Abstract
Friedrich Nietzsche submits that "morality is a reflection of the needs and circumstances of the dominant groups" and these changing needs have historically been reflected in the courts. Through an examination of four landmark Supreme Court cases, the paper examines how evolving perceptions of social morality, defined by economic and political factors, have shaped and altered the American experience over time. The paper examines the cases 'Scott v. Sanford', 'Plessy v. Ferguson', 'Brown v. Board of Education', and 'Bush v. Gore'.

From the Paper
"The court stipulated that the inclusion and certification of any late returns was up to the descretion of the Secretary of State, Katherine Harris. Harris subsequently determined that no extensions were justified, prompting Gore's appeal to the Florida Supreme Court. The court ruled in favor of Gore prompting Bush's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court (FindLaw). Gore sued to compel the completion of the recount but lost, and Harris declared Bush the winner in Florida (FindLaw). The majority opinion of the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court was that the Florida recount was unconstitutional, noting inconsistencies in the ways in which votes were counted."

Tags:african, american, constitution, slavery, negros, 13th, Amendment

Abstract
The paper reviews and analyzes several cases in which students claim that their First Amendment rights were violated - "Tinker v. Des Moines School District," "Board of Ed v. Pico," and "Bethel School District No.403 et al. v. Fraser." The paper defines and explains the First Amendment, and explores how it is applied and interpreted in each of the three cases. The paper also poses questions of interpretation, such as whether the First Amendment allows one to manifest a view of hatred toward others. The paper concludes as the author shares relevant personal experience and commentary, and states his opinion that the First Amendment should not be used to protect stupidity.

Outline:
Abstract
Summary of the Issue
Questions To Be Addressed
Summary of Related Supreme Court Cases/Rulings:
"Tinker v. Des Moines School District"
"Board of Ed v. Pico"
"Bethel School District No.403 et al. v. Fraser"
Application to Instructional Practice
References

From the Paper
"My school recently had an issue with the "Clique" books. The books promoted using eating disorders to stay skinny, talking badly about other students, and lying to get what you want. The author has since written saying she regrets writing the books. My district managed the problem by removing the books from the accelerated reader list. A note was circulated to parents saying that it was not the districts policy to ban books. However, parents should be aware of what their children should be reading. I think this was a good way to handle the situation. The students could still read the books, but would not receive school credit to do so because of their removal from the test list. Furthermore, it made parents aware of the books' content, and allowed them to make the decision on their children's reading habits."

Tags:First Amendment, Law, Education, Freedom of Speech, Freedom, Special Education

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the experiences of black slaves in the United States. It examines two personal stories - one of a man and one of a woman and compares the experiences from a gender-based perspective. The stories told are those of Frederick Douglass in his work "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" and Harriet Jacobs in her account of slavery entitled "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl".

From the paper:
Slavery in America during the 18th and 19th centuries is universally thought of as a deplorable institution based on degradation, hate, and injustice. The horrors visited upon the slaves by their fellow man (masters) were unquestionably appalling. Keeping this in mind one might wonder, was the experience the same for male slaves as it was for females? Both sexes were subject to the same dreadful conditions and revulsions assigned to slavery but the experience was definitely different for men vs. women. "
"

Tags:experience, degredation, compelling, biography, imprisonment, authority, court, justice, liberty, plantation, master, Douglas, Frederick, Harriet, Jacobs, freedom, beating

Abstract
The courts in Shakespeare's comedy are perceived to represent chaos and order, where the need to draw unity from these structures forces the humans to undergo chaos and the fairy kingdom to experience order. The result of this mixture of qualities strengthens the relationships of the characters from their respective kingdoms.

Abstract
This paper is an examination of the two cases of Seaboyer and Gayme by the Supreme Court of Canada at rape shield legislation for sex assault witnesses. The author reveals the manner in which these cases were conducted and how the verdict raised public controversy.

From the paper:

"In the case of Seaboye and Gayme, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered a decision which was divisive, not only among members of the court, but also within the nation itself. In delivering this verdict, the court became the target of accusations that it had ignored the interests of women. It had shown disregard for the victimization which women have been subject to in the process of sexual assault trials. As well, the court introduced procedural rules which made women's experience in sexual assault trials more of an ordeal than the process had been under the common law (Bowland, 1994)."

Tags:canadian, decisions, effect, gayme, law, rape, seaboyer, shield

Abstract
The paper reviews the study "Drug court Interventions and the Role of Physical Fitness programs in Client Treatment Outcomes". The paper explains that the subject study was conducted in the Orange County Drug Court to see if the well accepted benefits of a physical fitness program would have a positive influence on the relapse and recidivism rate that is usually very high among drug offenders. The paper concludes that due to limited participation, the results were inconclusive.

Outline:
Part One - Is This A True Experiment?
Identify the Independent and Dependent Variables
Internal and External Validity
Cross-sectional versus Longitudinal
Identify the Study and Control Groups
Does the Study Meet the Requirements of Randomness?
Will the Study be Generalizable to the Broader Population?
Part Two - Ethical Issues

From the Paper
"The requirements that a true experiment have are three elements, those being two comparison groups, variations in the independent variables before assessment of the dependent variables and random assignment of the groups (Schutt, 2006, p.201). In the assessment of the fitness programs in drug courts, the researcher made a good faith effort to establish the requisite elements to have a true experiment. However his efforts were hampered due to low funding and low participation (Thompson, 2006, p.84). As detailed below, the study did have independent and dependent variables, variations in the independent variables, however the randomness of the participants was lacking due to an extreme lack of participation in the experimental group. Therefore although the experiment was set up with the best of intentions, the actual scientific value of the experiment is questionable because of the weakness of the third element."

Tags:variables, participation, control, group, validity

Abstract
This essay is a report on the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, a statute which allows terminally ill patients to end their lives under certain limited circumstances. The essay discusses the circumstances in which this law was tested by the Supreme Court and then considers that various arguments against and for physician assisted suicide. It concludes that on this issue, there are no simple answers.

From the Paper
"The topic of euthanasia is emotionally explosive. Oregon has now implemented a law allowing limited euthanasia, and the discussion of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act" (Ore. Rev. Stat. A'A 127.800 et seq. (2003)) lends a certain order to the discussion. The law has been widely discussed because the federal government sought to preclude its implementation: the U.S. Justice Department adopted regulations that threatened the license of any doctor who assisted in the suicide of a patient under this law. Oregon challenged the legality of these regulations, and the case went to Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 ..."

Tags:euthanasia, death, suicide

Abstract
This paper explains that the only way to overturn "Plessy vs. Ferguson," which was the precedent set in 1896 that allowed separate but equal school systems for blacks and whites, was to prove legitimately by presenting valid evidence, which supported the NAACP challenge, that separate could not be equal. The author points out that Thurgood Marshall, then lawyer for the NAACP, turned to social scientist Kenneth B. Clark, who gathered convincing evidence that ultimately proved segregation in public schools was a direct violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The paper explains that experiments demonstrated that, as a colored child observed the society in which he or she lived, that child associated whiteness with superior advantage, achievement, progress, and power, all of which were perceived essential to being successful in the competitive American culture.

From the Paper
"In order to convince the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall knew he would have to present some form of scientific evidence that could not leave room for a contradictory argument. So, Dr. Clark and his team devised a foolproof experiment to determine the influence of skin color as a factor in racial identification of Negro preschool children. Samples of children from three different age groups were tested: three, four, and five years of age. Also, the subjects were divided into three categories on the basis of skin color: light, medium, and dark. Placed in front of each child were two identical dolls: one doll was white and the other was colored."

Tags:clark, evidence, dolls, warren, wishful

Abstract
This paper details the life of Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, starting with his early years and detailing his education and work experience before he went to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. It also discusses his philosophy on the court and the way he tends to rule on certain issues. Furthermore, some major decisions he has worked on are mentioned.

From the Paper
"Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was born in Trenton, New Jersey on March 11, 1936. He was the only child of Catherine and S. Eugene Scalia. His father, who was a professor of romance languages, moved the family to Queens, New York when Scalia was five where Scalia attended Xavier High School in Manhattan. Scalia married Maureen McCarthy on September 10, 1960. The couple went of to raise a large family consisting of nine children. Education and Employment Justice Scalia attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and also the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Scalia graduated first in his class and summa cum laude from Georgetown University in 1957. He earned and LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1960. As a young attorney, Justice Scalia was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1962, and the Virginia Bar in 1970."

Tags:supreme, court, scalia

Abstract
This paper is a detailed look at fathers who do not have custody of their children after a divorce or separation. The author discusses the court system's preference towards awarding mothers custody and why children psychologically need both parents following a divorce. The paper also discusses the harmful psychological effects that non-custodial fathers experience when separated from their children and the group therapy and support systems available.

From the Paper
"Single fathers "can "mother" as well as women". By an empirical research Lamb, 1999; Lazar & Guttman, 1998; Thomas & Forehand, 1993 have ascertained that men can be the custodians of a child and help the child become a respected citizen of the society. Contrasting are the views held by Daniel Amneus "the system of female-headed "families" which has created ghettos and barrios by encouraging women to marry the state and breed fatherless children who are eight times more likely to become delinquent. In spite of these figures, U.S. statistics reveal that 40% of American children do not live in homes where their fathers live, making "fatherlessness" "the most harmful trend of this generation". Proclaiming that the absence of fathers in the home is probably less alarming than our own absence of belief in fathers, Blankenhorn further questions our ability to find ways to "invigorate effective fatherhood as a norm of male behavior."

Tags:divorce, separation, mother, court, children, therapy, parent, health, ex, visitation, outreach, system, income, partner, research, studies