October 15, 2015

POS 282 INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
In class today, Thursday 10/15, I handed back the graded Kimball case briefs. I also handed out the Kimball Comment Key, and my version of the Kimball case brief. After briefly talking about the case briefs, I gave the class a sample test in preparation for the first exam on Thursday 10/22. We went over the kinds of questions to expect, as well as how to prepare for the exam. Use this blog to make sure that you have all of the handouts, and to review the concepts and cases that we've discussed. We then went over the Maine statute regarding use of force in defense of premises, and imagined how a criminal prosecution in Maine against the Brineys might have gone. We began our discussion of Suggs v. Norris. The assignment for Tuesday 10/20 is to review Suggs v. Norris (previously assigned) and to begin your review for Exam #1 to be given Thursday 10/22.


POS 384 CIVIL LIBERTIES
In class today, Thursday 10/15, I gave the class a sample test in preparation for the first exam on Thursday 10/22. We went over the kinds of questions to expect, as well as how to prepare for the exam. Use this blog to make sure that you have all of the handouts, and to review the concepts and cases that we've discussed. We then reviewed both the majority and the dissent of Gitlow in terms of the clear and present danger test, words as incitement, and incorporation. We talked about the intervening cases discussed in the text, and then went over all of the opinions in Dennis. Finally, we saw how Brandenburg resolved the years of controversy. The assignment for Tuesday 10/20 is to read in the text through p. 238 (including O'Brien and Johnson) and to begin your review for Exam #1 to be given Thursday 10/22.