Reporting sensational trials: Free press,a responsible press,and cameras in the courts

It is common today to criticize the media for the way in which they report sensational trials. Lawyers often join in this criticism, claiming that the portrayals harm their public image. This article examines such complaints and demonstrates that including cameras in the courts need not lengthen a criminal trial, nor substantially affect the judicial process. Using the O.J. Simpson criminal case as a backdrop, the article shows how delays in that case were caused not by cameras, but by the judge's inconsistent rulings that signaled to the defense lawyers that they were under a different and more lenient standard than the prosecutors. Surveys of American judges show that those who have experienced cameras in their own courtroom have come to the conclusion that such media coverage does not impede justice, aids the public in understanding the judicial process and has little effect on American's perceptions of lawyers. Those judges who have the urge to play to the cameras should ban them, but if they do not, the blame lies with them and not the media, which simply report what is happening.     

From unilateral liberalization to regional free trade agreements: a Latin America perspective

This paper provides an overview of changes in Latin American trade regime. The inward-looking import substitution industrialization (ISI) approach to development was replaced in the 1990s by an outward-looking strategy. The protectionist policies of the ISI strategy generated an anti-export bias, but unilateral trade liberalization (UTL) reduced this bias considerably. An issue discussed is why the pro-ISI consensus of the 1960s was replaced by the pro-export consensus of the 1990s? There has been a surprising proliferation of (bilateral) free trade agreements (FTAs) during the 1990s. In the paper it is argued that UTL and FTAs are complementary strategies. Latin America has comparative advantages in natural resources. A new debate over the development strategy has emerged. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are seen as crucial to a country’s growth in the twenty-first century. So, how can Latin American countries incorporate such technologies into their economies. Is it possible to make the leap from producing natural resources to producing ICT? In today’s globalized world, it is essential for Latin American countries to increase its exports. This paper reviews actions on different fronts; some that should be carried at the domestic level, and also, measures at the external level which require that the developed countries provide better market access to Latin American exports.     

The role of behavioral research in the free press/fair trial controversy

The role of behavioral research in the “free press-fair trial” controversy is reexamined in light of the recent article by Carroll, Kerr, Alfini, Weaver, MacCoun, and Feldman (1986). It is concluded that while further research is needed, as suggested by Carroll et al., behavioral research on the impact of pretrial publicity and judicial remedies already offers some useful guidance for the judicial system. In addition, a guideline is proposed for deciding if the empirical literature on a given issue is sufficiently strong to employ in legal decision making.     

Finding hidden value through mixed-methodology: Lessons From the Discovery Program’s Holistic Approach to Truancy Abatement

Policy makers often bemoan the shortcomings and inefficiency of youth development and similar social work programs whose effectiveness cannot be demonstrated by quantifiable performance indicators. This study argues, through illustration of the Odyssey Learning Center’s Discovery Program (an alternative school serving rural Southern youth in an abject poverty context), that program value can only be evidenced through a mixed-methodological evaluation design. Reasons precluding traditional statistical analysis and effectiveness determinations are discussed and alternative conceptualizations of program value are considered. This research was funded from Federal Grant Number 2002-JE-FX-0034 from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention through the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs. Points of view or opinions stated are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent the opinion or official position of the United States Department of Justice or the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.     

Free press and fair trial: The role of behavioral research

The growth of mass media has complicated the relatioship between the courts and the media. Free press and fair trial rights are kept in balance by the use of judicial restraints and remedies such asvoir dire, change of venue, and gag orders. This balance has shifted back and forth during the past two decades. Current case law and legal codes are inconsistent and provide insufficient guidance to judges in their use of restraints and remedies. Nor is there a body of empirical research on the impact of news coverage and juror behavior capable of informing the courts at this time. In this paper, we review and critically assess the empirical social science literature as it pertains to the legal issues involving free press and fair trial. We argue that carefully conducted empirical research could provide important information to the courts. We suggest research directions and methodological caveats to increase legal relevance and scientific validity.     

The Discourse of Criminality: From Beccaria to Postmodernism

The use of discourse in criminological thought and writing is touted as though it is a recent event; building off the work of postmodernism In reality, however, the use of discourse in addressing criminological concepts goes back to the earliest works in criminology (although it was not referred to as discourse at that time). This article discusses the history of discourse in criminality, focusing specifically on Beccaria and Lombroso. Application for current use of discourse is suggested as a way of making postmodernist writing perhaps more useful to a wider audience. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Continuity of aggressive antisocial behavior from childhood to adulthood: The question of phenotype definition

Aiming to clarify the adult phenotype of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), the empirical literature on its childhood background among the disruptive behaviour disorders, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), or hyperkinetic conduct disorder (HKCD), was reviewed according to the Robins and Guze criteria for nosological validity. At least half of hyperactive children develop ODD and about a third CD (i.e. AD/HD + CD or HKCD) before puberty. About half of children with this combined problem constellation develop antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in adulthood. Family and adoption/twin studies indicate that AD/HD and CD share a high heritability and that, in addition, there may be specific environmental effects for criminal behaviours. “Zones of rarity” delineating the disorders from each other, or from the normal variation, have not been identified. Neurophysiology, brain imaging, neurochemistry, neurocognition, or molecular genetics have not provided “external validity” for any of the diagnostic categories used today. Deficient mental functions, such as inattention, poor executive functions, poor verbal learning, and impaired social interaction (empathy), seem to form unspecific susceptibility factors. As none of today's proposed syndromes (e.g. AD/HD or psychopathy) seems to describe a natural category, a dimensional behavioural phenotype reflecting aggressive antisocial behaviours assessed by numbers of behaviours, the severity of their consequences and how early is their age at onset, which will be closely related to childhood hyperactivity, would bring conceptual clarity, and may form the basis for further probing into mental, cognitive, biological and treatment-related co-varying features.     

The effects of body-worn cameras on police-citizen encounters and police activity: evaluation of a pilot implementation in Philadelphia,PA

Journal of Experimental Criminology - Examine changes in officer behavior, when wearing body-worn cameras, as revealed by pedestrian stops, vehicle stops, arrests, use of force, and citizen...     

立法语言的特点:从描述到分析及证立

当前学界在讨论立法语言的特点问题时,往往采取一种描述性的方式将其归纳为准确、肯定,通俗、简洁,规范、严谨以及庄重、严肃等,却几乎没有去探讨背后的问题。如,立法语言为什么应当或能够具有这些特点?以及这种关于立法语言特点的观察或描述是否能够从根本上成立?可能也正是忽略了这些背后的问题,因而往往在分析立法权以及其它法治实践、法学研究中的一些问题时缺乏有穿透力的视角。从认识哲学、语言哲学等角度对立法语言的特点展开分析与证立,将在很大程度上回应、缓解上述问题。     

从体制转换到体制协调:TRIPS的矫正之路——以发展中国家的视角

TRIPS作为由发达国家主导、发展中国家被动接受的一种制度安排,体现了发达国家的秩序主张,忽视了发展中国家的正义要求和利益关切,从而给发展中国家带来了负面社会后果。发展中国家一直没有停止过改变TRIPS的努力:首先推动在人权、公共健康、生物多样性等国际体制中制订与TRIPS相左的知识产权规范,然后试图在WTO体制内通过对TRIPS的解释和修订消除TRIPS与其它国际体制知识产权规范之间的冲突。这是一条从体制转换到体制协调的国际知识产权制度变革之路,关乎WTO成员之间利益关系的重新调整,因而势必遭到TRIPS既有秩序的受益者———发达国家的抵制,使其充满着艰难、曲折。对此,包括中国在内的发展中国家必须要有清醒的认识,做好因应准备。     

从权力到权利:算法治理的路径

人工智能时代,算法日益介入社会生活中。我国对算法的治理刚刚起步,现有的算法治理模式并不能适应算法技术的发展。基于对我国算法治理现状和治理困境的分析,提出从权力到权利的算法治理路径,并借助“权利束”这一概念,从整体上对算法权利进行构思,以实现算法控制者和算法相对人的利益平衡。     

From Rai stones to Blockchains: The transformation of payments

Computer technology has dramatically changed the marketplace, including the way we make payments. Electronic access to funds expands liquidity and the relationships within payment networks allow strangers to build bridges of trust, increasing trade and human interaction. But electronic payment channels have also presented new challenges in security and privacy, including new forms of criminal behavior and tax avoidance for governments to address. This essay outlines some of the legal, social, and technological implications from this transformation of payments and assesses future challenges in the electronic payments frontier.     

The hidden trillions: Secrecy,corruption, and the offshore interface

This paper considers the role of secrecy jurisdictions in creating a supply-side stimulus for corrupt practices and explores the use of the newly created Financial Secrecy Index as a tool for assessing and ranking such jurisdictions. Secrecy jurisdictions are a prominent feature of international financial markets, providing a combination of low or zero tax rates, lax regulation, weak international judicial cooperation, and—above all—legalised secrecy facilities. Citing the case of Barbados, this paper shows how an environment of legalised secrecy is purposefully created by not requiring disclosure of ownership information for corporations, trusts, foundations and other legal entities; through non-participation or ineffective participation in judicial cooperation and information exchange; and through laws to protect banking secrecy arrangements. Taken in combination these factors make secrecy jurisdictions attractive conduits for illicit cross-border financial flows and the harbouring of dirty money. Using secrecy jurisdictions as platforms for their operations, legal and financial intermediaries create complex and opaque offshore structures to facilitate economic crime and impede investigation. Current international efforts to stem the activities of secrecy jurisdictions are largely ineffective, but civil society is raising pressure for effective action to be taken against offshore secrecy.