By Kimberly Tuttle (CMC’19) Many debates surrounding the legality of Julian Assange’s controversial organization, WikiLeaks, resurfaced this week in light of Assange’s recent release from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he has lived under diplomatic protection since 2012. In particular, news regarding the U.S. government’s indictment of Assange have concerned the American public...
By Rafael Santa Maria (PO ’20) Last Friday, the Department of Defense began implementing a new policy that effectively prevents transgender individuals from joining the military. Although the policy was announced in a Defense Department memorandum last month, enforcement began on April 12. This development follows efforts to curtail transgender military service by the Trump administration dating...
By Musa Kamara (PO’22) The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution conveys three major provisions, one of which is perhaps one of the most recognizable constitutional tenets in popular culture. The Amendment guarantees protection from excessive bail, protection from fines, and – most notably– protection from cruel and unusual punishment. The idea of cruel and unusual punishment...
By Alex Simard (PO’22) On March 31, Québec’s ruling Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) introduced Bill 21, a law that would ban public employees from wearing religious symbols. Under Bill 21, a public school teacher, government lawyer, or law enforcement officer would have to remove their hijab, niqab, yarmulke, or cross during work hours. The law also requires that individuals remove religious...
By Savannah Green (CMC ’20) Over the past few weeks, several countries have come to the support of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who was arrested in Iran in June of 2018 for representing women accused of removing their hijabs in public. When Sotoudeh was arrested by Iranian authorities, she was given no explanation and was detained for eight months while awaiting her sentencing. On...
By Katya Pollock (PO’21) Last month, an 11-year-old in Argentina underwent a procedure similar to a caesarian section after officials in the northwestern province of Tucumán obstructed her right to a legal interruption of pregnancy (ILE). The girl, addressed using the pseudonym Lucía, had allegedly been raped by her grandmother’s 65-year-old partner. The case comes less than a year after...
By Alex Simard (PO’22) Scroll down any parent’s social media and you’ll find countless images of their children. A recent piece in the Atlantic notes that social media has become the new family album. But unlike the albums of past, stored away in garages or attics, the modern album is profoundly public. What will happen when an incredulous child discovers their parent’s social media feed...
By Kimberly Tuttle (CMC’19) Corpus delicti, meaning “body of the crime” in Latin, is a principle adopted by the American legal system requiring that the requisite elements of a crime be proven before an individual can be tried for a crime. This rule provides that a confession, standing alone, is not enough evidence for a conviction. Despite the design of this rule to prevent wrongful...
By Bryce Wachtell (PO ’21) The right to vote forms the bedrock of democracy, but even the foundational principle of enfranchisement remains a topic of contention. The 2018 midterm elections have resurfaced the debate on voting rights along mostly partisan lines, with Republicans advocating for ballot integrity and Democrats pushing for accessibility, especially for marginalized groups. A...
Conducted by Michaela Shelton (PO ’21) and Madison Yardumian (SC ’21), Staff Writers Christopher Darden has practiced law for over 37 years. He worked for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted cases regarding gang violence and criminal activity perpetrated by law enforcement officials. Darden rose to particular prominence for his role as co-prosecutor...
