How many more guns?: Estimating the effect of allowing licensed concealed handguns on a college campus

Among other arguments, advocates for lifting bans on carrying concealed handguns on campus propose that this would increase the prevalence of legitimately carried handguns, which might then deter crimes or be used to intervene in campus shooting incidents like the one that took place at Virginia Tech in 2007. Opponents suggest that increased prevalence of concealed handguns would lead to increases in other negative consequences, such as accidental shootings. Little empirical research has examined the potential outcomes of such a policy change, nor has existing research examined the prerequisite issue of whether lifting these bans would result in substantial increases in the prevalence of concealed handguns among students. Using a sample of undergraduate classrooms selected from five academic buildings at a public university in Texas, this study examines the potential impact of lifting the concealed handgun ban on the likelihood that a given classroom would contain at least one legally carried handgun. Results reveal that the impact of potential policy changes in this area vary based on the building under consideration and the measure of potential handgun prevalence. Limitations of the study and implications for future research on the issue of concealed handgun carrying on college campuses are discussed.     

New models of negotiation,dispute resolution,and joint problem solving

The revolutionary changes sweeping the workplace, union-management relationships, and the world economy have contributed to a sharply redefined role for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the primary provider of mediation services to labor and management in the United States. In this article's three main sections, the authors trace the history and provide background information about FMCS; consider the changing role of mediation, driven by societal forces of change from the late 1970s to the present; and speculate on the agency's future and the expected expansion in the use of mediation. John Calhoun Wells has served as Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service since November, 1993, when he was appointed to that position by President Bill Clinton.Wilma B. Liebman is Deputy Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.     

Guidelines for empirically assessing the fairness of a lineup

Issues regarding the fairness of lineups used for criminal identification are discussed in the context of a distinction between nominal size and functional size. Nominal size (the number of persons in the lineup) is less important for determining the fairness of a lineup than is functional size (the number of lineup members resembling the criminal). Functional size decreases to the extent that the nonsuspect members of the lineup are easily ruled out as not being suspected by the police. The extent to which the identification of the suspect can be considered an independently derived piece of incriminating evidence is positively related to functional size. Empirical estimates of functional size can be obtained through pictures of the corporal lineup from which mock witnesses make guesses of whom they believe the police suspect. A distinction is made between a functional size approach and hypothesis testing approaches. Uses of functional size notions in the court, by police, and in research are discussed.     

Effects of expert psychological advice on human performance in judging the validity of eyewitness testimony

A review is made of recent experimental research regarding how well human observers can judge the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. It is concluded that people: (a) may be overwilling to believe in the accuracy of eyewitnesses' memory; (b) rely too heavily on the confidence of eyewitnesses in judging the validity of testimony; (c) fail to adequately account for witnessing conditions across crimes; and (d) cannot discriminate between accurate and inaccurate witnesses within crimes. New data are reported from an experiment designed to test the effects that expert psychological advice has on subject-jurors' performance with regard to these four deficiencies. The results showed that expert advice served to eliminate the overbelief bias and greatly reduced subject-jurors' reliance on the confidence of the witnesses. Expert, advice did not improve the extent to which subject-jurors took account of the witnessing conditions across crimes nor their ability to discriminate between accurate and inaccurate witnesses within crimes.     

Corporate manslaughter: A cultural and legal form

This article is a revised version of a paper originally presented at the eighth international conference of the Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, Hong Kong, December 4–8, 1994, It draws on research I undertook while writingNegotiating Tragedy: Law and Disasters (1995).     

Human rights and forensic psychology

Objectives. Human rights serve to orientate practitioners to the necessary conditions for a minimally worthwhile life for service users, the prerequisites for a life of dignity and a chance at happiness, and the opportunity to incorporate into their life plans cherished values and goals. In this introduction to the special section paper, I discuss the basic concept of human rights and outline their relevance for clinical practice with offenders. Method. I explore the core values associated with human rights and suggest that one of their primary functions is to protect the internal and external conditions of individuals' agency and their pursuit of better lives. Conclusion. I briefly outline the three articles comprising this special section of LCP on human rights that address issues of risk, therapeutic jurisprudence, and the rights of detained persons.     

Search orders and computers

Legal and practical context: On the execution of a Search Order, the Supervising Solicitorensures that fair play is observed by the claimant's searchparty in circumstances which are always stressful and oftenemotional. With the rise of computer imaging orders, the lengthof time taken at the defendant's premises has increased andit frequently falls to the supervising solicitor to undertakeany post-execution search and review of the computer evidence.It all adds to the expense. This article offers suggestionsto ensure that the parties' positions are safe-guarded but theimpact of computer evidence is properly managed. Key points: The article sets out the history of the role of the supervisingsolicitor in the execution of a Search Order and how that rolehas evolved. The article then looks at the increased importanceof securing evidence held on computers during the Search Orderand the resultant impact. Suggestions are made as to the futuredrafting and conduct of Search Orders to ensure that the evidenceand the interests of the parties are safe-guarded but with aneye to controlling costs. The claimant's solicitors do not havethe luxury of time to debate these issues when preparing forits application. It is hoped this article provides the key points. Conclusions: The article brings to light many issues which ought to be consideredprior to the making of a Search Order. The suggestions offeredrely on the court taking a pro-active role and the claimantconducting proper due diligence.     

A Discussion Summary of the First Dispute Systems Design Conference

Conclusion A dominant theme throughout the conference was how best to relate existing, traditional dispute systems (e. g., the courts, grievance panels, etc.) to the methods generally advocated by dispute systems designers (e. g., negotiation, mediation, etc.). Exploring that relationship is one of many dispute system design issues worthy of further discussion by practitioners and scholars.In sum, the conference discussion strongly indicates that there is a common set of dispute systems design issues across several contexts. Practitioners were clearly able to build on each other's insights and to learn from one another's practices, even when the settings for these practices diverged widely. An approach that focuses on these common dispute systems design issues appears to be a powerful method of developing individual practitioners and of developing the practical knowledge base of the profession as a whole. Based on this observation, the answer to the question in the title of this article is yes. Tony Simons is a doctoral student at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University, 3-191 Leverone Hall, Evanston, Ill. 60208.