campbell law observer
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campbell law observer
CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER N ORMAN A DRIAN W IGGINS S CHOOL Campbell University OF L AW Buies Creek, North Carolina April 2008 Wright Case Brings Attention to Legislative Expulsion Process O n March 20 the General Assembly passed a resolution by a vote of 109-5, calling for the expulsion of Representative Thomas Wright. Wright (DWilmington), was expelled from the NC House of Representatives after being charged criminally with four counts of fraud, all of which are felony charges. Wright was accused of, and more recently convicted of, mishandling thousands of dollars in charitable contributions. It was alleged that Wright mishanACHEL dled contributions from AT&T, URVIS Anheuser-Busch, and AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company. Wright was also charged with fraudulently obtaining a $150,000.00 bank loan. On April 7, Wright was convicted on three of these four counts. R P However, before his conviction in the criminal court, the state House had already found due cause to expel Wright from its body, leaving House District 18 without the representative they had elected. With Wright’s removal, the first such expulsion since 1880, there have been many issues raised about the rarely-implemented process of legislative expulsion. According to the Research Division of the General Assembly, Wright is the first member to be expelled since Josiah Turner, who was expelled 128 years ago. In fact, since the establishment of the NC House, only 11 other members have ever been expelled. In Wright’s case, the ethics committee filed a grievance after criminal charges were filed against Wright. According to the House Resolution adopted on March 20, the fraud counts filed against Wright stemmed from accusations that Wright failed to properly report campaign funds that he received. It was also alleged that Wright converted funds intended for a charity to his personal use. Due to the filing of criminal charges, a special House committee made findings, and ultimately made a recommendation that Wright be expelled from holding office. After this recommendation was made, a resolution was put before the entire House, which sought the expulsion of Wright. The Investigation The expulsion process began with an investigation by the Legislative Ethics Committee, North Carolina’s version of the federal government’s House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. The Legislative Ethics Committee is made up of a total of twelve members: six from the House and six from the Senate. Among the six from each side of the General Assembly, there are three members from each party: three Democrats and three Republicans. NC General Statute § 120-103.1 lays out the formal investigative procedure in succinct terms. This statute sets forth guidelines the State Ethics Commission is to follow after a complaint is filed. An investigation can be instituted upon a motion by the Committee itself or based upon a complaint from the State Ethics Commission. A motion can be filed or a complaint lodged following any violation of a criminal law or of the State Government’s Ethics Act, as laid out in Chapter 138A of the NC General Statutes. Once a complaint is filed, the Committee may choose to accept the complaint, decline the complaint or The N.C. House expelled one of its own members in March (file photo) investigate further. The Committee may decline to accept a complaint if they find that the complaint was brought in bad faith, the situation has already been investigated, or the complaint would be better handled by another agency. Within 10 days of deciding to accept a complaint, the Committee is required to send notice to the individual legislator, acknowledging the Committee’s decision to initiate an investigation. Within 60 days of this decision to initiate an investigation, the Committee must refer the complaint for hearing, initiate an investi- Continued on page 10 Restorative Justice Changing the Landscape of Criminal System D an Van Ness had a simple message for Campbell students: Restorative justice diverts offenders, reduces recidivism, helps victims, and increases the satisfaction of both the victim and the criminal. Van Ness, executive director of the Centre for Justice and Reconciliation at Prison Fellowship International, spoke to Campbell law students on March 26. meeting process is imperative because “most prisoners aren’t prepared for release into society.” Van Ness emphasized that more needs to be done so that prisoners are better prepared for their return to society, and that society is also better prepared for their return. What is Restorative Justice? Restorative ENNIFER justice is the process in which AKLEY criminal offenders and the victims of those offenses meet together in order to decide what form of recovery works best for them. There are three aspects to restorative justice: the encounter (the parties come together to find a solution), the reparation, (focuses on repairing the harm that results from the crime), and the transformation (delineates living in healthy relationships with ourselves, others, and the world). Van Ness stated that this “Restorative justice is a theo- J O ry of justice that sidered a party in emphasizes repaircriminal cases? ing harm caused by criminal behavHe compared ior,” said Van and contrasted Ness. “Restoration the process of is best accomcriminal justice plished by the parwith the process ties through incluof restorative jussive and cooperatice. Van Ness explains the benefits of tive processes, because they can restorative justice to students (staff photo) He explained lead to transformation.” that under the traditional theory of criminal justice, laws should protect Van Ness also raised four citizens from harm and therefore public policy issues found in the tra- criminals should be punished. He ditional criminal justice system: 1) further stated that retribution, incaDo due process protections make pacitation, and deterrence are considhealing and reconciliations less like- ered cornerstones of traditional crimly? 2) What does first rate justice look inal justice. like? 3) What is the rest of the story? Continued on page 9 and 4) Why are the victims not con- INSIDE FEATURE ARTICLES Judicial Interview: NC Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson by Mallory William................Page 2 Ethics Analysis by Rusty Duncan................................Page 2 Women, Sex, and Slavery: The Tale of Human Trafficking by Yuliya Loshinsky...........Page 3 Juvenile Justice Program: Sowing Seeds of Redemption by Ian Bloom......................Page 5 LEGISLATIVE UPDATES Legislative Summaries by Yuliya Loshinsky, Chrystal Kay, and Brian K. Law..........................Page 4 LAWYER’S ASSISTANCE The Depressed Lawyer.........Page 8 SUMMER VACATION This is the last publication of the Campbell Law Observer for the spring semester. New issues will resume in the fall. Page 2 - CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 Judicial Interview: NC Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson J udge John Marsh Tyson, a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge up for re-election this year, recalled his funniest moment in court. An attorney stood before him and the rest of the appellate court and said, “Your Honors, Defendant was absent at sentencing because he walked out of the courtroom, got into his pick-up truck, and drove away. When we finally caught him, he was in Texas, ten miles from the Mexican border.” and chaired the Cumberland County Joint Planning and Zoning Board from 1993-2001 and was elected to and chaired the Cumberland Soil and Water Conservation District. During this time, he also maintained an active arbitration and mediation practice. In May 2004, Judge Tyson earned a Masters of Law in Judicial Process from the University of Virginia School of Law. This was the excuse given by a defendant’s attorney explaining why his client, charged with second degree murder, was late returning from lunch. Along with such candid moments as this, Judge Tyson has dedicated the past 28 years of his life to the legal profession in this state. Campbell Law Connection Judge Tyson was one of the few members of the charter law class of Campbell University. Having his choices between North Carolina C e n t r a l University and ALLORY Wake Forest n i v e r s i t y, ILLIAMS U Judge Tyson saw the potential of Campbell and took advantage of the chance to be a member of the charter class. During that inaugural year, classes met six days a week, including 8 a.m. Saturday criminal law classes taught by Dr. Norman Adrian Wiggins himself. Judge Tyson also was influential in beginning the Campbell Law Review, serving as one of the first Articles Editors. His article for the Campbell Law Review was the first law review article from the school to be cited by the NC Supreme Court. M W Judge Tyson still maintains a connection with the school. He currently teaches continuing legal education seminars and Real Property Planning at Campbell and has done so for the past 21 years. Judge Tyson has also made numerous charitable donations to the law school for building and scholarship opportunities and chaired the school’s Alumni Association for several years. Prior to his election to the state Court of Appeals in 2000, Judge Tyson practiced civil, criminal and administrative law in both transactional areas and litigation. He has served on the NC Property Tax Commission and is a Board Certified Specialist in Real Property by the State Bar. He also served on Judge Tyson (far right) joins Campbell law students for a scholarship luncheon (file photo) Experiences on the Bench During his time on the bench, Judge Tyson has ruled on over 2,600 appeals and has written over 900 opinions with 98.5 percent of them affirmed or left undisturbed by the state Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court has adopted 36 of his dissenting opinions in the past six years. He is most proud of his dissent in Barringer v. Mid Pines Dev. Group, LLC, 152 N.C. App. 549 (2002), in which he dissented as to the trial court’s finding that contributory negligence did not apply where the plaintiff claimed that the defendant’s “beautiful display of buffet food” diverted his attention. Judge Tyson’s dissent was ultimately adopted by the state Supreme Court and the majority’s holding reversed per curium on appeal. Judge Tyson believes that part of being a legal professional is giving back and has done so on and off of the bench as well. On April 4, he participated in the NC State Bar Association’s 4ALL Campaign. “The campaign involved 700 attorneys answering 5,000 calls at call centers in Fayetteville, Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte to make legal services available to those who may not be able to afford them but are in need of them,” Judge Tyson said. He has also been an Correction Continued on page 7 The March article, “N.C. Justice Discusses Recent High Court Decisions” mistated the opinion in State v. Stone, 362 NC 50, 653 SE2d 414 (2007). The trial court did not suppress cocaine evidence, as reported, but instead found that the search of the defendant was reasonable. The decision was reversed by the N.C. Court of Appeals and the N.C. Supreme Court affirmed. We regret the error. Ethics Analysis: Does Legal Advertising Create Pitfalls? S ometimes it seems that lawyer advertising is everywhere. Whether it is on the television, the newspaper, the phonebook, or a billboard on the highway, legal services are being advertised all around us. Legal advertising may come in the form of a direct mailing, where lawyers target individuals who may need a certain type of legal representation. For some, advertising has always been a touchy subject within the legal profession. You will be hard pressed to find someone in central or eastern North Carolina who has not seen the television commercial for the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. They feature actor Robert Vaughn, who starred in the 1960s television show Man from U.N.C.L.E. and played a villain in the 1983 movie Superman III. Vaughn is dressed to the nines with a classy dress USTY shirt, a tie and suspenders, with UNCAN d i s t i n g u i s h e d white hair perfectly in place. He promises in a serious tone that the insurance company will settle the case at the very mention of the name, James Scott Farrin. This example seems to demonstrate the effectiveness of lawyer advertising. R D attorney advertising was a form of commercial speech entitled to some degree of protection under the First Amendment. The Court found “the postulated connection between advertising and the erosion of true professionalism to be severely strained.” Id. at 368. It also described the historical prohibition to attorney ads as a “rule of etiquette” rather than a “rule of ethics.” Id. at 371. The Court further reasoned that “the prohibition of advertising serves only to restrict the informa- Not so “super”?: Actor Robert Vaughn stars in legal TV ads (file photo) tion that flows to consumers” and that “advertising is the traditional mechanism in a free-market economy for a supplier to inform a potential purchaser of the availability and terms of exchange.” Id. at 374, 376. Though it ruled in favor of the attorneys, the Court warned that not all advertising by attorneys should receive First Amendment protection. False, deceptive or misleading attorney advertising is unprotected, and warnings or disclaimers may be required in some attorney ads. The Court also noted that restraints on in-person solicitation may be appropriate. Some feel that such legal advertisements are an embarrassment to the legal profession and contribute to the stereotype that lawyers are less than couth. Others feel that The Bates decision led to an their very survival in the legal profession may depend on their ability increase in attorney advertising. In a to advertise so that they may gener- series of later cases, the Court struck down even more restrictions. From ate business. 1977 until 1995, the only time the Some believe that the larger, Court upheld a restriction on attorbetter established law firms, which ney speech was a ban on in-person advertise mainly through reputation solicitation. See Ohralik v. Ohio and word of mouth, are the ones State Bar Ass’n, 436 U.S. 447 objecting to firms using direct mail- (1978). In 1995, the Court upheld a ings or TV commercials. One rea- Florida rule that required lawyers to son for this could be due to the fact wait 30 days after an accident before that the larger firms already enjoy sending legal solicitation letters to the name recognition in a particular parties affected by the accident. See geographic area. The theory is that Florida Bar v. Went For It, Inc., 515 were it not for a television commer- U.S. 618 (1995). cial or a letter from an attorney NC Rules on Advertising advertising their service, the potential client would simply go to the The North Carolina Rules of firm with the best name recognition, Professional Conduct (NCRPC) regwhich is usually the large firm. ulate lawyer advertising in our state. The rules prohibit a lawyer from Advertising as a Constitutional making false or misleading commuRight nications about the lawyer’s servicBefore 1977, all 50 states es. “A communication is false or had ethical rules that prohibited misleading if it: (1) contains a matelawyers from advertising. But in rial misrepresentation of fact or law, that year, the U.S. Supreme Court or omits a fact necessary to make the determined in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 434 U.S. 350 (1977), that Continued on page 7 CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 - Page 3 Women, Sex and Slavery: The Tale of Human Trafficking N atalia and her mom lived in a small town in Belarus, a republic of the former Soviet Union. Natalia’s mother had lost her job and was not qualified to work in any of the local industries. Thus, the family’s standard of living was rapidly declining. It was after seeing an ad in the newspaper seeking females to fill various nanny positions that hope returned to the pair. Natalia and her mom called the number in the ad, were given some general information, and told to come for an interview. They were told the interview was to assess the potential compatibility with potential families for whom they would be working. The two were told that the exact location of the interview ULIYA would not be revealed due OSHINSKY to the privacy interests of the families that would be employing them. They were given directions to the location from which the bus would take them to Moscow. They were to bring travel documents in order to cross the border into Russia. In Moscow, a different bus would take them to their final destination. Natalia and her mom went home and discussed the opportunity with Natalia’s father. All three decided they needed the money and had no choice but to take the job. In fact; absent the temporary move away from home, Natalia and her mom believed they had struck gold. Y L A few days later, the two women said their goodbyes and left for the bus. They did in fact get on a bus which took them to Moscow. However, once there, Natalia and her mother left the other passengers on board to board a smaller bus to their final destination. When they got to where they would be working, they were dragged inside a house and locked inside a room. Confusion ensued, but was soon cleared up when another woman also locked in the room explained where they were. Natalia and her mom were being held captive in a brothel, having been sold into prostitution. Some months later, the brothel was raided by the police. The two were able to return home - physically intact, but emotionally damaged. Back in Belarus, the mother and daughter were too ashamed to tell anybody the truth of what had happened. It was only after Natalia sought out Olga Vysotskaya that she was able to lies, force, abuse), (3) for an ficking a human is substantially come to terms with the atrocity improper purpose (such as slav- less than for trafficking drugs. which had occurred. ery, servitude, prostitution, or The second “P” is “prevention.” transfer of organs?. Prevention of human trafficking is On April 1, Olga fostered through education on the Vysotskaya spoke to Campbell Vysotskaya provided the actual existence of the problem. Law students about her experi- students with This prong ences in the area of human traf- the above entails proficking law. Vysotskaya is a example of viding vicCampbell Law alumna, who, human traftims a safe upon receiving her juris doctorate, ficking. She haven if needreturned to her birth place in wanted to ed, as well an Minsk, Belarus. Once there, she illustrate the international began work for the International reality and hotline to call Organization for Migration. In prevalence of for assistance. her two years in Minsk, she spe- human trafThe third cialized in combating trafficking ficking that focus of the of men, women, and children and too often slips plan is “prohandled close to 500 human traf- by unnoticed. tection/reinteficking cases. Her theory is gration,” that once which is Vysotskaya explained how these common geared to help human trafficking is an organized instances are Vysotskaya, Campbell alumna, shares stories of victims cope human trafficking to students (staff photo) crime that usually involves three brought to with the afterdifferent countries: a country of light, collecmath of their origin, a country of transit, and a tive elements and strategies are crisis, as well as searching for country of destination. In fact, able to be identified. And eventu- other known victims. human trafficking organizations ally, a concrete answer to the earn close to $5.8 billion per year, problem of human trafficking Vysotskaya encouraged making human trafficking the would take shape. those interested to become third most profitable illegal activinvolved in the fight against ity on earth. Vysotskaya and her col- human trafficking. She explained leagues at the International how with the help of attorneys, Vysotskaya believes that Organization for Migration strive particularly those with an interest the global extent of human traf- to combat human traffic by appli- in international relations, the ficking must be retaliated against cation of the “Three P’s.” This scourge of human trafficking can with a single agreed upon interna- plan, while it has not been adopt- be brought to main stream distional definition of human traf- ed in an official capacity, is almost course and preventative actions ficking. She proposes the defini- identical to what many other anti- can be put into place. The hope is tion adopted by the United human trafficking organizations that one day people around the Nations through the Palermo are implementing. world will not have to suffer the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and same fate as Natalia or her mothPunish Trafficking in Persons, The first focus in the er. especially women and children. “Three P’s” is “prosecution.” Under the Palermo Protocol there This ideal concerns the current Yuliya Loshinsky is a staff are three elements of human traf- penalties on human trafficking, writer and second year Campbell ficking: (1) recruitment, trans- which are often insufficient to Law student. She can be reached portation, or abduction, (2) by punish the crime. In some juris- at y_loshinsky0604@email.campimproper means (i.e., coercion, dictions the punishment for traf- bell.edu. Page 4 - CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 State Legislative Updates and Summaries Prohibit Gift Card Maintenance Fees to cards usable at multiple unaf- to put this plan into action. filiated sellers of good or services. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115CS.L. 2007-363 (SB 1517) A violation under this act 407 becomes effective August 1, Senator Bob Atwater (Dem 18th by a seller or issuer of a gift card 2008. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-67.5 constitutes an unfair trade practice and subject such seller or Organ and Tissue N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-67.5 issuer to a civil penalty. Donation/The Heart Prevails provides that any person, firm, or corporation engaged in the busiThis provision became S.L. 2007-538 (HB 1372) ness of commerce who sells a gift effective December 1, 2007 and Representative Dale Folwell card is prohibited from charging applies to gift cards sold on or (Rep. 74), Representative Hugh the consumer with any mainte- after that date. Holliman (Dem. 81), nance fees for one year from the Representative Debbie date of purchase of the gift card. Yuliya Loshinsky is a staff writer Clary(Rep. 110), Representative and second year Campbell Law William Wainwright (Dem.12) If the seller plans to student. N.C. Gen. Stat. 130 A-412.3 charge any maintenance fees after through 130A-412.24 the first year, such information Policy Prohibiting Tobacco Use must be expressly disclosed at the in School Buildings and the N.C. Gen. Stat. 130 Atime the gift card is bought and be Surrounding School Campus 412.3 through 130A-412.24 is clearly visible on the gift card amended to make it easier for a itself. S.L. 2007-236 (SB 1086) person to be an organ or tissue Senator William Purcell (Dem. donor. The heart symbol on a A mainte- 25) person driver’s license establishYULIYA nance fee is N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-407 es the person’s intent to donate without having to verify this with LOSHINSKY, any fee that the owner of The new amendments to another person. However, this CHRYSTAL a gift card N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-407 policy only applies to donation of must pay greatly broaden the scope on stu- organs, not tissue. When a donor KAY & w h e n dents while in the school build- signs a donor card they no longer e d e e m i n g ing, the legislature extended the need two disinterested witnesses BRIAN K. rthe card, prohibition to all people that are present. A person’s name on the i n c l u d i n g on the school campus, which donor registry creates a valid LAW any service includes the buildings and all sur- donation. of inactivity rounding areas. This restriction fees that may be charged. A gift applies during school hours, A person age 16 or 17 who card is defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. school-sponsored events, or any obtains a driver license can be a § 66-67.5 as “a record evidencing other time when a person is in the donor now, but their parent or a promise, made for monetary presence of a student or school parents can revoke the minor’s consideration, by a seller or personnel in an area on school donation or a refusal to donate. issuer that goods or services will grounds. While the statute expands the be provided to the owner of the methods to become a donor, it record to the value show in the This statute not only also creates the concept of record. affects the high school senior “refusal” if the person does not smoking in the school bathroom, want to be a donor. This refusal A gift card includes a but also a parent in the school is simply a record expressly statrecord that contains a micro- parking lot picking up his or her ing that a person intends to bar processor chip, magnetic strip, or child, a patron attending a school others from making an anatomiother storage medium that is pre- sporting event, a teacher standing cal donor gift on one's behalf. funded and for which the value is outside during her lunch break, or adjusted upon each use, a gift cer- anyone else who enters the school Other amendments to the tificate, a stored-value card or building or the surrounding statutes affect policies regarding certificate, a store card, or a pre- school grounds. For this policy organ donation. The donation will paid long-distance telephone to be effective and fair, the legis- first be used for a transplant or service that is activated by a pre- lature requires schools to post therapy, and then for research or paid card that required dialing an signs that provide notice to stu- education (unless the donor specaccess number or an access code dents, parents, public and school ifies otherwise). Also, hospitals in addition to dialing the phone personnel of the policy. Also, the must enter into "agreements or number to which the user of the addition of the words “adopt” and affiliations" with procurement prepaid card seeks to connect.” § “implement” in the statute places organizations. 66-67.5 does not, however, apply an affirmative duty on the school This amendment became effective October 1, 2007. 28A-13-1. This act amends a series of statutes in an effort to clarify a person’s right to make advance directives and designate health care powers of attorney. These amendments were also intended to improve and simplify the process for doing so. A Health Care Power of Attorney (HCPOA) may be granted controlling authority over a living will according to the terms of either document. However, this provision will not create a conflict between the two documents. Furthermore, if a HCPOA deals directly with a particular medical condition and a living will does not, the HCPOA controls. There have also been several changes in terminology. For example, “life-sustaining procedures” are now “life-prolonging measures,” defined as medical procedures or interventions which, in the judgment of the attending physician, only serve to postpone artificially the moment of death by sustaining, restoring, or supplanting a vital function. One of the more significant changes made by the act is that it repeals both of the original statutory HCPOA and Advanced Directives forms and replaces them with more user-friendly forms. The new forms do not affect the use of previously-executed forms, however. Additionally, this act also includes several protections for health care providers. It clarifies that a health care provider may rely on a health care agent’s authority contained in a HCPOA, even if it was executed in another jurisdiction or uses the previous statutory form, until actual notice of revocation is given. This same protection is provided for concerning advance directives as well. Physicians are given the power to decline to honor a declaration if doing so would violate the physician’s conscience or the conscience-based policy of the Chrystal Kay is a staff writer and treating facility. first year Campbell Law student. Any advanced directive Improving the Processes for may now be revoked orally or by Advance Directives & Health writing, regardless of the Care Powers of Attorney patient’s mental or physical condition. S.L. 2007-502 (H.B. 634) Representatives Fletcher L. This act became effective Hartsell, Jr. (Rep. 36th), James October 1, 2007. Forrester (Rep. 41st), William R. Purcell (Dem. 25th), and R. C. Brian K. Law is a staff writer and Soles, Jr. (Dem. 8th) second year Campbell Law stuN.C. Gen. Stat. § 32A-15(c); 16; dent. 19; 24; 25.1; 27; § 35A-1208; § 90-320; 321; 322; 21.13; 21.17; § CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 - Page 5 Juvenile Justice Program: Sowing Seeds of Redemption O ur society could benefit from a new approach to crime. Campbell Law Professor Jon Powell wants all parties of crime to become better citizens. This is the mission of his Juvenile Justice Mediation Program, which was commended for its accomplishments by the Governor’s Crime Commission last December. bring parties together, but was chagrined to find that the criminal justice system encourages the accused to say nothing to anyone, and takes great pains to separate victim from offender. “If you don’t talk, you don’t resolve any problems,” he said. “The court system says, ‘We’re holding you accountable; this is your punishment.’ The kid For the doesn’t get it. They go out and c r i m i n a l l y they do the same thing again.” wronged, too often, justice Origins of the Program and revenge are two sides Working as a general pracof the same titioner for several years, Prof. coin. In the Powell’s hopes to effect a lasting wake of a change found a practical solution IAN crime, the one day in 2001. malefactor is BLOOM caught, the “I met (Campbell Law) victim is Prof. Tony Baker for the first denied an active role in adjudica- time; he had just come here from tion, and both parties, wounded, Pepperdine, and he said at sink into the mire of bitterness. Pepperdine, they had a juvenile For the criminal, regret may be mediation program,” said Prof. limited to merely getting caught. Powell. Prof. Baker explained to For the victim, fear and impotent him that the program’s purpose rage can consume. The criminal was to bring the offender and the does not realize what he has victim together to talk about it done; the victim does not realize and work out a plan to make why this was done. things right. Powell was impressed. “’That is the answer As a graduate of Campbell to my frustration. We need to do Law who took a job as an indi- that.’ Baker answered, ‘Yeah, and gent defense attorney, Prof. we need to do it within the Powell recalled his first impres- Campbell law school, and make it sions of the criminal justice sys- a clinical program, and get our tem that resolves crimes while students involved,’” related Prof. ignoring the broken spirits of Powell. criminal and victim. Prof. Powell launched the “For most of my clients, Juvenile Justice program in 2003, this was not a first time thing for through a grant from the them,” he said. “This was really a Governor’s Crime Commission. lifestyle...they had constant The program, headquartered at involvement with the court sys- Campbell, serves all of the 11th tem.” He also stated that juve- Judicial District, which includes niles who did not have a prior Harnett, Lee, and Johnston councriminal history themselves gen- ties. When a case can be resolved erally came from families that without prosecution, such cases did. (usually assault or property crimes) are referred to Prof. Prof. Powell wanted to Powell. Referrals come from the Prof. Powell (right) meets with second year Campbell Law student Elleveve Boyer (staff photo) Juvenile Intake Council, the assistant district attorney working the case (in consultation with the defense attorney), schools, and judges. The highlights of Prof. Powell’s program, which is a 2credit-hour course for students, includes a morning’s observation of juvenile court proceedings, followed by a luncheon with key players including prosecutors, judges, and service providers in the field. From there, students begin developing their own mediation skills. “It helps them see how good humanity can be if you create a space that people in conflict can come into in a safe way and talk to each other,” said Prof. Powell. “It lets them see some beautiful moments.” 2. Neither the Campbell Law Observer nor its staff takes political positions within the context of the periodical itself. However, since discussions of legal issues necessarily involve evaluations of and recommendations concerning public policy, individual pieces may take positions on issues of current controversy. Such positions are those of the writer alone. 3. It is the goal of the editorial staff to include a wide array of articles of interest to the community of practicing attorneys in North Carolina. Some articles may not be printed promptly because of space limitations or because of a desire to thematically arrange certain articles. 4. Advertisements are accepted on a space-available basis only. The editorial staff may for space, design, or other reasons, choose to run a given ad beyond its contract date. In such a circumstance, there will be no charge for additional runs of the same ad. Such decisions are made solely at the discretion of the editorial staff. For the victim, Powell stated that “something that fuels a lot of fear and anxiety in people is the assumptions that they make about what people must have been thinking, or about why things must have happened.” He continued, “And most of the time those assumptions are incorrect. So when they get the actual, factual information they Offender-Victim Meetings usually feel a whole lot better...and that helps them to Prof. Powell’s first media- walk into that room and meet tion class was Spring 2004, the with that person that has offended first case followed that March. Continued on page 9 Students working in the program CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER http://law.campbell.edu/pubs/clo.html P.O. Box 40, Buies Creek, NC 27506 culawobserver@email.campbell.edu (910) 893-1797 (telephone) - (910) 893-1689 (fax) Vol. 29 No. 3 - April 2008 EDITORIAL STAFF Editorial Policies of the Campbell Law Observer 1. The Campbell Law Observer solicits article contributions from anyone on any topic of interest to the community of practicing attorneys in North Carolina. However, editorial discretion ultimately resides with the editorial staff of the Campbell Law Observer alone, even for articles that are of publishable quality. hone their capabilities for listening, interviewing, and isolating critical issues. Most importantly, the students helps both sides involved in a crime solve their own problems, independent of the tort and criminal justice systems. These confrontations are carefully controlled. The process begins with separate preparatory sessions for offender and victim. Phillip Gilfus Editor-in-Chief Heather Payne Business Editor Phil Entzminger Content Editor John Hindsman, Jr. Gigi Gardner Content Editor; Advertising Content Editor STAFF WRITERS Ian Bloom Rusty Duncan Shannon English Emily Haas Kevin V. Howell Amanda Johnson Chrystal Kay Brian K. Law Yuliya Loshinsky Sam Mills Susannah Nichols Jennifer Oakley Hunter Plemmons Rachel Purvis Paula Shearon Robert White Lemuel Whitsett Mallory Williams Page 6 - CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 Campbell Law Seeks to Make Changes, Improve Reputation T he Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University has been busy making improvements. In the spring of 2007, the school conducted an in-house survey, anonymously receiving feedback from its students regarding the school’s strong and weak points. After hearing that students were concerned about the law school’s facilities, their opportunities for employment, and the diversity of the student body, Campbell Law began its work to address these matters. Perhaps the biggest improvement Campbell is working towards is its move to Raleigh. After 30 years in Buies Creek, the law school has decided to relocate to new facilities in the state’s capital. Campbell has purchased MILY the property at 2 2 5 AAS Hillsborough Street. The 107,000 square foot building is currently undergoing renovations and is scheduled to open to students in the fall of 2009. E H The move has generated significant support from the city of Raleigh. Several friends of the school, including the Canon Foundation and 1984 alumnus John C. Bruffey, Jr., have donated towards acquiring and renovating this new facility. In addition to the new facilities, Campbell’s move to Raleigh will address another of the students’ concerns by increasing employment opportunities. Raleigh is North Carolina’s state capital and home to the legislature and state Supreme Court, as well as the federal court for the Eastern District of North Carolina and lower state courts. Additionally, numerous private law practices are located in the capital city, specializing in a wide range of legal areas. Campbell’s move will give students greater access to these organizations, allowing them to investigate their legal interests and to pursue internships or extern- ships (and eventually post-gradua- known in take strides tion jobs) with the government and the state towards law firms. market but improving. does not Although the move to have a Even as Raleigh will not be complete until large repuCampbell the 2009-2010 school year, some tation outm a k e s changes are already underway. side of the improveThis past summer, the law school state. The ments, it received a grant from the Felburn a u t h o r s also upholds Foundation to upgrade its law pointed out its historical library. This upgrade included that there strengths, refurbishing the main floor of the are some including its library, providing a better study drawbacks bar passage space for students, and purchasing to this. For rate and its more titles for the library’s collec- e x a m p l e , rigorous, tion. Additionally, the upgrade M o r r i s s practical could help Campbell’s reputation. a n d approach to For the U.S. News and World Henderson legal educaReport rankings, fifteen percent of found that t i o n . the overall score goes towards m a n y Campbell “per-student” resources, which C a m p b e l l Law School includes the number of volumes g r a d u a t e s once again and titles in the school’s library. carry their Morriss and Henderson critiqued NC law schools in had the their report released in Feb. by the Pope Center law school highest pasfor Higher Education Policy. (file photo) Campbell has also been debt longer sage rate on working to address another com- than those the North mon criticism, its lack of diversity. students who graduate from Carolina bar exam in 2007. In In a recent “Meeting with the national schools like Duke continuing these traditions, Dean,” students were informed University or UNC-Chapel Hill Campbell earned high praise from about the school’s recruiting because it is more difficult for The Princeton Review’s Best 170 efforts and the focus of these them to find employment with Law Schools, 2007 Edition. The efforts on creating a student body larger, better-paying law firms. Princeton Review praised that is educationally, racially, and Campbell for its emphasis on experientially diverse. These Their report also seemed to ethics and professionalism, its stuefforts have already begun to pay favor UNC and N.C. Central dent-faculty ratio, and the relationoff, as the class of 2010 is University because of lower costs ships formed between professors Campbell’s most diverse class. and higher national recognition. and students. The current 1L class is represented Nonetheless, the faculty, adminisby students from 37 different tration, students, and alumni conBy addressing student conundergraduate majors, 14 percent tinue working to make the cerns and continuing the educaof the class is made of minority Campbell Law J.D. more valuable tional practices students found to students, and students have come everyday. Additionally, both the be school strengths, Campbell to Campbell after prior careers in report by Morriss and Henderson Law continues to improve the the armed services, the medical and U.S. News and World Report school for both current and future profession, and the engineering base at least part of their judgment students. profession. on criteria such as student employment placement, school and Emily Haas is a staff writer Campbell’s changes will library facilities, reputation, and a and second year Campbell Law also help it respond to common school’s student body, all of which student. She can be reached at criticisms from the U.S. News and Campbell has already begun to ehaas@email.unc.edu. World Report rankings system and a recent study by Andrew P. Morriss and William D. ALUMNI ANNOUNCEMENT Henderson entitled “Legal Education in North Carolina: A Report for Potential Students, John P. Marshall, of the firm White & Allen, Lawmakers, and the Public.” In their report on NC law schools, P.A., has been elected to the business law secMorriss and Henderson catego- tion of the North Carolina Bar rized Campbell Law as a “regional law school,” one that is well Association. The Business Law section currently has over 1,500 members. Marshall earned both his undergraduate Business Administration degree and law degree (magna cum laude) from Campbell. He maintains a civil litigation practice and advises clients in business matters such as structuring business transactions, real estate acquistion and general business matters. CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 - Page 7 Ethics Analysis, Cont’d statement considered as a whole not materially misleading; (2) is likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve, or states or implies that the lawyer can achieve results by means that violate the Rules of Professional Conduct or other law; or (3) compares the lawyer’s services with other lawyers’ services, unless the comparison can be factually substantiated.” NCRPC Rule 7.1(a). One would think that the James Scott Farrin ad, which implies that the firm can intimidate insurance companies into settling by merely mentioning his name, is “likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve.” However, such statements are usually deemed to be “mere puffery”, and it is assumed that the public can determine that such statements are just a sales pitch. To make viewers aware of the puffery in commercials like Farrin’s, the Rules require that such fictional situations contain a conspicuous written or oral statement, at the beginning and the end of the communication, explaining that the ad contains a dramatization and does not depict actual events or real persons. NCRPC Rule 7.1(b). The Rules further prohibit lawyers from soliciting clients inperson, via live telephone or by realtime electronic communication unless the person contacted is either (1) a lawyer; or (2) has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer. NCRPC Rule 7.3(a). Judge Tyson, Cont’d font that is at least as big as the lawyer’s or law firm’s name in the letterhead or masthead. Id. active member of the NC Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service for many years. Need for New Rules? Throughout his years of service to the North Carolina legal community, Judge Tyson has witnessed first hand what it takes to be a good lawyer. When asked what he considers essential in becoming a good lawyer he stated that “effective oral and written communication as well as preparation are indispensable qualities that will determine the reputation and degree of success of any lawyer.” Professor Kevin Lee, who teaches Professionally Responsibility & Ethics at Campbell Law, believes that new rules may be needed to address the rapid increase in legal advertising on the Internet. Examples of web-based legal advertising range from clickable ads that appear from an Internet search on legal issues to law firms having a Facebook page. Lee recognized that “many lawyers have blogs, and they can be used to subtly advertise.” The current rules could be applied to the actual advertisements on the Internet, but the way people find the links to those ads may need to be addressed. “The current rules were written before the existence of the Internet,” said Lee. “Using the Internet to advertise is a great way for lawyers to reach the younger generation and the tech savvy crowd, but it may be time to think about new rules to address legal advertising on the Web.” Conclusion Lawyer advertising comes in several different forms, and ranges in character from annoying and amusing to helpful and informative. There are always going to be critics of legal advertisements, but the ads are here to stay. The Constitution grants lawyers the basic right to advertise, but leaves it up to the states to reasonably regulate those advertisements. Lawyers who wish to advertise in North Carolina are bound by Rules 7.1 through 7.5 of the NCRPC. These rules are in place not only to protect the integrity of the profession, but also to protect the public from being taken advantage of by attorneys. If these rules are violated, disciplinary action will result. The Rules do allow direct mail solicitation so long as the person contacted has not made known to the lawyer a desire not to be solicited by that lawyer, and the solicitation does not involve “coercion, duress, harassment, compulsion, intimidation or threats.” NCRPC Rule 7.3(b). However such written “targeted communications” must be in an envelope and the front of the envelope must contain the statement “THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR LEGAL SERRusty Duncan is a staff VICES.” NCRPC Rule 7.3(c). The writer and a second year Campbell advertising notice must also appear Law student. He can be reached at in capital letters at the beginning of rustin.duncan@gmail.com. the body of the solicitation letter in a O’Neal Law Office www.oneallawoffice.com John O’Neal Used Vehicle Issues • Vehicle Dealer Fraud • Odometer Fraud Motor Vehicle Repair Act • Lemon Law Personal Injury/Wrongful Death • Civil Litigation • Homeowners’ Issues Business Litigation • Contract Disputes • Traffic Tickets (Guilford and Forsyth counties) Referrals and associations are welcome. 7 Battleground Court, Suite 212, Greensboro, NC 27408 Phone: 336.510.7904 He finds the ability of all citizens to obtain access to the courts for equal application of the rule of law to be our justice system’s biggest strength but believes that reducing the delays and costs required to obtain a final resolution of a party’s claim would help to make that accessible justice system even more productive. With so many professional achievements, Judge Tyson still considers his wife Kirby and his four children as his greatest lifetime achievement. “My wife is my best friend and has been for 34 years of marriage and then some,” he said, noting that raising their children has also been the most fulfilling pursuit of his life. He is also an avid hunter and enjoys restoring antique automobiles and collecting coins and stamps. Despite reading legal text day in and day out, he still finds time to read at least one book a week citing the biographies of the American presidents and other successful individuals as his favorite non-fictional works. When asked about his favorite fictions he cites John Grisham from whom he received a personalized autographed book as a birthday present. State Court of Appeals Judge John Tyson (file photo) The autograph story begins by Judge Tyson being lured to a surprise birthday party at James Madison’s home in Charlottesville, VA, under the false pretext he was going to a John Grisham book signing. His friend, a Mississippi Supreme Court justice and L.L.M. classmate, felt so bad about Judge Tyson lugging his 10 books to the false “signing” that he had Grisham send Tyson an autographed copy of his new book 2 weeks before its release date. Grisham and Judge Tyson’s friend had served together in the Mississippi legislature. When it comes to his mission on the bench, he explained, “I believe in the mission of the North Carolina judicial branch and in a free and independent judiciary as essential to the proper administration of justice.” Mallory Williams is a staff writer and first year Campbell Law student. She can be contacted at mewilliams0821@email.campbell.edu. ATTENTION CLO SUBSCRIBERS!! Has Your Addressed Changed? A subscription to the Campbell Law Observer is a complimentary service to all North Carolina attorneys. Our mailing list is generated from the NC State Bar’s member list. Therefore all address changes must be handled through the NC State Bar. You can change your address information with the NC State Bar by accessing the Member Access section of their website or you may mail or fax an informal request to the NC State Bar. Mail can be sent to: Attn: Membership Dept., PO Box 25908, Raleigh, NC 27611 or FAX: (919) 821-9168, Attn: Membership Dept. Removal If you no longer wish to receive a complimentary subscription of the Campbell Law Observer, you can notify us by email, phone, or mail. Campbell Law Observer Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law P.O. Box 40 Buies Creek, NC 27505 culawobserver@email.campbell.edu Office: (910) 893-1797 Page 8 - CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 LAWYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Judicial ‘Punting’: The Snyder Case Confidential Assistance to Members of the NC State Bar & Law Students C hief Justice John Roberts of the United States Supreme Court is a judicial minimalist, and he has been successful implementing this jurisprudence on the Court. As a result, many Roberts Court precedents appear understated, narrow, and seemingly timid. An excellent example of this tendency is Snyder v. Louisiana, 128 S. Ct. 1203 (2008), the Court’s most recent statement equal protecATTHEW on tion challenges to jury selecUINN tion. The justices were posed with several problematic legal questions in Snyder, but the Court declined to answer these questions, opting instead to narrowly resolve the controversy at hand. M Q At first glance, this restraint appears undutiful and undesirable. To the contrary, we should be grateful for such judicial punting, and I will explain why in what follows. To understand Snyder’s minimalist holding, one must understand Snyder’s history. Snyder is the most recent case to reaffirm the principle that equal protection forbids a litigant from exercising peremptory challenges discriminatorily. Peremptory challenges are used during jury selection to remove prospective jurors without cause. Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986) is the leading case. In Batson, an African American was charged with burglary and receipt of stolen goods. During jury selection, the prosecutor used four peremptories to remove every African American from the jury. The defense counsel objected, but the trial judge stated that the State can “‘strike anybody [it] want[s] to.’” The defendant was convicted by an all white jury. The Court then granted certiorari. In a landmark opinion, the Batson Court held that the defendant’s constitutional right to a trial free of discrimination was violated. To combat such discrimination, the Court adopted a three step burden shifting framework: first, the chal- lenger must make out a prima facie case of discrimination; second, the peremptory’s proponent must proffer a neutral reason for the strike; and third, the judge must determine whether the Constitution has been violated. Unfortunately, Batson was easily manipulated by those with a mind to discriminate. Thus, the Court handed down Miller-El v. Dretke, 545 U.S. 231 (2005), an opinion that gave Batson teeth. In Miller-El, the defendant, who was an African American, and several accomplices bound and gagged two Holiday Inn clerks. The defendant shot both clerks, killing one. During jury selection, the prosecutor used ten of his fifteen peremptories to remove African Americans. This statistic is made even more egregious by the fact that there were only eleven African Americans in the qualified pool. Nonetheless, the trial court rejected the defense counsel’s Batson challenges. On habeas corpus review, the Court reversed. Justice Souter’s Miller-El opinion clearly stated that prosecutors’ peremptories had received too much deference under Batson. Thus, the Court mandated close factual scrutiny of all circumstances relevant to discrimination during jury selection. To demonstrate the extent of this factual review, the Court embarked upon a 31-page, fact-bound opinion. This was a commendable effort, and it probably curbed invidious strikes. However, Miller-El also created several troublesome legal issues, not least of which was the standard of review. Equal protection challenges to peremptories are highly contextual and fact-specific. As a result, Batson issues are particularly within the trial judge’s province. Recognizing this fact, the Court has held that Batson challenges are reviewed for clear error. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352 (1991). Clear error review is designed to provide trial judges great deference. Problematically, this deferential standard is seemingly at odds with Miller-El’s meticulous factual scrutiny. The Miller-El opinion is further complicated by its tension with Continued on page 11 RE - ELECT Judge John Tyson NC Court of Appeals *Early Voting Occurs April 17 - May 3 Primary Day: Tuesday, May 6 1-800-720-PALS 1-877-627-FRIENDS The Depressed Lawyer S ometimes Paul thinks killing ty is becoming more aware that himself would be the best depression is a serious problem in the profession, some are still solution. unclear as to what depression actuIf he were dead, his life ally is. We all experience periods of insurance policy would provide for depression, typically in reaction to his wife and children in a way that some difficult life experience, such he hasn’t been able to in years. “I’m as the end of a relationship or the worth more to them dead than death of a loved one. But for most of us, these times of sadness are alive,” he says. brief and don’t effect our ability to Paul feels sad most of the function. In contrast, clinical time. Sometimes he just feels numb. depression is more extreme and He has a hard time getting any work more prolonged. The lows are done, often starting out the window lower, and the periods spent in these or at his computer monitor for hours emotional depths are longer. on end. He avoids answering the Depression in its most severe forms phone or returning client calls, espe- can render people unable to carry cially calls from “difficult” clients, out the day-to-day necessities of life and hasn’t opened his mail in and can lead to suicide. weeks. Paul wanted to practice law Forms of Depression in order to REG help people., Diagnostically, there are two so he feels ILLER e s p e c i a l l y forms of clinical depression: major guilty about depressive disorder and dysthymic letting his clients down. His person- disorder (also called dysthymia). al injury practice is getting smaller Major depression is a severe depresand smaller because he lacks the sion that lasts at least two weeks and motivation or confidence to market is typically debilitating, usually rephimself. He worries about making resenting a substantial change from his mortgage payment this month. how someone functioned prior to When his wife asks him if some- the depression. Often, though not thing is wrong, he tells her that he is always, it will be clear to the just tired and overworked. He is depressed person and those around ashamed to let her or even his clos- him or her that something has ets friends know the truth: he is changed, that something is wrong. But there is no single way that deeply depressed. major depression presents itself. Some people might have trouble Depression and the Legal sleeping, lose weight, and generally Community feel agitated and irritable. Paul is not alone. He is one Others may sleep and eat too of many attorneys who struggle with depression. It should no longer much, and feel worthless and guilty. be a secret that there is a dramatical- Some may be able to function realy higher incidence of depression sonably well at work and put on a among lawyers than in the general “happy face” in front of others, population. A growing body of while deep down they feel sad and research shows that attorneys are at disinterested in life. Others attempt significantly higher risk than mem- to “self-medicate” their depression bers of other professions for experi- with alcohol and/or drugs. Most encing depression. Attorneys are people with major depression will also at dramatically higher risk of have either a depressed mood or a committing suicide. A John general loss of interest in activities Hopkins University study found they once enjoyed, or a combination that of the 104 occupational groups of both. Also, they will have other examined, lawyers had the highest physical and mental symptoms such incidence of clinical depression. A as fatigue, difficulty with concentraNational Institute for Occupational tion and memory, feelings of hopeSafety and Health study indicated lessness and helplessness, and that male attorneys were twice as thoughts of suicide. likely as men in general to commit Dysthymic disorder, on the other suicide. hand, is a milder but more chronic Though the legal communiContinued on page 10 G M CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 - Page 9 Restorative Justice Changing the Landscape, Cont’d Benefits of Restorative Justice Restorative justice, however, is quite different. It focuses on the idea that victims should recover from harm done to them, and that criminals should make amends to the victims by apology, restitution, competency development, and generosity. Another key component of restorative justice, Van Ness explained, is that the parties should be able to be involved in the process of deciding what the offender can do to make amends. Van Ness suggests that a more effective approach would be to combine the two processes. He believes that while laws should protect citizens from harm, victims also need help recovering, and they should play an active part in the procedure of deciding how criminals can make amends to them. Van Ness shared some statistics with students which showed that restorative justice reduces several negative consequences of the criminal justice system: recidivism rates, post traumatic stress symptoms in crime victims, desires for revenge in crime victims, and court costs. He pointed out that when compared to the typical criminal justice process, restorative justice has also brought about an increase in satisfaction or a sense of closure with both the criminal and the victim, and it has doubled the number of offenses brought to justice. First year law student Marcus Burrell agreed with Van Ness, supporting the concept of restorative justice. “Many people feel that the prison system is broken,” he said, stating that because of this fact, restorative justice is “a successful and necessary system.” Burrell continued, “Restorative justice helps fix some of the cracks by providing closure and explanations for victims of crimes, and exposing criminals to the ramifications of their crimes.” Campbell Law and the “Five C’s” Van Ness also used his speaking opportunity to share with students what he saw as the basics of Campbell Law’s vision statement: Community, Conviction, Compassion, Competence, and Calling, or the “Five C’s.” Van Ness stressed the importance of revisiting the “Five C’s” annually in order to evaluate one’s personal life goals and progress. He suggested a prac- tical method for completing the reevaluation. “Write down why you went to law school in the first place and keep it in your wallet,” he said. “Then, take it out once a year and read it to yourself.” He stated that lawyers should ask themselves five questions: 1) How can I improve my relationships? 2) What are my convictions? 3) For whom do I have compassion? 4) Are my skills strong? and 5) What am I called to do? Van Ness suggested that law students begin the re-evaluation process immediately. “It might reinforce that what you’re doing is what you want to be doing, and you won’t be as likely to have regrets 40 years from now,” he said. Van Ness acknowledged that he himself has had difficulties addressing one of the “Five C’s,” his professional calling. Van Ness admitted it was hard for him to choose between a career in ministry or in law. “I wasn’t sure that I had a calling to the ministry, but felt that I needed one to go into that particular field,” he said. In Chicago, he began working as a janitor on the night shift and spent his days volunteering at a legal aid clinic. It was through that experience that Van Ness realized he had a calling to “bring about justice.” He began by practicing poverty law. Eventually, he started a general practice poverty law firm that was focused on the “working poor,” people who were able to make just enough to survive, but did not qualify for legal aid. Van Ness received his B.A. from Wheaton College, J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, and LLM from Georgetown University Law Center. He has involved himself in the field of criminal justice for more than 30 years, including teaching Criminology at the University of Malta. Van Ness now represents Prison Fellowship International at various international gatherings discussing restorative justice. He was also the principal draftsman of the Basic Principles on the Use of Restorative Justice Programmes in Criminal Matters, which was later endorsed by the United Nations. Van Ness encourages students who are interested in restorative justice to please visit www.pficjr.org or www.restorativejustice.org for more information. Jennifer Oakley is a staff writer and first year Campbell Law student. She can be reached at jendoakley@hotmail.com. Juvenile Justice: Sowing Seeds of Redemption, Cont’d them.” Another concern is the anger of the victim, and whether he will listen to the perpetrator. No meeting will occur unless it will be safe or productive. Forty percent of referred cases do not reach mediation. The Juvenile Offender’s View Often the arrestees do not want to attend, but the prospect of juvenile detention is a strong motivating factor. Mediation requires a look at the hurts of a difficult past, well before the crime. Where it was, before, the victim who was afraid, now it is the criminal who cowers. By consenting to mediation, the wrongdoer must examine himself. But many of these offenders, looking to the future, see nothing better. Prof. Powell sees these young offenders, sitting at the mediation table, as boys “sitting at a crossroads. They can make a decision to do something good or they can make a decision to walk away from it. And sometimes they walk away from it. But a lot of times they do something good, and it makes a difference to them.” No specific outcome is decided by the mediator. It is not a binding arbitration. Victim and offender work out a mutually satisfactory resolution. Typically, the offender agrees to pay off the ‘debt’ incurred through a series of payments or by laboring for the Referrals who refuse to particivictim. The agreed-upon terms pate commit another crime 35 to are then written down. 40 percent of the time. But the greatest benefits may still be The perpetrator is unseen. Since most of the particenthused, seeing the remedy not ipants are on the cusp of adultas a punishment, but a contract by hood, the program can moderate which he benefits. One offender, the number of first-time offenders Prof. Powell recalled, was indig- age 16 and older. nant that an outsider would confuse his choice to make amends Restorative justice is more with community service. This than victim-offender mediation. young man had been ordered to It is a big tent which includes vicdo community service before. tim impact panels, sentencing cirBut it wasn’t service to him, it cles, and peace talking circles. was punishment imposed from Though the concept of restorative above, punishment with no justice has roots in Medieval apparent relation to anything he Europe and is still practiced in had done. parts of Africa, its modern incarnation began with an early 1970’s Benefits of the Program Ontario program spearheaded by a youth probation officer. This is one of the major benefits of juvenile mediation, Now 400 such programs the perpetrators see the connec- exist in the United States. As the tion between crime and punish- purposes of the juvenile justice ment. Before, they saw little to system are, in proportion to its no relation between their acts and adult counterpart, more rehabilithe punishment which followed, a tative than retributive, restorative punishment they viewed as arbi- justice is a natural fit for juvenile trary, pointless, and malicious. crime. The retributive system gives the state responsibility for holding an But critics of these prooffender accountable. But grams contend that crimes are restorative justice places that just being forgiven or wished responsibility squarely on the away. To these arguments, Prof. offender. Powell replied, “Kids tend not to re-offend after they go through And offenders are benefit- this program, which is a benefit ing from the program. Re- to the community. And restoraoffense rates for malefactors who tive justice gives the offender the participate in the mediation pro- opportunity to do something posgram range from 16 to 20 percent. itive. We can make a difference in their criminal behavior if we can help them take responsibility for what they’ve done. It’s a lot harder for a kid to sit down with someone that they have offended, than it is to stand in a courtroom and never look at that victim.” “Through mediation,” continued Powell, “people begin to see each other as human beings.” The program is expanding its reach. Harnett County has approved Prof. Powell’s plan to work with 16 to 18 yr. old offenders starting this summer. And that is just the beginning for a program demonstrating the value of a fresh approach to difficult legal, social, and moral problems. “This is not just a mechanism to clear the court calendar,” Prof. Powell said. “This is a way to change lives.” Ian Bloom is a staff writer and first year Campbell Law student. He can be reached at icbloom0718@email.campbell.e du. Page 10 - CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 LAP Column: The Depressed Lawyer, Cont’d form of depression that lasts at least two years. Sometimes those who suffer from this form of depression always appear to be mildly depressed; this just seems to be part of their personality. It is not uncommon for someone with this condition to believe that it is normal to always feel depressed. Many times they do not realize that their mood is anything out of the ordinary. This illness often goes unnoticed and, therefore, untreated. “I didn’t realize I was depressed until I was no longer depressed and had been on medication and realized I had been depressed my whole life. I had no reference point,” says Carol S., an attorney who suffers from dysthymia. “I always felt like something was wrong, but I didn’t know what it was.” Seth Silverman, a psychiatrist with private practices in Houston and Fort Lauderdale, says people should seek professional help for depression when it interferes with their ability to carry out their responsibilities at work or home or with their relationships with friends and family. “If you don’t like the way you’re feeling, and it’s not short-term and situational, it’s time to get help.” Getting Help The good news it that there is help, and that with appropriate treatment the vast majority of those suffering from depression will feel better. “You don’t have to feel this bad,” says Bill Edwards, a psychologist in private practice in Dallas who runs a therapy group for depressed attorneys. “When people are depressed, they sometimes feel things cannot get better, but this is simply not the case. There are effective treatments available.” The most effective treatments, according to the research, are psychotherapy or a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. In North Carolina, psy- chotherapy, or talk therapy, can be provided by a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), a licensed professional counselor (LPC), or a licensed psychologist. Depressed people tend to isolate personally and professionally and often don’t discuss their pain with anyone. When their own sadness or the concerns of a loved one motivate them to seek help, they usually find the experience of talking to a therapist profoundly therapeutic. “Sometimes just the act of coming in and talking to someone you can trust in a private setting is tremendously helpful,” says Susan Jones Sanders, an LCSW with a private practice in Austin, Texas. “Often after only one session, people say they feel a lot better.” Though there are many kinds of psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be most effective in the treatment of depression. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, also called CBT, is aimed at helping depressed people change the negative, self-defeating styles of thinking that are common on depression. Depressed people tend to over generalize in negative ways (for example, assuming that losing one case means all future cases will be lost). In this situation, a cognitive-behavioral therapist might work with a depressed attorney to test the accuracy of this assumption. Edwards, whose Dallas group for depressed attorneys takes a cognitive-behavior approach, is involved in a research study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. After less than 20 sessions of CBT, two-thirds of the study participants, all of whom have been diagnosed with major depression, achieve remission, he says. Depression Medication If one’s depression is severe and valuable resource to begin the process of getting help: The North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP). The LAP provides free and confidential consultation and referrals to competent therapists and psychiatrists throughout the state. Lawyers, judges and law students can speak confidentially with LAP staff, which includes an attorney who is a certified Employee Assistance Professional, a certified Addiction Specialist and Clinical Supervisor and a certified Substance Abuse Counselor. These resources are for all lawyers in For example, Edgar Nace, a North Carolina. Dallas psychiatrist and profession Contact the confidential or psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical service of the North Carolina LAP School, says primary care doctors toll free at 800-720-7257 or 877usually do not see their patients fre- 627-3743. quently enough to adequately adjust their medications. Although anti- *This article first appeared in The depressant medication can be a “sil- Texas Bar Journal and is adapted ver bullet” for depression, more with its permission and that of the often than not, people need to try a Texas Lawyer Assistance Program. number of medications before find- Greg Miller is a licensed marriage ing the medicine, dosage, or combi- and family therapist as well as a cernation of medicines that helps their tified alcohol and drug counselor depression and does not come with who works with the Texas Lawyer side effects that negate the benefits. Assistance Program and also maintains an independent psychotherapy Although effective help is and intervention consultation pracout there, attorneys often have a tice in Austin, Texas. hard time availing themselves of it. The North Carolina Lawyer Trained to be impersonal and objective, lawyers are often reluctant to Assistance Program is a confidenfocus on their own feelings. tial program of assistance for all Attorneys tend to be more comfort- North Carolina lawyers which able in the role of counselor, solving helps lawyers address problems of the problems of others, than being stress, depression, addiction or the person seeking help. “Attorneys other problems that may lead to are very competent people who impairing a lawyer’s ability to prachave been very successful,” says tice. If you are a North Carolina Edwards. “They’ve made it through lawyer, judge or law student and college and law school and have a would like more information go to great deal of personal resources but www.nclap.org or call toll free: are often caught by surprise when Don Carroll (for Charlotte and they bump into something like areas West) at 1-800-720-7257, depression that they can’t just turn Towanda Garner (in the Piedmont around using their usual strategies.” area) at 1-877-570-0991 or Ed Ward (for Raleigh and down East) For those who recognize the at 1-877-627-3743. Don is the signs of depression in themselves or author of “A Lawyer’s Guide to in someone else, the State Bar of Healing” published by Hazelden. North Carolina provides a unique enough to be debilitating or involves thoughts of suicide, consulting a psychiatrist is essential. Psychiatrists, medical doctors who specialize in mental health disorders, are qualified to provide talk therapy, though few do, focusing instead on the prescription and management of medication. Though primary care physicians frequently prescribe anti-depressant medications, psychiatry is a medial specialty, and many experts believe depression should be treated by a specialist. Wright Case Brings Attention to Legislative Expulsion, Cont’d gation, or dismiss the complaint. If the Committee finds the facts are not sufficient to constitute a violation, the Committee must dismiss the complaint and give notice to both the person who filed the complaint and to the person against whom the complaint was filed. At the end of the investigation, if the committee deems it appropriate to file charges, the Committee must give notice to the person who filed the complaint and to the one against who the complaint was filed, allowing him to file a written response with the Committee. If the Committee decides to continue by conducting an investigation into the allegations, all legislators are required to cooperate to the fullest. Failure of a legislator to cooperate with the Committee will result in the sanctioning of that legislator. If a legislator fails to be forthcoming and honest with the Committee, the legislator risks termination for violating the Ethics Act. Violation of this term of the Ethics Act could lead to censure, although there is no documented violation of this portion of the act on record. Filing Charges and the Hearing After charges are filed, if the Committee does not believe that the case can be disposed of without a hearing, notice of hearing will be sent to the complainant and the one being charged. During the hearing, the charged legislator and his counsel, as well as any other active representatives, will have the opportunity to present evidence and call witnesses, just as a criminal defendant would. In the Wright case, after the Committee presented the representatives with its suggestions for the proper course of action, members of the House were then given the opportunity to judge the severity of the wrongdoing against Wright. In addition, Wright’s hearing was open to the public, as is permitted by the statute. By permitting hearings to be public, the voters who placed a representative in office are given the opportunity to be present for any disciplinary action. The Committee must be satisfied of the validity of the complaint by clear and convincing evidence. This standard is lower than the burden of reasonable doubt that is required in a criminal trial. To find one responsible for wrong-doing under this standard, the trier of fact must believe that the evidence shows it to be highly probable that a particular action occurred. If the Committee finds that the violation is established by clear and convincing evidence, the Committee must do one of the following: issue an admonishment to the legislator, refer the matter to the Attorney General or the District Attorney for prosecution, or refer the matter to the House for censure or expulsion, as is appropriate. Here, the Committee recommended to the House that Wright be expelled, a decision with which the majority of the representatives ultimately agreed. In addition, even before the Committee made its decision, the District Attorney had already begun a criminal investigation into Wright’s actions. Even though the Committee found that Wright had participated in wrong-doing, he was not automatically subjected to criminal liability. The Continued on page 11 CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER - April 2008 - Page 11 Judicial ‘Punting’: The Snyder Case, Cont’d Batson’s purpose. The Batson Court provided trial judges with a framework susceptible to easy application during the speed and stress of voir dire. Johnson v. California, 545 U.S. 162 (2005). Miller-El, conversely, is not conveniently applied. It requires a careful consideration of all relevant circumstances. Thus, the opinions are inconsistent. Three years after Miller-El, the Court handed down Snyder. At the time of the crime the defendant, Allen Snyder, who is an African American, and his wife, Mary, were separated. During the separation period, Mary went on a date with Howard Wilson. When the pair returned from the date, Snyder stabbed them repeatedly with a knife, killing Wilson and severely injuring Mary. Snyder was charged with firstdegree murder. The State sought the death penalty. During jury selection, the prosecutors peremptorily removed five African Americans. Snyder was convicted and sentenced to death by an all white jury. The Court granted certiorari in Snyder, appearing to be poised to resolve the problems created by Miller-El. Instead, the Court reversed Snyder’s conviction and ignored these important legal issues. In essence, the Court punted. This Snyder opinion, and this punting, is characteristic of a new philosophy on the Court. As stated above, Chief Justice Roberts is a minimalist. Lori A. Ringhand, The Roberts Court: Year 1, 73 Tenn. L. Rev. 607 (2006). A minimalist justice will not stray beyond a controversy before the Court, opting instead to modestly resolve the facts at hand. Cass R. Sunstein, Testing Minimalism: A Reply, 104 Mich. L. Rev. 123 (2005). If Roberts continues to be successful implementing this minimalism, the law will develop incrementally. In other words, there will be many opinions, like Snyder, that decline to reach issues unnecessary to the resolution of the present case. The Chief Justice’s comments at a recent oral argument illustrate minimalism in action. During the Washington D.C. handgun ban argument, the amicus curiae proposed the application of intermediate scrutiny to laws implicating the Second Amendment. “I wonder,” Roberts retorted, “why in this case we have to articulate an all-encompassing standard. Isn't it enough to determine the scope of the existing right that the amendment refers to, look at the various regulations that were available at the time[,] and determine how ... this restriction ... looks in relation[?]” Transcript of Record at 44, District of Columbia v. Heller, No. 07-290 (2008). While admirably modest, this position admittedly suffers from obvious flaws. For instance, the minimalist approach to resolving cases offers little to the trial judge grappling with complex controversies. Similarly, it denies guidance to state and federal legislatures when crafting laws of constitutional import. In fact, such uncertainty will actually necessitate further litigation. Moreover, Roberts’s minimalism is too deferential to precedent because it rejects broad, activist opinions and therefore demands a slow limitation of wrongly-decided cases. However, despite these shortcomings, Roberts’s minimalism should be celebrated for numerous compelling reasons. The foremost is that minimalists eschew judicial activism. The pejorative “activist” is applied to those jurists who draft overly broad, often policy-driven opinions. Activist opinions are undesirable because their implementation of policy is undemocratic and therefore usurps the legislature’s authority. Policy decisions are best left to the legislature because it, unlike the judiciary, has the time and resources to develop rules that will be suitable in a wide range of contexts. Judicial activism, on the other hand, is unde- mocratic and unconsidered outside of a narrowly defined controversy. Thus, it is less likely to be a prudent solution for the people. Conversely, Roberts’s interpretive approach seeks to decide controversies on the narrowest of grounds, therefore avoiding the pitfalls of activism. Such restraint, as in Snyder, has the further result of leaving important matters undecided. This is a good thing. When issues are unconstitutionalized, there is room for politically-considered solutions. As a result, the people’s participation in our democracy, what Justice Breyer calls “active liberty”, is promoted. Thus, minimalism is nourishment for a healthy democracy. See generally Stephen Breyer, Active Liberty: Interpreting our Democratic Constitution (2005). Moreover, the Chief Justice’s minimalism is heavily restrained by precedent, which has two desirable results: first, it provides constitutional stability; and second, it avoids pretextual interpretations. A central tenant of minimalism is the strict adherence to precedent through the deliberate and narrow application of case law. This focus on the narrow application of precedent injects predictability and stability into the law because it restrains the wholesale reversal of stare decisis in favor of a more cautious chiseling away at undesirable cases. Minimalism’s dependence upon precedent furthermore inhibits jurists’ ability to use interpretive models as a pretext to implement ideology. Other interpretive measures, such as original meaning, are easily manipulated because they are not dependent upon stare decisis. For instance, a disliked case is easily overruled in the name of original meaning, while a favored opinion is effortlessly reaffirmed as consistent with cherry-picked original meaning. Minimalism, on the other hand, gin- gerly and slowly applies precedent. Thus, even if a piece of precedent was used in a pretextual manner, its use, unlike original meaning, can have a limited impact only. The Snyder opinion exemplifies both of these arguments. Every problem created in Miller-El could have been resolved by Snyder in one fell swoop. Instead, the Court decided only those matters that were necessary, that is, the case sub judice. To be sure, this timidity is frustrating on its face. But closer examination reveals that such modesty is actually ideal. The Snyder Court declined to craft a widesweeping, nonpolitical rule, opting instead to modestly restrain its examination to precedent. Thus, it facilitated stability, predictability, and provided an opportunity for political action by avoiding further constitutionalizing of jury selection. There is no doubt that Chief Justice Roberts is committed to this restraint. And there is also no doubt that we should consider ourselves lucky. Perhaps it is Roberts himself who said it best: “Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them ... but it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ball game to see the umpire. Judges have to have the humility to recognize that they operate within a system of precedent.” Confirmation Hearing on the Nomination of John G. Roberts, Jr. to be Chief Justice of the United States: Hearing Before the S. Judiciary Comm., 109th Cong. 55 (2005) (statement of John G. Roberts, Jr.). Matthew Quinn is a contributing writer and second year Campbell Law student. Mr. Quinn is also the incoming Editor-inChief of the Campbell Law Review. He can be reached at mdquinn1230@email.campbell.edu. Second year student Clint Byrd contributed to this article. Wright Case Brings Attention to Legislative Expulsion, Cont’d criminal trial must be kept a separate entity from the ethics hearing. Indeed, Wright’s criminal trial began shortly after the House made the decision to expel him. The Vote Ultimately, the fate of the representative under investigation is in the hands of his fellow House members. Since the House has the inherent authority to discipline its own members, if the Committee refers the matter to the House, it then becomes the job of the representatives to determine the legislator’s fate. A representative is permitted to submit a resolution with a suggested sanction or disposition; whether that be censure or expulsion. The House members then vote on the resolution. The Aftermath Interestingly, after a vote of removal, an expelled representative can still run in the next election, allowing the voters to decide if the representative is worthy of serving their district. If, however, as in the Wright case, a legislator is convicted of a felony, he will then be ineligible to have his name on the ballot. Should the representative be convicted of criminal charges while serving as a member of General Assembly, and the conviction is based on activities conducted during the member’s service, another consequence is that all retirement benefits are to be forfeited and remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund. Importance of the Removal Process Based on North Carolina historical records, the House has only disciplined or expelled members 21 times since documentation began in 1757. According to the Research Division of the General Assembly, only two of these incidents have occurred within the past century. However, North Carolina has been much more active in using expulsion than the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the CRS Report for Congress, the House of Representatives has only exercised its right to expulsion five times, with three of those falling during the Civil War. The most recent member to be expelled from the U.S. House was Rep. James A. Traficant, Jr. (D-Ohio), who was federally convicted of receiving gifts and money in return for using his official position to the benefit of his donors. It is nearly impossible to know whether the sporadic use of the power to discipline is due to the lack of wrongdoing among our representatives or more due to the lack of getting caught. Yet, it does seem that the legislative process of discipline is precisely structured and dynamic to our lawmakers. Therefore, it does seem logical that this statute acts as a huge deterrent to unethical behavior among members of the General Assembly. It is vitally important to the citizens of North Carolina that all representatives take these sanctioning guidelines seriously. It is not often that a representative is expelled for criminal wrong-doing, but when a legislator is convicted of participating in criminal activity, the House of Representatives does not take the duty of punishment lightly. As is apparent in the case of Thomas Wright, the representatives currently serving in the House are certainly not hesitant to exercise their legislative power in disciplining one of their own. Rachel Purvis is a staff writer and a second year Campbell Law student. She can be reached at rjpurvis0805@email.campbell.edu. ROSE RAND ATTORNEYS, P.A. IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE ASSOCIATION OF ALLISON POPE COOPER JOHN E. CARGILL Of Counsel WILLIAM R. RAND, Retired WILLIAM A. LUCAS (1881-1967) OLIVER G. RAND (1895-1967) NAOMI E. MORRIS (1921-1986) Z. HARDY ROSE (1918-1999) LOUIS B. MEYER, JR. (1933-1999) Mrs. Cooper is a 2005 graduate of the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University and she earned her B.A. degree (magna cum laude) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. JAMES P. CAULEY, III PAUL N. BLAKE, III T. SLADE RAND, JR. JEFFREY P. GRAY SUSAN K. ELLIS J. BRIAN PRIDGEN JASON R. PAGE ALLISON P. COOPER NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BUIES CREEK, NC 27506 PERMIT NO. 2 2500-C WEST NASH STREET WILSON, NC 252.291.3848 333 FAYETTEVILLE STREET RALEIGH, NC 919.832.4040 CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER NORMAN ADRIAN WIGGINS SCHOOL OF LAW P.O. Box 40 Buies Creek, NC 27506 NORMAN ADRIAN WIGGINS SCHOOL OF LAW CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY, BUIES CREEK, NORTH CAROLINA VOLUME 29, NUMBER 3 CAMPBELL LAW OBSERVER April 2008