ORIENTATION TO MEDIATION IN PORTLAND, OREGON

This article describes an orientation to mediation used in the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon. The role of the judiciary makes this program unique, and the orientation has increased the number of agreements reached. This orientation helps parents make decisions about mediation and use the process more effectively.     

新商人习惯法初论

<正> 引言由于每个国家都有自己的独立法制,因此有时这种情况不利于不同国家的人之间建立贸易合同关系,并使得外贸的发展易滞后于经济发展的进步。在现代世界中,新商人习惯法可以解决很多与世界经济全球化和世界市场发展有关的问题。对新商人习惯法的理解有助于简化国际商事合同的订立过程,合理地规定合同条件并快捷地解决合同当事人之间发生的纠纷。     

THE EFFECT OF GENDER ON THE DECISION TO INCARCERATE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF SENTENCING GUIDELINES*

The present study explores the relationships between gender and imprisonment decisions in Minnesota before and after the introduction of sentencing guidelines. Results from a series of logistic regression models indicate that gender alone did not have a significant impact on the likelihood of imprisonment, but women with dependent children were significantly less likely to be imprisoned before sentencing guidelines and in the years subsequent to their implementation. The findings suggest that despite the introduction of sentencing reforms, court officials tend to return to issues of substantive justice, and they appear unable to shed their individual or organizational ideas of fairness in sentencing.     

THE POLICE AND CHILD ABUSE: AN ANALYSIS OF POLICE DECISIONS TO REPORT ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR*

This research examines police decisions to report child abuse. A questionnaire was administered to 142 law enforcement officers at both municipal and county police agencies in a southern county. Vignettes were used to determine the response of police to several abuse events that differ in their nature and seriousness. Other items measured include dogmatism, knowledge of the reporting law, and experience reporting child abuse. The results indicate that the primary contributors to police decisions are definition of the behavior as serious, perception that the behavior is criminal, and race of the family. Conclusions and inferences are made regarding how these perceptions are formed and their impact on police discretion.