When Michael Vick pleaded guilty to masterminding a dogfighting operation that resulted in the intentional killing of six to eight dogs—some by hanging or drowning—he was sentenced to only twenty-three months imprisonment.  Alarmingly, Vick’s sentence was among the harshest imposed at the federal level for animal cruelty offenses that routinely involve the torture, maiming, and [...]

The United States Supreme Court recently upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” as a valid exercise of congressional authority.  The decision, which was one of the most anxiously anticipated in years, caught many people by surprise when Chief Justice Roberts sided with the liberal wing of the Court and [...]

This Essay builds upon the conclusions of Professor Vars in his Article, Rethinking the Indefinite Detention of Sex Offenders.  Focusing on the faultiness of an actuarial tool often used to assess dangerousness, Vars argues convincingly that the predictions of future dangerousness in sex offender civil commitment hearings are deeply flawed.  This Essay contends that Vars’s [...]