by Rachel Sharma In the beginning of May of 2020, Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, issued new rules about Title IX regulations of sexual misconduct. These regulations are set to take effect on August 14th of this year. These new changes also apply heavily to college students and allow those accused and accusers of sexual assault, harassment, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking to have more due process protections.[1] Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on […]

Read More from New Rules: A Breach of Faith

by Rachel Sharma The insanity defense has a long history in many different countries; however, in the United States, it holds water through the 8th Amendment of the Constitution: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”[1] The insanity defense fits under the umbrella of “cruel and unusual punishment”. Due to the fact that those who use the insanity defense successfully are seen as not knowing what they were doing or not […]

Read More from Insanity

by Rachel Sharma In the case of Miller v. Alabama, fourteen-year-old Evan Miller was tried and convicted of capital murder during the course of an arson in 2004. Because of the crime itself, Miller was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, Miller filed a motion for a new trial on the grounds that sentencing a fourteen-year-old to life in prison without the possibility of parole was against the 8th amendment right against cruel and unusual […]

Read More from 17 For Life

by Rachel Sharma In the city of Warren, Michigan, the city hall atrium played host to different booths that “may be reserved for most types of functions or activities”.[1] One of these activities is known as the “Prayer Station”, set up by the Tabernacle Pentecostal ministry.[2] This booth has been in affect from 2009 to the present. Volunteers who run the booth offer to pray with passersby, distribute religious pamphlets, and discuss their religious beliefs with those who approach. Douglas […]

Read More from The Reason Station

by Rachel Sharma When the First Amendment was created in the constitution, it did not have the same meaning it has today. The definition of this law today has been shaped and morphed by justices and judges that wrote opinions and decided cases pertaining to it. The history of cases relating to the First Amendment from World War I to the end of the 1960s shows the development of the meaning and restrictions of the amendment by the Supreme Court. […]

Read More from The First Amendment, Abridged

by Rachel Sharma A public defender’s office exists in every city and state in America. These attorneys are appointed to represent criminal defendants who cannot afford to pay for their own, private legal counsel [1]. While these attorneys have heavy caseloads, they are not provided the resources to give each case its due care and thus cannot provide adequate counsel to those they represent. The lack of resources of public defenders amounts to a violation of the Sixth Amendment of […]

Read More from Effective Counsel and the Sixth Amendment

by Rachel Sharma The Supreme Court of the United States, in its attempts to interpret the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, has struggled with one overall question: what is the best reasoning to protect people from unreasonable searches and seizures? Earlier case law concerning the Fourth Amendment focused on the property rights of private citizens and their freedom against trespass. However, in 1967, the decision in Katz v. United States changed the Court’s focus from property rights to a right […]

Read More from Privacy or Trespass: The Fight Over the Fourth Amendment