Chastek Blawg

Chastek Library will be undergoing major construction on the first and second floor of the library this summer. Due to these projects, we will be closed to the general public beginning May 12 until August 26. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For those seeking subject-specific resources, some Washington quicklinks may be found here: http://libguides.law.gonzaga.edu/public Students, staff, and faculty may use the library during this time but must scan in with their GU ID cards. Local attorneys may request an Affiliate Access Card from the Chastek Library. More information on that process may be found here: http://libguides.law.gonzaga.edu/libraryinformation/attorney# . Due to the construction, there is no guarantee that you will find a quiet space in the first two floors of the library. Bar prep students may wish to check out the third floors at Chastek and/or Foley Libraries for quiet study spaces . Furthermore, many of our first floor collections, including ou...

UPDATE (6/21/2019): " "The Supreme Court on Friday reaffirmed its strict prohibition against racial bias in jury selection, voting 7-2 to overturn a black defendant’s murder conviction by a Mississippi court after a prosecutor dismissed 41 of 43 African Americans over the course of six trials for the same killings." https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-reaffirms-rule-against-racial-bias-in-jury-selection-11561129358?mod=hp_lead_pos6 Peremptory challenges are commonplace as citizen jurors are removed from the jury pool without necessitating a reason. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has been hearing testimony surrounding whether racial bias was present during jury selection for the Curtis Flowers murder trials of 1997, 2004, and 2010. [1] In the Flowers’ case, it is being argued that the prosecutor knowingly removed prospective jurors due to race and/or ethnicity in order to tip the balance of the trial. Flowers has been tried six times for four murde...

Iowa’s AG’s office is taking legal action to shut down a ‘puppy laundering’ ring that has been selling puppy mill puppies as rescue animals, circumventing the state’s puppy mill ban. [1] While not having an outright ban on puppy mills, Washington State has attempted to severely restrict the ability of puppy mills to exist through increased regulations on dog breeding facilities. These regulations include a limitation on the number of intact, unfixed dogs at a single location, specific space and enclosure requirements, housing facilities with strict sanitary requirements, and mandatory food and water access. [2]   But, puppy mills have continued to thrive in the wake of increased regulations. Just in the latter half of 2018, two illegal Chihuahua puppy mills were shut down in Stevens County and some 250+ dogs were taken to local rescue shelters. [3] Recently, in an effort to further restrict the sale of puppy mill puppies statewide, House Bill 1640 was introduced in the Wa...

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If you are looking for electronic court filings and do not have access to subscription databases like Westlaw, Lexis, or Bloomberg Law, you might use PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records).   Although accessible to the public, documents on Pacer are also behind a paywall, but a class action case currently on appeal may result in some changes to this model.      The class action case involving the National Veterans Legal Services Program and other nonprofit groups seeking to recover “excessive Pacer fees” is now on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.   The case, initially filed in 2016, argues that Pacer charged fees much higher than the law “E-Government Act of 2002” allows.   Although not required, the law does allow the judiciary to charge fees to access court records “only to the extent necessary” for services.   At a time when it is easier and less costly than ever (a fraction of a penny per ...

Another FREE Family Movie Night event is upon us!  In the Barbieri Courtroom on Friday, February 1 , Chastek Library, Student Success, and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society will be screening Space Jam; showing starts at 6pm. Luckily for us, Gonzaga University Mascot Spike has agreed to be in attendance to get everyone excited for the film, to sign autographs, and to take pictures from 5:15pm to 6:15pm! This event is open to the entire law school community! So students, staff, and faculty are free to bring their friends and families! All are welcome to attend. Snacks and beverages will be provided for attendees.  So c'mon, everybody get up, it's time to slam now! Come check out a fun and free 90s classic film!

The medical rights regarding a defendant’s ability to stand trial has made the news as armed bank robbery defendant, Richard Abney, has been ruled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to be involuntarily medicated to stand trial. [1]   According to court documents, Abney “underwent a series of psychological evaluations to determine his competency to stand trial.” Upon conclusion of these initial evaluations, it was determined in late 2014 “that Abney was not suffering from a mental illness that would compromise his understanding of the trial process and deemed him competent to stand trial.” However, defense counsel rebutted and retained a forensic psychologist who disagreed with the initial finding and the fight continued through the courts over the next five years.     Citing the Supreme Court in Sell v. United States , 539 U.S. 166 (2003) [2] , which held that “it is constitutionally permissible in some circumstances to involuntarily admini...