For more information, please contact:
Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, (312) 906-5251
ADVISORY TO PRODUCERS, COLUMNISTS, AND ASSIGNMENT,
LEGAL, PLANNING, BOOK, MEDICAL, TECHNOLOGY, INTERNATIONAL,
BUSINESS, CITY DESK, FEATURES AND DAYBOOK EDITORS
CHICAGO–September 8, 2008–Chicago-Kent College of Law and Stuart School of Business have experts available to discuss current issues. To reach any of our experts, call Gwen Osborne, director of public affairs, at (312) 906-5251. Press releases and earlier advisories are available on our Web site: www.kentlaw.edu/news/advisory.
Jury selection has begun in the armed robbery and kidnapping trial of O.J. Simpson in Nevada. A pool of 500 jury prospects was given a 26-page questionnaire. Of that number, 252 people were rejected based on their answers, and an additional fourteen people were excused for medical reasons. Clark County District Court judge Jackie Glass admonished prospective jurors not to attempt to punish the defendant "for what happened in Los Angeles back in ’95," referring to Simpson’s acquittal of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in a highly publicized trial. Two years later, a multimillion dollar judgement was awarded against the former actor and professional football player in a civil suit for battery and the wrongful deaths of Goldman and Simpson’s ex-wife. Is it possible to seat an impartial jury given O.J. Simpson’s celebrity status and notoriety? Professor Nancy S. Marder, who teaches a course on juries, judges and trials, has written extensively about the American jury system. Professor Marder is the author of Jury Process and several law review articles, including Juries, Justice and Multiculturalism. Professor Marder is available for comment. Professors and criminal defense attorneys Richard S. Kling and Daniel T. Coyne can also discuss the case, possible defense strategies and the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury and a fair trial. Professor and former prosecutor Douglas Wm. Godfrey is likewise available for interviews.
Experts are available to assist with stories related to the seventh anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. They are able to comment on the impact of the attacks on the U.S. economy, civil liberties, the military, international relations, privacy, immigration policies and financial markets. They can also discuss issues related to the USA Patriot Act, workplace discrimination, human rights, transportation security, electronic surveillance and student visas.
Alex Blake is back. In Immunity, the third installment of Chicago-Kent Distinguished Professor Lori B. Andrews’ popular forensic thriller series, geneticist Alexandra Blake is trying to discover what caused the mysterious deaths of a DEA agent and eight other people in Taos, New Mexico. With the aid of the dead agent’s partner, Dr. Blake follows clues that lead her to the Department of Homeland Security, a radical Native American group, and a public square fountain. Professor Andrews is available for interviews about her new book, which she will sign at 12:30 p.m. on September 11 at Borders, 150 N. State Street in Chicago.
Downtown Campus Events
September 10: "The U.S. Supreme Court on the Second Amendment: What Happens Next?" Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in District of Columbia et al. v. Heller upheld an individual’s right to possess a firearm for private use. Virginia attorney Stephen Halbrook, who represented 55 U.S. senators and 250 congressmen as amici curiae in the case, and Chicago-Kent Distinguished Professor Sheldon H. Nahmod will analyze the decision, what it means for American gun owners, and the implications for gun bans in cities including Chicago, Oak Park, Evanston and San Francisco. Following the discussion, Halbrook will sign copies of his book, The Founders’ Second Amendment. The program, which begins at 3 p.m., is co-sponsored by the Heartland Institute, Independent Institute and Chicago-Kent College of Law. The program is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Please call Tonya Houston at The Heartland Institute, (312) 377-4000, or contact her via e-mail at thouston@heartland.org.
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