April 27, 2006

PL 200--Criminal Law
In class today, Thursday 4/27, we had Quiz #8. We finished going over the material in Chapter 9. We went over the Maine workplace death statute, as well as the Maine manslaughter statute. I also discussed 3 Maine manslaughter cases. The assignment for Tuesday May 2 is to read in the textbook pp. 332-353 (rape), as well as the Maine sexual assault statutes, 17-A MRSA sections 251, 253, 254,and 255-A.

PL302--Family Law
In class today, Thursday 4/27, we went over the Dorothy V. holdings. I also discussed 2 other Maine child protective cases, in re Shawn H., 667 A.2d 1377 (Me. 1995) and in re Dakota P., 2005 ME 2. The assignment for Tuesday 5/2 is to read Chapter 14 of the text (Adoption)and to read the Maine adoption statute 18-A MRSA sections 9-101 thru 9-403. Also on Tuesday I plan to hand out the take-home final exam, which will be due by Tuesday May 9.

April 25, 2006

PL 200--Criminal Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/25, we went over the textbook cases on murder, and I also taught about one Maine case regarding sentencing for murder. On Thursday we will pick up at the O'Neil case on p.311, which was poorly edited so that it's difficult from the textbook excerpt to make much sense of. The assignment is to finish reading Chapter 9, as well as reading the Maine manslaughter statute 17-A MRSA section 203.

PL 302--Family Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/25, I started out by going over two more Maine cases regarding how property of unmarried couples gets divided, Ackerman v. Hojnowski, 2002 ME 147, and Palanza v. Lufkin, 2002 ME 143. We went over the Maine child protection statute, and mandated reporting of abuse. I discussed one case regarding parental use of force against their kids, State v. Wilder, 2000 ME 32. The assignment for Thursday 4/27 is to write up the Holdings (in the same format used before) for the case of in re Dorothy V., 2001 ME 97.

April 20, 2006

PL 200--Criminal Law
In class today, Thursday 4/20, we went over entrapment and PTSD, and then the first case in the next chapter, the death of the fetus case. I also discussed Maine cases about entrapment and PTSD, as well as an additional Nevada case on entrapment. The assignment for Tuesday 4/25 is to read through p. 314.

PL 302--Family Law
In class today, Thursday 4/20, we went over 3 additional cases regarding marital property, Long v. Long, 1997 ME 171, Warner v. Warner, 2002 ME 156, and Doucette v. Washburn, 2001 ME 38. We then discussed the lessons of Bradford v. Dumond. The assignment for Tuesday, 4/25, is to read Chapter 13 of the textbook, and 22 MRSA sections 4031-4058.

April 18, 2006

PL 200--Criminal Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/18, we started with Quiz #7. We discussed the age, duress and intoxication excuses, including a number of Maine cases. On Thursday we will pick up with entrapment. The assignment for Thursday is to read through p. 291.

PL 302--Family Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/18, we went over the Murphy holdings. The assignment for Thursday is to read and prepare to discuss Bradford v. Dumond, 675 A.2d 957 (Me. 1996).

April 13, 2006

PL 200-- Criminal Law
In class today Thursday 4/13, I talked about one more Maine case dealing with resisting an illegal arrest. We then talked about the insanity defense and Maine's diminished capacity defense, and discussed through page 253 of the text. The assignment for Tuesday 4/18 is to finish reading Chapter 8.

PL 302--Family Law
In class today I handed back the Tibbetts brief. I started by discussing 2 Maine spousal support cases, Williams v Williams, 1998 ME 32, and Warner v. Warner 2002 ME 156. We went over Chapter 9 of the text, and the Maine property division statute. We also discussed the two cases at the end of Chapter 9. The assignment for Tuesday 4/18 is to read Murphy v. Murphy, 2003 ME 17. Do not brief the case, but instead just write out (to hand in) each Holding of the case. In the format for the Holding, you can leave out the component of "Under what law". What you are left with is the operative legal question (and its answer), and the facts (circumstances) under which the holding applies. As an example from the previous case of Tibbetts v. Tibbetts, one Holding might be written as "The decision of the trial court ordering the Husband to pay child support, spousal support, and the marital debts was not "plainly and unmistakably unjust" when the Husband earned much more than the wife, the marital property had been divided equally and the Husband does have enough money to pay the judgment, even though the Husband was left with less than $80 per week after making those payments. Try to make the Holding both comprehensive enough to include all of the key facts, and clear enough so that it can be understood.

April 11, 2006

PL 200--Criminal Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/11, we went over exam #2. I talked about the Maine statutes regarding violence by and toward police, and I went over one Maine case. On Thursday I will finish going over Maine cases regarding resisting arrest. The assignment for Thursday, 4/13 is to read in the text pp.238-258, and to read sections 38 and 39 of the Maine Criminal Code.

Pl 302--Family Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/11, we went over the Tibbetts brief. I also talked about one Maine spousal support case, Holt v. Watson. The assignment for Thursday 4/13 is to read Chapter 9 of the text. Read and prepare to discuss the 2 cases at the end of the chapter. Also read the Maine statute on division of marital property, 19-A MRSA section 953.

April 6, 2006

PL 200--Criminal Law
In class today, Thursday 4/6, we had exam #2. On tuesday 4/11 we will go over the exam, and the additional assignment is to read in the Maine Criminal Code sections 107, 108(1-A), and 110. If you missed the exam, it is your responsibility to make arrangements with me to take the exam before class on Tuesday, or else you will get an F for the exam.

PL 302--Family Law
In class today, Thursday 4/6, we went over Chapter 8 of the text, and the Maine statute on Spousal Support (which I handed out to the class). We discussed the Turner case at the end of chapter 8. The assignment for Tuesday 4/11 is to brief the case of Tibbetts v. Tibbetts, 2000 ME 210.

April 4, 2006

PL 200--Criminal Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/4, we finished chapter 7. I also discussed 3 Maine cases dealing with defense of premises and competing harms. On Thursday we will have Exam #2, which will be open book and open note. If an emergency arises and you cannot be in class on Thursday, you must contact me as soon as possible so that we can figure out another time for you to take the exam before it is handed back next Tuesday.

PL 302--Family Law
In class today, Tuesday 4/4 we went over the Jarvis brief. I also discussed 2 Maine cases, one dealing with imputed income and the need to move to better emplyment, Wrenn v. Lewis, 2003 ME 29, and the other having to do with the definition of gross income as including severance pay, and the "ongoing source" part of the definition, Walker v. Walker, 2005 ME 21. The assignment for Thursday 4/6 is to read and prepare to discuss Chapter 8 of the textbook, including the Turner case at the end of the chapter, and the Maine statutes dealing with spousal support, 19-A MRSA §951-A et seq.