Faculty in the News 2008
April
On April 11, Dean Victor Gold appeared on Public Radio International’s To The Point to talk about President George Bush’s lame-duck status.
In an April 11 San Diego Union-Tribune story about a fifth woman tapped to testify about that Phil Spector threatened her, Professor Stan Goldman said: “There's no question that if (Robitaille's account) were the only one, the impact could be minimal. But five separate instances are potentially disastrous for any defense case.”
In an April 9 story in the National Law Journal about potential difficulties in searching for new US attorneys, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “It is nerve-wracking, and it will be difficult. They won't be sure who to get approval from or what their priorities are. There's always some disruption. But this is greater disruption because of what has happened."
In an April 5 Christian Science Monitor story about the recent pet food recall, Adjunct Professor Sonia Waisman was quoted: "I'm not sure that realistically there will be much change after this. Government agencies are generally understaffed already with much to oversee in the human food chain."
In an April 2 Oklahoman story about neighborhood rifts over dogs, Clinical Professor Mary Culbert was quoted about dispute resolution.
In an April 1 Charlotte Observer about a state bill requiring that women view an ultrasound before an abortion, Professor Brietta Clark said the rule was "designed to be more unreasonable and uncomfortable ... a tool used solely to provoke an emotional response. It’s always very mushy."
March
In a March 29 LA Times story about a lawsuit over jailhouse informants, Professor Laurie Levenson said that if the prosecutors "had behaved reprehensibly and intentionally hid evidence they could not be sued. But if they were just bad administrators they can be sued."
Professor Laurie Levenson was a frequent source of commentary on the Anthony Pellicano illegal wiretapping case:
In a March 27 LA Daily Journal story about a protective ordered granted to Anthony Pellicano’s ex-girlfriend, Professor Laurie Levenson was cited as saying that the battle over the order was unusual.
In a March 6 Hollywood Reporter story, she was quoted: “It kind of frizzled a little bit from that perspective. But we could still learn a bit from trial." The piece also ran on the Reuters news wire.
In a March 5 Bloomberg News story she was quoted: "It's a mixed bag" to call celebrities to testify. It spices up the case and it can make the jury pay more attention, but celebrity witnesses aren't necessarily good witnesses because they can be too focused on themselves."
On March 5, she discussed the case on NBC4 LA.
In a March 4 AP story, she was quoted: "It doesn't appear to have all the sexy bells and whistles. It's like LA Confidential, the B-movie."
In a March 3 Daily Variety story, she was quoted: "They don't need to worry about jail unless there is some shocking revelation at trial," said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola Law School. "They need to worry about being embarrassed."
In a Feb. 19 LA City News Service story, she was quoted: "It would have been an absolute nightmare for Christensen to go to trial with Pellicano representing himself," she said. In a Feb. 13 LA Times story, she was again quoted: "This is a big win for the Christensen defense," said Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson, who has closely followed the case.
In a March 26 LA Times story about alleged FBI mishandling of investigations into cruise-ship crimes, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “"You have limited resources and you put those in your highest priority. If you're in California, at the top of the list is going to be immigration, terrorism, political corruption and narcotics.... Sometimes there's also the mentality that the victim can sue in civil court. It doesn't leave the victim without remedies."
In a March People magazine story about Phil Spector’s eccentricities, Professor Laurie Levenson said: “I just think he lives in his own world. This is his image. He likes to make a statement. It gives him an identity, and he likes attention.”
In a March 21 story in the LA Times about the anonymous posting of Internet campaign ads, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: “We're now in an era of cheap speech. When the speech is cheap, some of the interests behind disclosure are not there."
In a March 21 LA Times story about a controversial recount in an Orange County election, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "The election code is mammoth. The election code is full of contradictions."
In a March 20 story in the Salt Lake City, UT Deseret Morning News on jury selection in the Phil Spector murder trial, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "The defense may want music fans who have an appreciation for Phil Spector's mark on music history. But there won't be many of those in the jury pool, not even in Tinseltown."
In a March 19 story in USA Today about the impending Phil Spector murder trial, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “"We don't know exactly what the defense is going to be, but there are lots of issues. Who pulled the trigger? What was Spector's mindset and mental state at the time? Did the gun malfunction? Was it human error?"
A March 18 story in the San Diego Union-Tribune about the San Diego Diocese bankruptcy filing referenced an article by Professor Georgene Vairo.
In a March 17 story in the London Guardian about the media gaze on the Phil Spector trial, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "It is another celebrity trial, but we've had so many that have been more notable. Spector is definitely on the second tier. In any other town this would be big news, but this is Hollywood. There's no shortage of celebrities that are getting arrested in this town."
In a March 17 San Francisco Chronicle story about the controversy surround the firing of eight US attorneys, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “"What comes to everybody's mind is the Saturday Night Massacre, the president not liking what an independent prosecutor is supposed to do and firing him.”
In a March 16 Financial Times story about a judge’s decision to televise the Phil Spector trial, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “"In the O.J. case the lawyers were showboating and the judge lost control of the situation. Los Angeles has been suffering from an O.J. hangover."
In a March 16 op-ed published in the LA Daily Journal about the 150th anniversary of the Dred Scott v. Sandford case, Professor Allan Ides wrote: “This month marks the sesquicentennial anniversary of Dred Scott, a decision infamous for it disregard of justice and for it apparent indifference toward the consequences likely to follow from its broad pronouncements.”
On March 5, Professor Stan Goldman discussed the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping case on CNBC’s Power Lunch.
In a March 4 Gannett News Service story about Sen. John McCain’s attempts to opt out of the public campaign financing system, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "It removes the moral high ground that Senator McCain had. Those who have already been skeptical of McCain's commitment to his reform agenda have new ammunition to attack him with." In a
Feb. 29 Boston Globe story, he was quoted: "Once this FEC issue with McCain arose, I think he lost the moral high ground.”
In a March 3 Riverside Press-Enterprise story about the California Supreme Court’s hearing on same-sex marriages, Associate Professor Jennifer Rothman was quoted: "It creates a segregated society for same-sex couples.” In a March 2 Contra Costa Times story, she was quoted: "It can go either way. For opponents of same-sex marriage, it's hard to come up with justifications for denying same-sex couples marital rights when the state has already said they should be treated identically, including in the realm of parenting."
In a March 2 story about Wal-Mart’s contributions to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "I think you see that hometown favorite kind of thing. You give to people you know or people who know people you know. That's really not a surprise."
February
In a Feb. 29 LA Times story about an investigation into whether Roger Clemens lied in his congressional testimony, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "The problem for Clemens is that no one seems to believe him. ...Jurors are nothing other than regular folks, so if regular folks think you're lying, you're in trouble."
On Feb. 28, Professor Stan Goldman was quoted in a Riverside Press-Enterprise story about the defense of a man who ran over and killed the owner of a car he was in the process of stealing.
In a Feb. 26 Tax Notes story about the impact of a tax law ruling on practitioners, Professor Ellen Aprill was quoted.
In a Feb. 26 AP story about a Japanese businessman charged with murder decades after the crime took place, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "Witness memories don't get better over time. Time is usually on the defendant's side, but not always."
In a Feb. 26 Daily Breeze story about a Torrance murder, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted.
In a Feb 24 San Francisco Chronicle story about Sen. John McCain’s attempts to opt out of public financing for his presidential campaign, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "It just puts McCain in a pickle.”
On Feb. 22, The Forward published Adjunct Professor Yitzchok Adlerstein’s op-ed, “There Can Only Be One Law of the Land.”
In a Feb. 22 Washington Post story about Sen. John McCain’s fight to opt out of public campaign funding, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "If in fact he is stuck with these spending limits, it would be a serious limitation on what he can do.”
In a Feb. 22 ABC7 LA story about deposits lost because of low home appraisals, Adjunct Professor Allan Wallace was quoted: "If either of those eventualities doesn't come true, the buyer has the right to say to the seller, 'You know what, I'm sorry, my loan didn't make it appraise well, no harm no foul. I'm backing out, please give my deposit back.'"
In a Feb. 21 AP story about the extension of a restraining order preventing Sam Lutfi from contacting Britney Spears, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted.
In a Feb 21 Tidings story about the legality of waterboarding in interrogations, Professor Marcy Strauss was quoted: It was very difficult for me, and I did go back and forth to some extent. But I guess the position I'm somewhat comfortable with at this stage is that torture is illegal. It's one of the international norms that knows no exception. It is prohibited without any emergency, necessity exception. It's one of those few norms that are like that - that and slavery and genocide."
In a Feb. 20 People.com story about a motion to move Britney Spears’ conservatorship case from LA to federal court, Professor Stan Goldman was quoted: "Wishing doesn't make it so."
In a Feb. 19 Riverside Press-Enterprise story about a program to help lawyers understand science, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "If you want to be a lawyer in the 21st century, you better start learning about science.”
In a Feb. 18 Las Vegas Sun story about, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted as saying that the old process of party leaders gathering in the clichéd smoke-filled room to pick the nominees “used to be worse.”
In a Feb. 17 Riverside Press-Enterprise story about a developer’s donations to city council members and its impact on land use, Professor Dan Selmi was quoted.
In a Feb. 15 AP story about Britney Spears’ father’s conservatorship over her estate, Professor Peter Tiersma was quoted: "Anyone who's under a conservatorship can argue that they've lost their civil rights. That's what a conservatorship does, it takes away some of your rights."
In a Feb. 15 Riverside Press-Enterprise about whether turning a pit bull loose on two children constituted assault, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “The challenge is getting people to believe that a dog can be a deadly weapon. But (a dog) certainly can be."
In a Feb. 13 LA Times story about Roger Clemens’ allegedly flawed congressional testimony, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "If you have direct finger pointing, somebody is going to be lying. It's hard to believe they'll drop it at that.” In a Feb. 6 LA Times story on the same subject, she was again quoted: ''It's very possible, and the more detailed and far ranging their questions, the more likely that is to happen. It still doesn't mean a jury would convict him where the standard of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt and you're going after a national baseball hero.''
A Feb. 13 Washington Post editorial about the capital cases against six Guantanamo detainees referenced a law review article by Associate Professor David Glazier.
In a Feb. 12 Roll Call story about a conservative group’s challenge to the Federal Election Commission’s authority, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "It's a very savvy political strategy. It's another test case to try and push the new Supreme Court justices into the deregulation camp."
In a Feb. 11 Newsday story about the capital trial of six Guantanamo detainees, Associate Professor David Glazier was quoted: "I think this is going to end up being a PR disaster for the United States, quite frankly.”
In a Feb. 11 New York Times story about six Guantanamo detainees facing the death penalty for their alleged involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks, Associate Professor David Glazier was quoted: ''The system hasn't been able to handle the less-complicated cases it has been presented with to date.” He was quoted on the same topic by US News & World Report, the International Herald Tribune and Reuters.
In a Feb. 8 LA Daily News story about an attorney accused of moral turpitude, Professor Arnie Siegel was quoted.
In a February story about the use of informants in New York City’s Gotham Gazette, Professor Alexandra Natapoff was quoted: "In some cities, if you believe what the police and prosecutors say, it's not in the culture to use snitches, while in other places, it's absolutely par for the course."
In the Feb. 4 LA Business Journal forum on the tax stimulus package, Professor Joe Sliskovich was quoted: “The short-term effect of a cash rebate to taxpayers is undeniably positive. The likely effect will be modest – a quick jolt that will likely fade almost immediately.”
In a Feb. 9 LA Times story about a defense motion to suppress incriminating tapes, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "In many a case I've seen transcripts looking like this being a solid basis for an obstruction conviction. I certainly understand why the defense wants to suppress it.”
In a Feb. 7 LA Times story about challenges to the advertising of a movie critical of Senator Hillary Clinton, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "This does not involve a ban on speech. And I don't think there's an appetite for weakening the disclosure laws."
In a Feb. 7 LA Times op-ed piece entitled “Bubble Trouble,” Professor Rick Hasen argued for a fix to California’s Super Tuesday primary problems. He wrote: “The instructions should have been much clearer. There was no reason to use terminology, such as ‘nonpartisan,’ that didn't match that of the voter registration forms. And something has to be done so that independent-minded voters don't get confused by the American Independent Party label….Designing a ballot that lets people cast a vote that actually counts needs to be a top priority. Running elections is a tough business, but it is not rocket science.”
In a Feb. 6 New York Times story about a Congressional panel’s questioning of baseball great Roger Clemens about his use of steroids, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: ''It's very possible, and the more detailed and far ranging their questions, the more likely that is to happen. It still doesn't mean a jury would convict him where the standard of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt and you're going after a national baseball hero.''
In a Feb. 6 RealityTV.com story about a battle over the show name UFO Hunters, Professor Jay Dougherty was quoted: "Normally, the competitive process would have weeded it out. You tend to work these things out through changing names, or changing release dates. Normally they kind of work out in the process of relationships in the commercial world. I'm a little surprised that they're butting heads like this."
On Feb. 5, Slate.com published Professor Rick Hasen’s op-ed, “Whatever Happened to ‘One Person, One Vote’? Why the Crazy Caucus and Primary Rules are Legal.”
In a Feb. 1 Biloxi, MS Sun Herald story about a prison accreditation group released from a wrongful death lawsuit, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted.
A Feb. 1 US Fed News posting referenced Associate Professor Michael Waterstone’s testimony before the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Seniortimes.com and Congressional Documents and Publications also referenced his testimony.
January
In the Jan. 31 edition of CQ Congressional Testimony, Associate Professor Michael Waterstone was quoted: “One of our most profound accomplishments since the founding of the United States is the progressive broadening of the franchise to include African-Americans, women and others subject to pervasive discrimination. In this process, we have learned that few of the rights or interest of a particular group of Americans can be secure so long as that group lacks the right to vote for officials who will become accountable to them. We have also learned that, as more adult citizens become full participants in our polity, the democratic process is enriched for all. We are still in the process of learning this lesson with regard to persons with disabilities.”
In a Jan. 31 LA Daily News story about an attorney charged with moral turpitude, Professor Arnold Siegel was quoted: “I don't know how they think this gets to the level of moral turpitude. It's typically associated with fraud and corruption, those kinds of behaviors. It's hard to see the link. Is this behavior contrary to good morals? Is he really being dishonest here, or is he just being a gadfly?”
In a Jan. 28 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin story about the delayed trial of a murder suspect, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "You can invoke the right to a speedy trial," she said. "The problem is, to have a meaningful trial you have to have a lawyer who is prepared. Pushing a defendant to trial when an attorney is not ready isn't going to do a defendant any good either."
In a Jan. 27 New York Times story about, Professor Alexandra Natapoff was quoted: “The practice of using confidential informants in the war on drugs has its own special pathologies.”
In an LA Times story about embattled OC Sheriff Mike Carona, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "There's only been one court that's ever gone their way," she said. "The problem is there have been plenty of courts that have declined to make that ruling. This is a significant motion not just for this case, but frankly for how it could impact other government investigations."
In a Jan. 25 Riverside Press-Enterprise story about using a “claim or right” defense for armed robbery, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "That is certainly something you don't hear every day. It's an interesting legal argument."
In a San Francisco Chronicle story about a Nevada court ruling allowing MSNBC to exclude Dennis Kucinich from a presidential debate, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted.
In a Jan. 23 Jewish Daily Forward story about how Jewish law would apply to an informant, Adjunct Professor Yitzchok Adlerstein: “The reason that mesira was seen as the equivalent of a capital crime is that when you handed a Jew over to secular authorities, courts and prisons were run like independent fiefdoms, and prisoners often did not emerge alive.”
On Jan. 22, the Canberra Times published Professor Rick Hasen’s op-ed, “Voting System is Haunted by Democratic Meltdown.”
On Jan. 21, the LA Business Journal announced that Dean David Burcham was named provost of Loyola Marymount University. The LA Daily Journal, LA City News Service, Long Beach Press-Telegram, the Daily Breeze, Inside Higher Ed and LAObserved.com also reported the move.
In a Jan. 19 LA Daily News story about an apartment complex owner ordered to pay $12 million in damages to the family of a murdered tenant, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “It's a sneak preview for the prosecution, but it's nothing they can rely on. It's not that common. Usually, the criminal case goes first, but since the defendant's already in custody, there's no rush to prosecute.”
In a Jan. 18 Riverside Press-Enterprise story about a dispute about using Riverside County civil courts for criminal cases, Professor Stan Goldman was quoted: “Often, the only reason a case like this one is taken is because there is a broader issue the court might be interested in.”
In a Jan. 17 Fresno Bee story about a defense team’s plan to subpoena jurors’ internet records to see if they had violated a judge’s order, Professor Peter Tiersma was quoted: "It sounds like a fishing expedition. If I was a judge, I would need some evidence jurors were actually doing this."
In a Jan. 17 LA Times story about environmental exemptions for Navy vessels off the California Coast, Professor Dan Selmi was quoted: "The federal government is pitching it as a full-blown matter of national security.”
In a Jan. 16 Las Vegas Sun story about an election challenge filed in an untimely manner, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted as saying that the delay “gives the court the power to say, even if a suit has merit, you’re bringing it up too late.”
On Jan. 16, Professor Bob Benson was interviewed by KTLA about environmental exemptions granted to Navy ships sailing off the California coast.
On Jan. 8, Professor Laurie Levenson appeared on The Today Show to discuss possible charges against a woman accused of sending a teen girl fraudulent messages. “Since a homicide case really can't be brought, I doubt they'll get the type of sentence that will make people feel that there was justice,” she said. In a story on the same topic in the LA Times, Levenson was quoted: "But I doubt it's really going to lead to the type of punishment people really want to see, which is this woman being held responsible for this girl's death.”
In a Jan. 8 McClatchy Newspapers syndicated story that appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Seattle Times and elsewhere, Professor Rick Hasen was referenced as submitting a brief opposing the law.
In a Jan. 7 San Francisco Chronicle about Loyola alumnus Mark Geragos’s representation of victims of the tiger mauling at San Francisco Zoo, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: “Mark was born to be a lawyer. It's all he ever wanted to do. Doing a personal injury case like the tiger attack is a little unusual for him, but he's a smart guy, so you can bet he won't miss any details. And he likes the high-profile cases - the higher the better."
In a Jan. 7 USA Today story about the Supreme Court’s hearing of a challenge to an Indiana voter ID law, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted: "Some Democrats believe Republicans have enacted (ID) laws not to prevent fraud but to make it harder for poor and minority voters, who are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates, to vote.”
In a Jan. 7 Fort Wayne, IN Journal Gazette about the Supreme Court’s hearing of an Indiana voter ID law, Professor Rick Hasen was quoted as saying that the state “failed to present any evidence that the provision at issue is reasonably tied to the purpose of addressing election fraud.”
In a January Riverside Press-Enterprise profile of Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "You sort of have open, festering wounds. It's very raw out there. It's like watching a family feud. It's very uncomfortable."
In a Jan. 6 Pittsburgh Tribune Review story about a slew of federal charges dismissed against a former coroner, Professor Laurie Levenson was quoted: "It's more that they dropped the ball than they were being strategically conniving. If this was strategic, it wasn't a very good strategy because it sends the message they weren't prepared or that the case was overreaching."
In a story on NonStarvingArtists.com, Professors David Glazier, Allan Ides and Gary Williams were credited with being contributors and consultants to the Habeas Lounge, space to support civic dialogue.