March 19, 2014

POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Wednesday 3/19, we first went over the article about the history of the Furman decision. We then went through the text's three Gregg v. Georgia opinions. I will begin on Friday with some updates about the imposition of capital punishment and the meaning of cruel and unusual punishment. The assignment for Friday 3/21 is to read through p. 64 of the text (Mobbley and Holland).


POS 384 CIVIL LIBERTIES
In class today, Wednesday 3/19, I distributed two handouts: my version of the R.A.V. outline, and further excerpts from both Scalia's and White's opinions in the case. We went through Scalia's opinion, and got up to the point in White's opinion in which he explains how Scalia got the entire concept of the rationale of fighting words wrong. We will pick up on Friday with White's view of the particular problems with Scalia's analysis. Also on Friday, I plan to distribute an writing assignment regarding a later cross-burning case, Virginia v. Black. The assignment for Friday 3/21 is to review in the textbook White's R.A.V. concurrence, and to review the R.A.V. outline and read the additional R.A.V. excerpts handed out today.


POS 359 THE CURRENT SUPREME COURT TERM
In class today, Wednesday 3/19, we went over some of the specific issues that were part of the oral argument in Greece v. Galloway. I then discussed another recent oral argument, Schuette v. BAMN, about the Michigan constitutional change that banned affirmative action in Michigan after the Grutter Supreme Court decision that had found certain affirmative action constitutional. We looked at prior Supreme Court Equal Protection cases about political restructuring. I'll go over some more of the oral argument when we next talk about Schuette. The assignment for Friday 3/21 is to finish up your Lozano papers due at the beginning of the class on Friday.