February 11, 2013

POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Monday 2/11, I distributed two handouts: my version of the Prescott case brief, and the Prescott Comment Key. I returned the Prescott case briefs.I announced that the plan is to have the first exam on Wednesday, February 27th. We went over the Prescott case brief, emphasizing what makes a brief useful in the first place. I also talked about the difference between an objective test versus a subjective test, regarding the feeling of being compelled to answer questions. We discussed how the police might use the lessons of the Prescott case to conduct a more admissible interrogation of a suspect. We then began our discussion of the Katko case. We talked about the story of the case, and got through the cause of action. We will pick up at that point on Wednesday. The assignment for Wednesday 2/13 is to review the Katko opinion (again).


POS 384 CIVIL LIBERTIES
In class today, Monday 2/11, I distributed one handout, a newspaper article regarding guns on the campus of University of Colorado. We reviewed the majority opinion in Boerne, and then went through all of the concurring and dissenting opinions. I went over two follow-up cases regarding the scope of Congress' Section 5 power, Hibbs and Coleman . We will finish those two cases on Wednesday. The assignment for Wednesday 2/13 is to read the distributed article, and to continue work on your Free Expression paper, previously assigned, due Friday 2/15.