Category Archives: Issues to Watch

State Laws Legalizing and Decriminalizing Possession of Marijuana and Fourth Amendment Searches                                                                                                                         Joseph Samuels* Across the United States, states continue to either decriminalize or legalize possession of marijuana. Marijuana Overview, Nat’l Conf. St. Legislatures (Aug. 30, 2017), http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/marijuana-overview.aspx.  As more states change their position on the legality of marijuana, courts across the country mustContinue reading “State Laws Legalizing and Decriminalizing Possession of Marijuana and Fourth Amendment Searches”

A New First Amendment Fight: Politicians Blocking Comments on Social Media Katrina Smith* It is no surprise to hear about fights brewing on social media, but this time the fight is about the First Amendment implications of social media use by politicians and, instead of being online, it is in the courtroom.  Recently, the UnitedContinue reading “A New First Amendment Fight: Politicians Blocking Comments on Social Media”

National Debates Surrounding Immigration and Voting to Converge at College Park City Council                                                                                    Continue reading “National Debates Surrounding Immigration and Voting to Converge at College Park City Council”

Are U.S. Appeals Court Judges the New Stewards of the Environment?                                                                                        Continue reading “Are U.S. Appeals Court Judges the New Stewards of the Environment?”

Internet Privacy and the Fourth Amendment: Web Host Required to Turn Over Data                                                                                                                           Lauren Mullin* In the modern internet era, the judiciary must decide how the Constitution applies to internet usage and what constitutional protections it gives to the privacy of personal information obtained through internet accounts.  A recently decided federal case implicatedContinue reading “Internet Privacy and the Fourth Amendment: Web Host Required to Turn Over Data”