Symposium: Predators, Porn & the Law

The growing enactment of sex offender restrictions has been one of the most notable developments in criminal law in recent decades. Thus far, courts across the country have been relatively complacent in allowing legislatures to test the limits of various civil liberties. The Ex Post Facto Clause has been among the first constitutional victims of these new laws. Whereas the Clause was once construed as a substantive right protecting citizens against vindictive or arbitrary legislative actions often based upon the hysteria of the moment, it has become a hollow shell…

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Juror in child molester case removed for using dictionaries

Judge finds juror committed ‘serious, willful misconduct’ for using standard dictionaries to look up a critical word during deliberations. SANTA ANA – A juror was removed for misconduct Wednesday for using dictionaries to look up a word during deliberations in a trial to determine whether a twice-convicted child molester should remain locked up in a mental hospital as a sexually violent predator. The juror referenced the word “likely” in a dictionary at home and brought another dictionary into the deliberating room, disobeying repeated admonishments from Orange County Superior Court Judge…

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