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Federal Conspiracy Law: A Sketch

Description: This is a brief discussion of the common features of federal conspiracy law that evolved over the years, with passing references to some of the distinctive features of some of the statutory provisions.
Date: January 20, 2016
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Free-Riders or Compelled Riders? Key Takeaways as Court Considers Major Union Dues Case

Description: This report briefly outlines the ongoing debate regarding Union dues. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2015, 7.2 million employees in the public sector belong to a union, with more than 700,000 additional government employees being represented by a union without belonging to the union.
Date: January 1, 2016
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Criminal Justice Reform: One Judge's View

Description: This report briefly provides highlights from an article written by Judge Alex Kozinski of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in which he recommended 26 changes in the U.S. criminal justice system, federal and state.
Date: January 1, 2016
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Violence Against Women Act: History, Federal Funding, and Reauthorizing Legislation

Description: This report discusses the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2000 which reauthorized most of the original actā€™s programs and created new grant programs to prevent sexual assaults on campuses, assist victims of violence with civil legal concerns, create transitional housing for victims of domestic abuse (administered by HHS), and enhance protections for elderly and disabled victims of domestic violence. VAWA 2000, also, created a pilot program for safe custody exchange for families of domestā€¦ more
Date: July 15, 2004
Creator: Laney, Garrine P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Science, State, Justice, Commerce and Related Agencies (House)/ Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (Senate): FY2006 Appropriations

Description: This report monitors actions taken by the 109th Congress for the Houseā€™s Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies (SSJC) and the Senateā€™s Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) FY2006 appropriations legislation.
Date: December 23, 2005
Creator: Fergusson, Ian F. & Epstein, Susan B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Capital Offenses: An Overview of Substantive and Procedural Law

Description: Murder, committed under any of more than 50 jurisdictional circumstances, is a federal capital offense. So are treason, espionage, and certain drug kingpin offenses. The Federal Death Penalty Act and related provisions establish the procedure that must be followed before a defendant convicted of a federal capital offense may be executed. This report is an overview of the law in the area.
Date: November 18, 2014
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of Pollutants

Description: This report discusses the section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, which requires states to identify waters that are impaired by pollution, even after application of pollution controls. For those waters, states must establish a total maximum daily load (TMDL) of pollutants to ensure that water quality standards can be attained. Implementation of this provision has been dormant until recently, when states and EPA were prodded by numerous lawsuits. The TMDL issue has become controversial, in part bā€¦ more
Date: October 25, 2006
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fifth Amendment Privilege Against SelfIncrimination May Not Be Extended in Cases Where Only a Foreign Prosecution Is Possible

Description: Several courts in the various circuits have considered whether the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination applies to fear of incrimination in foreign countries, and they have come to divergent conclusions. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in United States v. Balsys, and on June 25, 1998, decided that a witness may not invoke the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination in which only a foreign prosecution is possible. This report provides background onā€¦ more
Date: July 16, 1998
Creator: Wallace, Paul S., Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean

Description: This report describes the nature and scope of the problem of trafficking in persons in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report then describes U.S. efforts to deal with trafficking in persons in the region, as well as discusses the successes and failures of some recent country and regional anti-trafficking efforts. The report concludes by raising several issues for policy consideration that may be helpful as the 109th Congress continues to address human trafficking as part of its authorizatiā€¦ more
Date: December 15, 2005
Creator: Ribando, Clare
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Obscenity and Indecency: Constitutional Principles and Federal Statutes

Description: This report examines federal law regarding obscenity and indecency. The First Amendment provides: ā€œCongress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.ā€ In general, the First Amendment protects pornography, with this term being used to mean any erotic material. The Supreme Court, however, has held that the First Amendment does not protect two types of pornography: obscenity and child pornography. Consequently, they may be banned on the basis of their content, and fedeā€¦ more
Date: May 2, 2003
Creator: Cohen, Henry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness

Description: The potential of terrorist attacks against agricultural targets (agroterrorism) is increasingly recognized as a national security threat, especially after the events of September 11, 2001. This report focuses primarily on biological weapons (rather than chemical weapons) because biological weapons generally are considered the more potent agroterrorism threat. This report also focuses more on the threat of agroterrorism against agricultural production, rather than on food processing and distribuā€¦ more
Date: March 12, 2007
Creator: Monke, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration-Related Detention: Current Legislative Issues

Description: This report examines policy issues surrounding detention of aliens, including concerns about the number of aliens subject to mandatory detention and the justness of mandatory detention, especially as it is applied to asylum seekers arriving without proper documentation. Some have raised concerns about the length of time in detention for aliens who have been ordered removed. Additionally, issues have been raised about the amount of detention space available to house DHS detainees. Another area oā€¦ more
Date: January 30, 2008
Creator: Siskin, Alison
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)ā€”Responsibilities and Potential Congressional Concerns

Description: This report looks at inadequacies present in the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) which prevent the Center from adequately performing its duty. These inadequacies include issues with agency organization, lack of resources, and a focus on threats from Yemen over domestic threats.
Date: December 19, 2011
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Statutes: An Overview of Legislation in the 107th Congress

Description: This report examines legislation in the 107th Congress pertaining to federal mandatory minimum sentencing statutes (mandatory minimums), which demand that execution or incarceration follow criminal conviction. They cover drug dealing and using a gun to commit a federal crime, among other crimes.
Date: April 17, 2003
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Crime and Forfeiture: The Innocent Third Party

Description: Forfeiture has survived through time in American law, and since 1984, the use of forfeiture statutes to divest felons of their spoils has increased substantially. This report reviews the case law which raises the issue concerning many relative to whether some civil forfeiture proceedings constitute punishment which may violate the Eighth Amendment's excessive fines clause.
Date: June 29, 1999
Creator: Wallace, Paul S., Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Proposed Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Labor Issues

Description: This report examines three labor issues and arguments related to the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (CFTA, H.R. 5724): violence against trade unionists; impunity (accountability for or punishment of the perpetrators); and worker rights protections for Colombians.
Date: January 15, 2009
Creator: Bolle, Mary Jane
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Grand Jury

Description: This report is a brief general description of the federal grand jury, with particular emphasis on its more controversial aspectsā€”relationship of the prosecutor and the grand jury, the rights of grand jury witnesses, grand jury secrecy, and rights of targets of a grand jury investigation.
Date: February 5, 2002
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Missing Adults: Background, Federal Programs, and Issues for Congress

Description: The first section of this report discusses demographics and record keeping of missing adults and unidentified remains, as well as some of the factors that may contribute to the disappearance of adults. This section also discusses federally-funded databases that are used to track data on missing adults and unidentified individuals. The second section of the report describes the federal programs and initiatives to assist in locating missing adults, including funding data where applicable. Finallyā€¦ more
Date: February 11, 2015
Creator: Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Gang Deterrence: A Legal Analysis of H.R. 1279 With References to S. 155

Description: This report examines the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005, H.R. 1279, which as passed by the House, among other things, would dramatically increase the criminal penalties that follow as a consequence of a conviction for violent crimes, including gang offenses. It would expand the instances where juveniles charged with federal crimes of violence can be tried as adults and would authorize the establishment of criminal street gang enforcement teams.
Date: June 9, 2005
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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An Abridged View of the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act (H.R. 1279)

Description: This report summarizes the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act (H.R. 1279) and its effects. This includes information such as an increase in criminal penalties assigned to violent crimes and expanding the instances where juveniles could be tried as adults. For more information see CRS Report RL32946 "Gang Deterrence A Legal Analysis of H.R. 1279 With References to S. 155.
Date: June 13, 2005
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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First Responder Initiative: Policy Issues and Options

Description: This report provides background information and policy analysis pertinent to proposals to restructure first responder assistance programs. Specifically, this report provides information on existing programs, appropriations, legislation in the 107th and 108th Congress, and selected policy issues. This report does not discuss all relevant policy issues, but, rather, those issues that may be germane to any significant restructuring of existing programs.
Date: June 4, 2003
Creator: Canada, Ben
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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