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All laws tell stories, says Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon-stories about who we are, where we came from, where we are going, and what we value. Can Americans learn something from the abortion and divorce laws of other countries? Glendon says we have a lot to learn, and that it may surprise us. Glendon, whose field is comparative law, found her own assumptions challenged when she started the research for her prize-winning book, Abortion and...
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A few centuries ago, state-sanctioned killing was thought of mainly as a control mechanism, a deterrent to crime. Thus, a person could be hanged not just for murder but for minor offences such as petty theft. But with the emergence of the police force as a civic institution, some began to view capital punishment as the sordid appeasement of our communal thirst for vengeance, and today it is a continual source of debate. This program explores the issue...
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Facing mounting domestic and international pressure for a fair and transparent framework of laws, China is racing to reshape the rules of its Communist society. Hundreds of thousands of judges and lawyers have been trained in the past 25 years, but with senior judges under direct control of the state and citizens taking to the streets in record numbers, this transformation has been anything but easy. This unprecedented Wide Angle report takes viewers...
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In this program, former Attorney General Edwin Meese and Judge Robert Bork discuss the "original intent" of the framers of the Constitution-on abortion, presidential powers, and big government. Edwin Meese was Ronald Reagan's top advisor from his gubernatorial days through the White House. He discusses Presidential power and how Congressional law applies-or doesn't apply-to the Chief Executive. Robert Bork, a Reagan nominee to the Supreme Court, discusses...
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"Order in the court! What do free speech, due process, freedom of assembly, and search and seizure have to do with our legal rights? Using engaging, age-appropriate language and colorful photos, readers decipher our nation's complex legal system and understand their rights under the law."--Provided by publisher.
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From minor infractions to identity theft and murder, this program sorts out categories of crimes and their severity, and lets viewers know what takes place during an arrest and arraignment. With input from prosecutors, police officers, and other experts, the video also discusses some fairly common scenarios and their constitutional parameters. Can a student's locker be searched without permission? When is evidence found without a warrant admissible...
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According to prime-time television, criminals are brought to justice in a speedy and efficient yet drama-filled manner. In reality, the process can be slow and meticulous, as rules must be followed to safeguard the defendant's constitutional rights. This program provides a solid grounding in the processes and players involved in the court system and takes viewers step-by-step through a trial and sentencing. Legal experts explain probable cause, plea...
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When the authors of the Constitution met in 1787, they could not possibly have imagined what the world would be like 200 years later. This program examines two controversies today that have become tests of the Constitution-the use of mandatory drug testing by companies and the establishment of widely-accessible "dossiers" of personal information on computers, which the Supreme Court has ruled are not protected by the Constitution.
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Returning home to find her two children and her Japanese-born husband gone, Regan Haight soon discovered that Japanese law and custom were heavily stacked against her. But Haight's isn't the only case in which the Japanese legal system is on the side of a kidnapper spouse. Australian Chayne Inaba has long battled for access to his daughter, to no avail. Craig Morrey first saw his daughter fleetingly in a courtroom when she was six months old. And...
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The Arabian Nights or A Thousand and One Nights has influenced world literature and enthralled readers for centuries. Its legend tells us that the beautiful Sheherezade prevented her own murder at the hands of a sultan by telling him a never-ending tale of adventure. This classic from the Middle East introduced us to Aladdin, Sinbad, and Ali Baba. This absorbing program from Ancient Mysteries examines the origins, impact, and mystery of this seminal...
12) The Law
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The law is a set of rules found in all organized societies. In the modern world, many key aspects of human existence are governed by laws: registration of births, school attendance, traffic, taxation, business, procreation, and the pronouncement of death. This program discusses the application of law to regulate human conduct, including the subject of global human rights. But can any international law successfully influence sovereign nations that...
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The ability to vote-to have a legal say in the affairs of America, large or small-is one of the greatest powers a U.S. citizen can have.and, too often, it's one of the most neglected. This program reemphasizes the value of universal suffrage through the stories of Amendments 15, 19, 23, 24, and 26, which, taken together, enfranchise citizens 18 years of age and older and forbid denying the vote on the basis of race, sex, locale, or tax arrears. Profiles...
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This program is an indispensable tool for helping students to understand the constitutional amendment process and to see its importance in their own lives. It defines what an amendment is, explains why amendments have been needed down through the centuries, and describes the process for proposing and ratifying an amendment. Amendments used as illustrations of the process of changing the Constitution have been carefully selected for their interest...
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This documentary film is a concise and captivating review of the legal battle waged by Dr. Henry Morgentaler in Quebec and federal courts between 1970 and 1976. Through a combination of newsreel footage, interviews, and dramatic reenactments (in which Dr. Morgentaler and his lawyer play themselves), this docudrama unravels the complexities of the case that began as a challenge to Canada's abortion law and turned into a precedent-setting civil rights...
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To many, worrying about constitutional rights seemed like an archaic luxury while Ground Zero was still smoking. The need for tighter homeland security made civil liberties take a back seat to urgent measures such as the USA PATRIOT Act designed to defend America from terrorists. But two years later, that piece of legislation came under fire from both the left and the right. In this ABC News program, Ted Koppel takes a hard look at the law with representatives...
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For 80 years, one legal organization has supported the rights of the individual against the majority and the government, igniting rage in conservatives and liberals alike. That organization is the ACLU, and it has virtually molded our national ideal of liberty. Its history reads like a case study of freedom of expression and minority rights in the 20th century. This program, with commentary from Oliver North, Dave Barry, and Molly Ivins, traces the...
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It upholds freedom of speech and religion, guarantees a free press, grants the right to keep and bear arms, preserves the right of trial by jury, establishes states' rights, and more. It's the Bill of Rights. This program presents the ten key Constitutional amendments that have defined the fundamental liberties that are the American birthright-and examines the controversies and challenges they have withstood. Correlates to all applicable state and...
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Dr. Martin Marty, a professor of the history of modern Christianity at the University of Chicago, and Leonard Levy, editor of The Encyclopedia of the American Constitution and a professor of humanities and history at the Claremont Graduate School in California, examine the legality of school prayer. The program also explores the issues of religious symbols on municipal property as well as tax-exempt status for religious institutions.
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For many teenagers in Mexico, heading across the U.S. border after high school is much more common than heading off to college. But as law enforcement continues to tighten security, that journey is growing more and more hazardous. Filmed on both sides of the border, this program briefly examines issues surrounding illegal immigration-particularly how much more a person can earn in America than in Mexico. Footage of a BORSTAR search-and-rescue officer...