By Emma Hurst, Staff Writer In September 2019, there were 52,546 arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border, the lowest it has been this year.[1] The number of arrests decreased 64% since May, just five months prior.[2] However, within the fiscal year that concluded in September, border arrests reached an 11-year high […]
Juris Blog
New York City Criminal Justice Reform: Is Closing Rikers the Answer?
Photo provided courtesy of Pixabay.com By Elizabeth Echard, Staff Writer On October 17, 2019, the New York City Council made a momentous change and voted to close Rikers Island.[1] Rikers Island (herein after “Rikers”) is a 400-acre, ten-jail complex that is located across the river from LaGuardia Airport. [2] […]
Hicks and the Terry Stop
Photo provided by courtesy of Pixabay.com By Jonathan Veres, Staff Writer Second-year law students studying criminal procedure spend hours readings landmark cases involving the Fourth Amendment. Mention Terry v. Ohio, or Katz v. United States, and you might catch an eye roll from a 2L. But, mention Commonwealth v. Hicks, […]
Can States Eliminate the Insanity Defense?
Photo provided courtesy of Pixabay.com By: Samantha Thompson, Staff Writer On October 7th, 2019, the first day of the 2019-2020 Supreme Court term, the Court heard the arguments for Kahler v. Kansas, to determine whether the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments permit a state to abolish the insanity defense.[1] The insanity […]
Taxing Minors for Their Small Businesses
Photo provided courtesy of Pixabay.com By Jedidiah Price Yuknavich, Staff Writer In the fall or on a hot summer day you may enjoy a cup of apple cider or lemonade while out on a walk. If you have ever come across a lemonade stand run by a minor, you might […]
Texas Communities Call for Police Reform
Photo provided courtesy of Pixabay.com By Shreya Desai, Staff Writer Over the past year, more than 700 hundred civilians have been fatally shot by police officers across the country.[1] To no surprise, this number continues to grow. On October 12, 2019, 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson of Fort Worth, Texas was fatally […]
Gov. Wolf Signs Executive Order on Greenhouse Gas, But Legal and Policy Questions Still Exist
Photo provided courtesy of Pixabay.com By David McPeak, Staff Writer Earlier this month, Gov. Tom Wolf signed Executive Order 2019-07 directing the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop a proposal for new rules to “abate, control, or limit carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel-fired electric power generators.”[1] The […]
Hong Kong and China: A Delicate History of “One Country, Two Systems”
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com By Samantha Dorn, Staff Writer This past June, the people of Hong Kong took to the streets to protest local legislation that would have permitted mainland China to extradite fugitives residing in Hong Kong.[1] Since then, demonstrations have become violent, and the world has been watching […]
Red Flag Laws: An Important Tool for Public Safety or Infringement on Constitutional Rights?
Photo provided courtesy by Pixabay By Matthew Naum, Staff Writer Red flag laws, also known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders (“ERPOs”), have gained momentum on both the state and national level as a potential way to prevent public mass shootings since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in […]
Freedom of Speech on College Campuses
Photo courtesy of Pixaby By Stephen Hodzic, Staff Writer Freedom of speech is considered one of the most fundamental rights of a citizen of the United States.[1] The First Amendment of the Constitution specifically prevents an infringement of those rights by any branch government, with exceptions for threats, blackmail, […]
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