosecuting or are willing to forgo successful prosecution in the interest of serving some other goals." [Use] In other words, where police invades a citizen's Fourth Amendment rights, but do not prosecute that individual, * 56 there is no outside review--such as by a prosecutor or judge--to inform the officer of the violation.

If the "educational" aspect of deterrence is too vague to reinforce the "right" and "wrong" ways toobtain evidence, among police officers, the "punitive" aspect of the Exclusionary Rule is even more questionable. This is because punishment for illegally obtaining evidence falls directly upon "the government" by forbidding the use of the illegally obtained evidence at trial. Such punishment does not fall upon the offending police officer and, subsequently, any punitive effect felt by the police officer will be fortuitous. The offending officer suffers collarbo no formal negative consequences for his or her illegal activity. To be sure, some police departments keep track of data involving illegal searches and seizures conducted by officers and may use the data in decisions concerning promotions, salary increases, and the like. In addition, officers who are found to have violated a defendant'sconstitutional rights, and who are aware of this finding, may feel responsible for a failed prosecution, and may suffer from loss of stature in the eyes of their colleagues. But because the punitive effect of the Exclusionary Rule reaches the offending officers only indirectly, if at all, it seriously compromises the ability to deter police misconduct. A police officer who has violated a defendant's rights is not held personally accountable for that violation. In fact, empirical studies support the view that the Rule has a minimal effect on the police officers ' on-the-street behavior. This is the ironic effect of the American Exclusionary Rule: In essence, the present rule lacks the power to deter, even though deterrence is the primary objective cited by the Supreme Court for implementing and then retaining the Exclusionary Rule. [FN51]

Deterrence as sole purpose and exceptions are signs of backtracking

As stated above, American courts, in their effort to limit the broad application of the exclusionary rule, have focused on deterrence as the rule's sole justification. The emphasis on deterrence, however, has posed an impediment to alleviating the most troublesome aspect of the rule's operation. If deterrence is the exclusionary rule's only purpose, then dangerous criminals must go free, even if a constitutional violation was relatively minor or technical. This reasoning ignores the harmful effect that exclusion may occasionally have on the integrity of the courts. In a free society it is essential that the court command respect withinthe community, otherwise it will not be long before the authority of the court is diminished and the rule of law is threatened. Should this occur, the collective freedom of everyone within a society would be markedly diminished.

The other difficulty with the contemporary United States position is the judiciary's effort to scale back the rule's operation through the use of exceptions. These exceptions, as stated above, are rules which state that even when constitutional rights of the accused are violated in the obtainment of the evidence, they will still not be suppressed if one of the exceptions, such as the good faith exceptions applies.

The United States Mandatory Rule of Exclusion Is Due For a Make-Over: Discretionary Approach? Part 1

Friday, June 15, 2012

Attack on Reputation

Attack on Reputation


When someone attacks your reputation, what can you do? Whether the harmful comMent is against yourself personally or your business, it is hard to set the record straight and recover once the word has spread. For centuries, a person's name has been highly valued. One of the greatest fears of individuals was that they would bring disgrace to their family's name. Because the family name was very important for marriage and business, it is imperative it not be tarnished. To protect from attacks on reputation, legislation was written providing an avenue for prosecution.

Attack on Reputation

Attack on Reputation

Attack on Reputation


Attack on Reputation



Attack on Reputation

When a person attacked by an untrue stateMent, the legal term is defamation. There are two classifications of defamation depending upon the medium of communication used by the publisher. If the message iscommunicated in an unfixed mediums such as by speaking, it is known as slander. If the message is communicated via a fixed medium such as a newspaper, then it is termed libel.

In 1964, the u.s. Supreme Court declared that a public figure most tests that the defamatory stateMent was made with actual malice. This was during the cases of New York Times V Sullivan. This meant that the person who made the statement had to be aware that it was false and despite that knowledge decided to spread the information. This clarification was meant to protect people who make false claims but do not realize the information is false but target those who act in a malicious manner for prosecution. The Supreme Court did now want anyone to feel fearful.

Before you file alawsuit, it is important to weigh the costs and benefits. While you may be angry, a case may cause you more harm than good depending upon the scope of the defamation. If only a few people know about the defamation, a case would raise greater public awareness which could cost you more than you originally had just let slide. Media attention often focuses on problems which are seen as more exciting than the solution. Therefore, while several articles may print about your case, it is possible little coverage will show the outcome.

If the case is very complex, your attorney fees might be high. Therefore, the awarded amount might be significantly reduced once factoring legal costs. It is important to consult an experienced attorney to see if your case is worth pursuing.

Attack on Reputation

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century

The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century


Technology has linked its way into just about every facet of human lifestyles. For your edification, this continuing discussion, as well as an addition to previous study formats. In offering this informational passage, the legal system is just one more profession that has been conquered by technology.

The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century

The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century

The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century


The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century



The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century

We are aware of the court stenographers and PC's that record and track our legal system, but what about the C.G.A. System? The Computer Generated Animation Presentation can be admitted into our American Court System. Admissible Evidence in criminal trial (s) has been recorded as a precedent case ruled on by the Supreme Court. As reported by Asher Hawkins, of the Legal Intelligencer, differing arguMents by six Pennsylvania Supreme > Court Justices concluded that a Common Pleas Judge Lackawana properly admitted the use of CGA during a first-degree murder case in 2002. CGA has been portrayed on various television shows such as CSI Investigation (s) and Crime 360.

Justice Sandra Schultz Newman wrote, "Society has become increasingly dependent upon Computers in business and our personal lives ..." She went on the say, "With each technological advanceMent, the practice of law becomes more sophisticated and comMensurate with the need to shed any techno phobia and become more willing to embrace the advances that have the ability to enhance the efficiency of the legal system."

Prosecutorial teams, including Forensic Pathologists and Crime Scene Reconstructionists presented a murder case to the jury; theprosecutor's version ... the defendant did not possess and/or have access to this tool. One arguMent against this procedure in court is of a defendant, a poor person, is able to commission an equivalent production. In other words, would the defense be able to match the expenses associated with the prosecutions presentation to the court? Another justice suggested it would be wiser to exclude CGA evidence if an indigent or poor defendant could not afford the costs of "equivalent production." The basic cost upwards of $ 20 could be, 000.00. Another legal professional commented on whether the cost (s) of CGA was worth the expenditure. The justices also took note on the fact that CGA's are becoming increasingly less expensive to produce and could be a vital tool in the rapidexpedition of court cases. In any case, pre-trial motions that include CGA evidence should be treated with respect. Jury instructions and indigent (lacking Food, Clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor; impoverished, destitute) defendants are needed with the court's permission for the presenting of such evidence.

The judges position was to make certain that Computer Generated Animation was fAir and accurate while permitting defendants an opportunity to challenge its foundation. It has also been noted by the justices, to make clear to the jury that it was not meant as a re-enactment or simulation, but merely an expression of opinions formulated by expert witnesses. Another justice stated his position ... "I think it's a valuable tool, buta tool that needs to be used sparingly. I don't think it's necessary in every case. " Newman also wrote, "The difference is one of mode, the law does not, and should not; prohibit proficient professional employment of new technology in the court-room. This is, after all, the 21st century. "

Each state has its own court system. There's also a system of federal courts. Decisions made during adjudication by federal administration agencies may be appealed to a federal court. Similarly, decisions made by state administrative agencies may be appealed to a state court. The definition for adjudication (adjudicate) is to render a judicial decision. In the administrative process, the proceeding in which the administrative law judge and hears and decides onissues that arise when an administrative agency charges a person or a firm with violating the law or regulations enforced by the agency. An administrative agency is a state or federal government agency established to perform a specific function. Administrative agencies are authorized by legislative acts to make and enforce rules to administer and enforce the Act.

Typically, a state court system will include several levels, or tiers, of courts -(a) trial courts of limited jurisdiction, (b) trail courts of general jurisdiction, (c) appellate courts, and (d) the states highest court (often referred to as the State Supreme Court). Anyone who is Party to a lawsuit has the opportunity, and/or right to plead his/her casebefore a trial court and then if he/she loses, before at least one level of appellate court. Furthermore, if a federal statute of federal constitutional issue is involved in the decision of the State Supreme Court, that decision may be further appealed to the United States Supreme Court.

Have you ever wondered, with all the juris prudence (the science or philosophy of law, a body or system of laws, department of law, Civil Law decisions of courts, ESP. of reviewing tribunals) flooding the land activities, how could the legal system function without technology?

Monica Bay, of Law Technology News, reported of lawyers at small firms, especially solo practitioners, have resisted adopting practice/case management (CMS)software-even though there's no doubt that it can help firms deliver Faster, better, and cheaper services to their clients. Several observers suggest that the initial threshold of setting up a management system intimidates firms. Software consultant, Tom O'Connor said, "Everybody loves technology but hates installing it."

Project Management has not been a topic stressed in many schools, according to an independent IT consultant from Minneapolis. A successful project management is dependent upon a large network of personnel. An effective Electronic Data Discovery (EDD) Project Network includes: clients, partners, legal IT staff, associates, paralegals, inside counsel, service providers, and technical experts. Without a doubt, the use of Project Management (PM) to mitigate riskwhile delivering consistent, quality results that represents significant benchmark (s) in the maturing process of the EDD environment.

Used in many corporations to increase productivity, quality control programs such as Six Sigma, have been generating interest. Understanding why and where problems occur has a great impact on the decrease in mistakes. The application of these principles and practices on Electronic Data Discovery processes improve a lawyer (s) result (s) with increased quality and decreased costs. Reasons for rising interest in Project Management are recognition in the success depends on effective management.

Mitigating risk and lowering cost by applying "Electronic Discovery Techniques" offered a myriad of considerations, for example, matching time tables,securing outside IT experts, proposed and follow "E-Discovery" protocol, engagement of a special master to monitor compliance and resolvement of disputes, use of checklist (s) containing critical steps and reminders for every step in the project, and of a working service providers, working with attorneys to find answers to the right questions, as managing vendors require special attention to service level agreements (SLA 's).

Meanwhile, discover these definitions/terms of legal jargon that may help you in your administration, business, everyday life, and tech studies:

Subrogation -any right to creditor has against a debtor now becomes the right of surety. Inclusive are creditor rights in bankruptcy, rights to possession by the creditor collateral, and rights tojudgments by the secured creditor the surety now stands in the shoes of the creditor against the debtor.

Indemnification -The right to pursue guaranteed reimbursement/payment to a director for legal costs, fees, and/or judgments involved in defending corporations-(clients) related law suits. Simply put the right to compensation for services as directors (representatives/attorneys).

Habeas Corpus -held against your will-against your constitutional right (s), a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or court, esp. for investigation of a restraint of the person's liberty, used as a protection against illegal imprisonment (novel), one of a variety of writs that may be issued to bring a Party before a court or judge,having as its function, the release of the Party from unlawful restraint.

Writ -a legal document, order of the court.

Tort -personal injury, a civil wrong not arising from a breach of contract ... a breach of a legal duty that proximately causes harm or injury to another.

Posterity -the offspring of one progenitor to the furthest generation; descendants; all future generations; future generations succeeding or collectively; Judgment of this age must be left to posterity; all descendants of one person.

HIPPA -The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted to ensure that personal information stored, accessed or processed adheres to a set of guidelinesor "security rules." These rules outline security measures that should be implemented to adequately secure all electronic protected health information (EPHI). LogRhythm directly meets some HIPAA requirements, reduces the cost of complying with others, and it features out-of-the box HIPAA reporting packages.

SOX -require public companies to create, monitor, and manage controls over many aspects of their financial reporting. Some companies have found that such transparency doesn't come easily. The rules require not only new processes, but also fresh tools that can determine whether systems and reporting standards are up to snuff. In general, SOX applications can be classified into three main market segments, according to Forrester Research. Those in theenterprise application space includes Oracle and SAP; IBM and Stellent fall under the enterprise content management (ECM) heading; Paisley Consulting and OpenPages and are considered specialists, competing with Certus, HandySoft, and other pure-play vendors.

Where is it that technology hasn't reached? The courtrooms Are truly behind in technology? Are they out of the loop as are many "non-techie" or poor people are? The "Great Technical Divide" ... go figure!

After all, this is the 21st century.

Til next time ...

by

Gregory V. Boulware

3.16.10

The Legal System and Technology in the 21st Century

Monday, January 23, 2012

Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville

Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville


The United States Supreme Court, while passing the judgeMent over Troxel v Granville trial, made a landmark decision concerned with the visitation rights of grandparents. According to the decision taken by the Supreme Court in this case, it is the fundaMental right of the parent to care for the children and have control of their children. At the same time, it stated that no law can set standards for visitation rights of grandparents. They must be applied on a case-by-case basis. The court declared the non-parent visitation statute of Washington as unconstitutional infringement of parents' rights to make decisions regarding their children.

Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville

Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville

Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville


Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville



Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville

Although the court did not provide any special benefits to the grandparents, it advised the parents to have a liberal attitude and work towards developing a bonding between the grandparents and their grandchildren. The court acknowledged the parental role was being taken over by grandparents in many families.

After the decision taken by the US Supreme Court in Troxel case, the grandparents' visitation rights are being determined based on the best interests of the grandchildren. All 50 states in the United States have statutes for grandparent visitation. Although many scholars feel that there would be least impact of the decision taken in the Troxel case, the state courts have a different opinion. According to them, as constitutional challenges for confrontation of the third-Party visitation rights statutes increases, more number of statutes will be declared unconstitutional. There is no legal uniformity pertaining to grandparent visitation rights in the US considering all the exceptions that can arise. According to the statutes, in cases of troubled family situations, the courts must legally permit the grandparents to continue their loving relation with their grandchildren. Factors such as the relationship between the child and the grandparent, and the nature of parents' objection determine the grandparent visitation rights.

Grandparent Visitations After Troxel Vs Granville