Decision to Know: City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge v. Stephen C. Myers

Abstract

Stephen Myers was leasing a single‐family residential property in an area zoned A‐1 within the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to four unrelated persons. Per Baton Rouge’s Unified Development Code (UDC) a “family” is defined as “an individual or two (2) or more persons who are related by blood, marriage or legal adoption living together . . . or not more than two (2) persons, or not more than four (4) persons (provided the owner lives on the premises rpar; living together by joint agreement. . . . ” (Myers at 9). In response, the city brought the action seeking to compel Myers to cease his alleged violation of the UDC, and Myers made a reconventional demand alleging the UDC’s definition of family was unconstitutional.     

Finkelhor's precondition model of child sexual abuse: A critique

Abstract

This paper critically discusses an extremely influential multi-factorial theory of child molestation, Finkelhor's Precondition Model. This model was one of the first comprehensive theories of the sexual abuse of children and represents a significant achievement. It provides a clear framework for approaching the study of men who have sexually abused children and has lead to both clear treatment goals and clinical innovations. It has rarely, however, been systematically critically examined and the cogency of its core constructs evaluated. Our analysis suggests that alongside its strengths, Finkelhor's Precondition Model has some conceptual problems. It suffers from vagueness; contains overlapping constructs; and a rich array of vulnerability factors that require teasing out and clarification. The model's attempts to provide a taxonomy highlight the diversity inherent in child sexual abuse, but it has not yet provided a structure to adequately inform treatment.     

Application of likelihood ratios for firearm and toolmark analysis

Historically firearm and toolmark examiners have rendered categorical or inconclusive opinions and eschewed probabilistic ones, especially in the United States. We suggest this practice may no longer be necessary or desirable, and outline an alternative approach that is within a comprehensive logical/Bayesian paradigm. Hypothetical forensic and non-forensic examples are provided for readers who are practicing firearm and toolmark examiners, and the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches are considered.     

Gender differences in occupational characteristics of Canadian correctional officers

As women have increasingly become employed as correctional officers in prisons for male offenders, questions have been raised as to how they may, or may not, differ from their male counterparts. To examine this issue questionnaires were sent to all 866 correctional officers who directly supervised male offenders in five prisons operated by the Correctional Service of Canada. Responses were obtained from 339 officers (39%), 86% of which were male and the remaining 14% female. Female officers were more likely to be unmarried, better educated, less interested in the custody aspect of the correctional officer role, younger, have less experience as a correctional officer, have higher levels of job satisfaction, and be more accepting of women as correctional officers than were their male colleagues. No gender related differences were found in the variables of race, rank, security level worked, stress level, and quality of the working relationship experienced with coworkers. Implications of the findings are discussed     

The effectiveness of mediation: An independent analysis of cases handled by four major service providers

A study of 449 cases administered by four major providers of ADR services showed that mediation was capable of settling 78 percent of cases, regardless of whether the parties had been sent to mediation by a court or had selected the process voluntarily. Mediation also cost far less than arbitration, took less time, and was judged a more satisfactory process than arbitration.Jeanne M. Brett is the DeWitt W. Buchanan, Jr. Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. 60208