Legal representation

The Cost of No Legal Representation: Why Access to Attorneys Matters

Jennifer Myers could not pay $91.99 a month in child support. So she was arrested and when brought to court, where without an attorney, she was put in jail for 30 days. According to the coroner she died died in the Macomb County (Michigan) jail from a sepsis infection. However, what she may have really
  • Published in Law
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Flint water crisis

Flint Water Crisis: Can an Island of Honesty Prevent Corruption?

The people of the City of Flint Michigan were poisoned. There is no evidence that this was intentional; rather Flint’s citizens were treated like numbers in an accountant’s ledger, where spending the least money was thought to be the best decision.  It was when members of the Snyder (Governor of Michigan) administration understood that their
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Therapeutic Jurisprudence

The Judge’s Role in Justice: Therapeutic Jurisprudence in Action

Few would argue that the judge is the most influential person in the courtroom. From increasing positive drug treatment court outcomes to choosing a fair and representative jury, judges cannot only affect the actual outcomes of legal disputes but they overwhelming set the stage for the perception of fairness and justice. Using Therapeutic Jurisprudence in
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Hospital liability

Hospital Liability: Understanding Malpractice and Administrative Negligence

Hospital liability arises from two separate and distinct sources. The first comes from malpractice committed by medical staff and the second arises from the negligence of administrative staff.   The legal theories behind these two sources of litigation are different and can cause confusion for hospital administrators. While a hospital’s liability for the negligence of its
Procedural fairness

The Role of the Judge: Procedural Fairness and Drug-Treatment Courts

The factors that make up a successful Drug Treatment Court (DTC) are diverse, but the emerging research demonstrates, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the interaction between a judge and a participant is central to that success[1]. The bond between participant and judge is not solely dependent upon the judge’s personality but rather upon the nature
  • Published in Law
Sixth Amendment right to counsel

The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

As almost every American has learned from watching a myriad of police shows, a person charged with a crime has the right to an attorney and if that person cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for them.  Contrary to the television shows, the language about the right to an attorney contained in the
  • Published in Law
Read the Constitution

Have You Read the Constitution?

At the 2016 Democratic Convention, Khizr Khan asked of Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump; “Have you even read the United States Constitution?” Unless you are living under a rock, if you are in the United States you have heard about his question and the ongoing political debate, as have millions of people around the globe.
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Sex Discrimination

Sex Discrimination and the Law: Defining the Boundaries

Courts have started to determine whether sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination is cognizable as sex discrimination under federal statutes. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance and an administrative ruling in 2015 that interpreted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation-based bias within the definition of sex-based discrimination. This
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Marijuana Re-Schedule

The Marijuana Re-Schedule

It was good news and bad news this week for those who wish to legalize marijuana when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) declined to re-schedule marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule II drug. (Statement 1, Statement 2) The ruling came in response to two petitions – one from the governors of Rhode Island and
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Honor Killings

Honor Killings: A Global Crisis in Violence Against Women

Sadly, the above news headlines are not uncommon.  According to the United Nations, it is estimated that globally there are 5,000 murders called ‘honor killings’ every year.  Women’s advocacy groups have estimated the number of victims is closer to 20,000 annually because many of these murders are covered up as accidents or suicides.  With the
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