RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY: An Explication

This study addresses the current controversy involving radical criminology. It is argued that much of the polemic related to radical criminology is directed at a “straw man.” a monolithic conception of the perspective that fails to consider important philosophical, theoretical, practical, and nominal dfferences among those who write radical criminology (i.e.p “radical criminologists”). Furthermore, although radical criminologists share many philosophical, theoretical, and practical assumptions, it is emphasized that they hold to these shared assumptions with dffering degrees of sensitivity, sophistication, andsubtlety a point often ignored by critics and enthusiasts alike. Consequently, this study explicates not only some of the shared assumptions of radical criminologists, but also some of the dfferences.     

PERIODICAL PRESTIGE IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE: A Comment

This study examines the problems involved in measuring prestige of periodicah in criminology and criminal justice via subjective evaluations. An alternative measure of journal eminence based on citation frequency is developed. The differences in journal rankings derived from these contrasting methods are assessed.     

Legislative incapacity: the congressional role in environmental policy-making and the case of Superfund

Congress plays a central role in national environmental policy formation but appears ill equipped to set policy priorities and devise integrative legislation. Fragmentation of authority among a multiplicity of committees and subcommittees, especially in the House, contributes to these problems. This pattern is evident in the evolution of Superfund, the national program to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites. The prolonged process of reauthorization in the 1980s contributed to serious program delay and failed to resolve a number of fundamental questions concerning the national cleanup effort. Institutional reforms could contribute to a more effective congressional role in future environmental policy deliberations.     

Supravital electrical excitability of muscles

A new method of postmortem electrical stimulation of muscles, measuring the force of the reaction against time, is presented. Preliminary investigations have yielded the following results: The maximum force of reaction in response to a definitive stimulation, measured by a sensitive force transducer, decreases in proportion to the post mortem interval. Using this method, the mechanical reactions of muscles by electrical stimulation can be demonstrated over a much longer postmortem period as these movements are visible. The duration of postmortem reaction of different muscles seems to be much more uniform than was previously assumed. Occasionally, reactions of the M. orbicularis oculi can be seen for the longest time. The basal muscular tonus changes relative to time. The time course of a single force reaction also changes relative to the postmortal interval: the reaction becomes slower. It has been theoretically established that measurement of influencing factors such as temperature and pH in the tested muscle will enable the time of death to be more precisely estimated.     

Lawyer Advertising and the First Amendment

A current Supreme Court case concerning lawyer advertising, In re R.M.J., is analyzed in the context of a discussion of the diverse state regulations governing lawyer advertising and solicitation. The article considers the regulations in terms of their constitutionality, their tendency to impede effective advertising, and the effect they have on the legal profession's provision of information to potential clients about the nature, availability, and cost of legal services. Analysis of the major commercial speech cases, from Virginia State Board of Pharmacy to Central Hudson, indicates that many state rules infringe on attorneys' First Amendment rights.