Understanding the Law

Explaining court cases, statutes, and executive actions across the country, providing valuable analysis of the facts and legal impact on the public.

Hot for Contracts: How Van Halen Illustrates the Importance of Reading a Contract

October 9, 2020

Surrounding the word “contract” is an air of importance and gravity.  Indeed, one does not need a lawyer to understand that contracts carry serious legal weight­, and accordingly, potentially severe consequences for their breach.  However, contrary to popular belief, these solemn covenants are not limited to complex business arrangements between sophisticated executives.  Contracts—and their consequences—govern virtually every aspect of our daily lives in one form or another. With [...]

Can’t Be Tamed: Exotic Animal Ownership Laws of North Carolina and the Federal Government

September 18, 2020

When it first premiered in March, Netflix’s hit miniseries, Tiger King, revealed a fascinating and often disquieting glimpse into the bizarre world of big cat ownership.  The show immediately became something of a cultural phenomenon, thanks to its colorful cast of characters and outlandish plot twists, but it also catapulted the plight of thousands of big cats into the national spotlight.  For the few remaining people who haven’t seen it, the core of the show revolves around a bitter [...]

Houston Astros Sign-Stealing Scandal: A Review of Legal Actions Brought by Ticket Holders

May 11, 2020

 The Houston Astros became the poster child of cheating in professional baseball this past year, due to their sign-stealing scheme that spanned the entire 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) season and the earlier part of the 2018 season.  To make matters worse, the Astros won the 2017 World Series, leaving many fans and players to speculate whether or not they would have won the title absent cheating.  While sign-stealing is not illegal, and, in fact, is commonplace around the league, MLB [...]

Tracking the Recent Decisions in North Carolina’s Satellite-Based Monitoring Jurisprudence

May 4, 2020

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated . . . .   The black device exclaimed “low battery” in a robotic voice drawing curious glances from passerby. This was his cue. The ankle monitor called the shots; he either had to leave or find a nearby electrical outlet for the device’s daily two-hour charging. Letting it die was not an option as it would lose signal—a major violation, [...]

North Carolina: The Last Frontier for Equality in Domestic Violence Protections for Same-Sex Couples

February 8, 2020

North Carolina is the only state that does not recognize equivalent domestic violence protection for same-sex couples as it does for opposite-sex couples.  See Am. Bar Ass’n, Domestic Violence Civil Protection Orders (CPOs), (2014).  Chapter 50B domestic violence protection orders are restricted to only opposite-sex dating relationships in North Carolina.  N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50B-1(b).  The resulting discrimination against the unprotected and vulnerable parties in same-sex dating [...]

Teacher Participation Concerning Religion in North Carolina Public Schools

January 18, 2020

As a state in the “Bible Belt,” it is not uncommon to hear of a North Carolina public school being involved with religion to some degree, whether it be a teacher helping young students pray in class, a teacher participating in a See You at the Pole™ event, or school board members seeking to incorporate prayer at board meetings.  Public schools are extensions of the state government and actions by school teachers and personnel may be considered government acts.  While the United States [...]

It’s Not A Heart Issue: A look into the recent abortion war in Iowa

April 14, 2019

When it comes to a woman’s right to an abortion, the spotlight has recently been focused on New York. However, recently there has been an abortion war in Iowa where two battles that took place that ended in a victory for the pro-abortion activists. The first battle that took place was the fight in the Iowa legislature to stop a new restrictive abortion law from being passed. The second battle consisted of the fight that ensued in the Iowa courts after the bill was signed into law. The [...]

Cell phones and the 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination

April 7, 2019

Data security technologies, like those used on both Apple and Samsung cell phones, continue to provide consumers with features aimed at increasing their data security.  Apple says iPhone users unlock their phones an average 80 times a day. Samsung’s newest device allows users to unlock their phones with an on-screen fingerprint scanner.  Apple has included fingerprint technology (Touch ID) on their phones since 2013 and now offers Face ID, which allows users to unlock certain iPhones by [...]

International legal rights of children living with disabilities: The realizations behind country-level implementation

April 1, 2019

International guidelines paint a relatively clear picture of the legal rights that all children living with disabilities share across the globe. These rights apply regardless of the region in which the child lives. The rights are inherently fundamental. These international human rights standards serve as excellent guidelines for countries looking to adopt and modernize their disability laws.  However, country-level implementation of these international laws on an individual country basis can [...]

A guide to Canada’s recent legalization of recreational marijuana

April 1, 2019

With the passage of the Cannabis Act, Canada just became the first G7 nation to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults on a federal level.   Under the new policy, Canadian adults may legally possess up to 30 grams of marijuana in public.   On October 17, 2018, Canada passed the Cannabis Act, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults.  According to the Canadian Department of Justice, the Cannabis Act “creates a strict legal framework for controlling the [...]

The dilemma behind autonomous vehicles: Creating morality laws to regulate self-driving cars

March 19, 2019

Cutting-edge vehicles like the popular Tesla Model S come equipped with autonomous driving features granting them the ability to control themselves. Artificial intelligence enables the car to manage speed, direction, and adapt to traffic patterns—eliminating  the need for a human driver. However, are these machines capable of everything that a human driver can do? The answer is no; there is one important thing that these supercomputers cannot do—perform ethical decision making.   [...]
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