intro to law final

Chuck Colson

lawyer, special counsel to President Nixon during the time of the Watergate; voluntarily goes to prison; found Prison Fellowship ministries, lived his life “on mission”

Kim Potter

police officer who accidentally shot Dante Wright after mistaking her handgun as her taser, the shooting occurred in 2021 and was sentenced to 2 years is being released after 16 months of her sentence

right to counsel

individual right found in the Sixth amendment of the constitution that requires criminal defendants to have access to legal representation

exclusionary rule

rule that provides that otherwise admissible evidence cannot be used in a criminal trial if it was the result of illegal police conduct

Doctrine of Incorporation

in constitutional law, the application of the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process protections to incorporate the provisions of the Bill of Rights and make them applicable to the states

Terry V. Ohio (1968)

Supreme Court decision endorsing police officer’s authority to stop and frisk suspects on the streets when there its reasonable suspicion that they are armed and involved in criminal activity

Brady Act

created a national system to instantly check the background of people wanting to buy guns

Nancy Cruzan

severe brain damage in car accident and kept alive by feeding tube and medical equipment. In a hearing in a lower court, additional people testified about Nancy’s wishes before her coma and the legal standard was then met, the court let her die

vior dire

jury selection process of questioning prospective jurors, to ascertain their qualifications and determine any basis for challenge

Rob Schenk

American evangelical clergyman who ministers to elected and appointed officials in Washington DC, and serves as the president of a non-profit organization name Dietrick Bonhoeffer (anti-abortion lobbyist)

Scottsboro Boys

nine young black men between the ages of 13-19 were accused of raping two white women by the names of Victoria Price and Ruby Bates. All the young men were charged and convicted of rape by white juries, despite the weak and contradictory testimonies of the witnesses

Stand your Ground Laws

statutes providing that a person faced with a threat of bodily harm may use deadly force to repel the threat and is not required to retreat

Gideon V. Wainwright (1963)

ordered states to provide lawyers for those unable to afford them in criminal proceedings. Warren Courts judicial activism in criminal rights.

venue

the geographical district in which an action is tried and from which the jury is selected.

the “adultery” clause

a popular lifestyle clause that covers extramarital affairs. If the spouse cheats, then they can be ordered to pay a financial penalty if the marriage falls apart. You see these occasionally in celebrities prenups.

Gideon’s Promise

a tax-exempt 501c3 that equips Public Defenders to provide zealous protection to people pushed aside or left behind by the criminal legal system.

Billy Graham

an Evangelist fundamentalism preacher who gained a wide following in the 1950s with his appearances across the country and overseas during and after the war. He would commonly appear at religious rallies and allowed people to connect with and appreciate religion even more, causing thousands to attend his sermons. His prominence was so large that in 1996, he was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Beating Guns

a book that entails why christians should be concerned about gun violence, it is also an organization that turns guns into useful tools

militias

armed groups of citizen soldiers, intended to supplement a regular army if needed but are more common as privatized. Private militias are illegal in all 50 states and can create threats to public safety

DC v. Heller (2008)

individuals, not just those within a militia, have the right to own firearms

Level of Proof Staircase

there are three burdens of proof that exist for most cases: proof beyond a reasonable doubt, clear and convincing evidence, and preponderance of the evidence

personal autonomy

the freedom to exercise one’s individual wishes

Michael Drejka

stand your ground case in Florida where Drejka fatally shot a black man over a handicapped parking spot. Was sentenced to 20 years in prison

Richard Nixon

According to an article in Anabaptist Witness, Richard Nixon's role is mentioned in relation to Chuck Colson, who was incarcerated for his role in the affairs of the Nixon administration. Nixon also began the war on drugs and was big on tough on crime movements. These movements were often associated with Evangelicalism regardless of the numerous prison ministries