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Chapter 4 - Adjudications

Due Process

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Types of Due Process

Substantive Due Process refers to limits on what government can regulate Federal - commerce clause, national security

powers, foreign affairs State - police powers

Procedural Due Process refers to the procedures by which government may affect individuals’ rights.

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Takings Review

What is a "taking"? What due process is involved? What about compensation? How is compensation measured? What is a regulatory taking?

Why are these a hot topic in land use? What are the consequences of forcing the state to pay

for any diminished value caused by regulation? Should the owner pay the state if regulation enhances

property values?

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Accidental Deprivations

Assume the postman runs over your dog or the forest service accidentally burns down your home Have you suffered a taking? Are these due process deprivations? Why?

What if the government repeatedly forgets to give mental patients a hearing before committing them? Is this different?

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Rights v. Privileges - History

In 1940 a city fires a policeman because the police chief heard a rumor that the policeman had accepted free coffee and doughnuts from a shop on his beat. Due process violation?

Did not need to provide due process for not granting or for terminating a government benefit

Government benefits were construed broadly - going to a state college You could condition these with restrictions that would

otherwise be impermissible Bitter with the Sweet Doctrine

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Goldberg

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Employment Hearings

Only government employees have constitutional rights to a hearing and due process State rights are defined by the state law, not the

US constitution, and can be broader than the US rights

States cannot provide less than the US Constitutional minimum due process

States can create rights to employment due process for private employers

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Boards of Regents v Roth

What were the terms of the contract? Why did he claim he was fired?

Is this before the court? What process did he want? Did the university claim he had done anything

wrong? Could this have changed the result?

Did he get the hearing?

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Perry v. Sinderman

Facts Taught for 10 years University policy was to not fire without cause

after 7 years Fired without cause

What process did he want? What did the court think? Why was the university policy critical?

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Are medical and legal licenses new property?

What due process rights would you expect if the state were revoking your license to practice?

Would you expect the same rights if the state did not let you take the bar exam?

What does this tell you about your conduct before you are licensed?

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New Property v. Old Property

How do these cases create the "new property" How are the rights different for new property

versus old property? What if I take your medical license, versus taking

your land? What if I abolish your job or your welfare

entitlement? How strong is the notion of new property?

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LA Law Note - Title 49, Chapter 13, §961. Licenses

C. No revocation, suspension, annulment, or withdrawal of any license is lawful unless, prior to the institution of agency proceedings, the agency gives notice by mail to the licensee of facts or conduct which warrant the intended action, and the licensee is given an opportunity to show compliance with all lawful requirements for the retention of the license. If the agency finds that public health, safety, or welfare imperatively requires emergency action, and incorporates a finding to that effect in its order, summary suspension of a license may be ordered pending proceedings for revocation or other action. These proceedings shall be promptly instituted and determined.

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Melissa I

Melissa is charged with plagiarism, which can result in expulsion from the (state) law school

What is the purpose of granting her a hearing? What issues should she raise? What should the school present to support its case as

the moving party? What is the value of the record of the hearing?

Should she get a hearing? What about cancelling her scholarship without a hearing?

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Melissa II

Melissa admits she plagiarized, but claims extenuating circumstances.

Thinking about the reasons for a hearing from Melissa I, how are these factors changed by her admission? How has the burden of proof shifted? Is there any factual dispute to resolve?

What does Codd v. Velger, 429 U.S. 624 (1977) (suicidal policeman) tell us? Why? Why does it matter whether there is a fixed or

discretionary punishment?

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Liberty Interests

What is a liberty interest? What are examples? How is a liberty interest like a property interest? What is the taking analog for liberty interests?

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Wisconsin v. Constantineau, 400 U.S. 433 (1971)

A state law required the posting of the names of “public drunkards” at places where alcoholic beverages Did Paul concede that he was a drunkard? What were the provisions for challenging being

on the list? What did the United States Supreme Court hold? How does this differ from Connecticut Dept. of

Public Safety?

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Paul v. Davis, 424 U.S. 693 (1976)

The sheriff gave out a list of "active shoplifters," including persons who had not been convicted

How did the court distinguish Constantineau? How was the effect on the plaintiff different in this

case? What did Rehnquist say was his remedy if the

characterization was incorrect? What are the limits of such a remedy?

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Siegert v. Gilley, 500 U.S. 226 (1991)

Defamatory job recommendations from government employer

Fired at new (government) job Not a constitutional violation

Why not? What link between the firing and the reputational injury

was the court looking for when it created the "stigma plus" category?

What was plaintiff's remedy?

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Melissa III

Melissa was charged with plagiarism but was not provided any due process protections.

Fearful of a lawsuit, the law school did not expel her, but upon her graduation it sent a letter to the State Board of Bar Examiners informing the Board that Melissa had “engaged in plagiarism in Legal Writing during her first year.”

Have her due process rights been violated under Siegert? Is this fair? What is her remedy?

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Melissa IV

In this case, the school expels her without due process and puts an entry on her transcript that she “engaged in plagiarism in Legal Writing during her first year.”

Has Melissa been deprived of liberty by the damage to her reputation?

Is a note on the transcript equal to publication? Why does this matter?

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Codd v. Velger, 429 U.S. 624 (1977) , Revisited

Because he was a probationary employee, he had no property interest in continued employment (Codd, round one), but he claimed that the inclusion of this allegation in his personnel file damaged his reputation and made it impossible for him to find other employment as a policeman. What did the Appeals Court find about information

contained in a personal file? Why didn't the court say that the plaintiff could just

request that the file not be forwarded to a new employer?

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Perverts R Us WWW sites: Connecticut Dept. of Public Safety v. Doe, 538 U.S. 1 (2003)

State is going to list all persons convicted of a list of sexually related crimes on a public registry What does plaintiff want a hearing on before he is

listed? What is this a relevant factual inquiry?

What did the court find? Why isn't this an additional punishment? (Hint -

Kansas v. Hendricks) If you were writing the opinion, where would you argue

that plaintiff got his due process? (Also see: Smith v. Doe, 123 S.Ct. 1140 (2003)

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Homeland Security and the CIA

One of the big fights over the Homeland Security Bill its limitation of employee hearing rights Security agency personnel are subject to firing without

stated cause and get no hearing. The Homeland Security Act extends the definition of a

national security job to many more employees, who thus lose civil service protection

Why do this? Is this a good idea?

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Job Security in Public Workplaces

What is the traditional trade-off between a public job and a private job?

How can job security for government employees hurt the general public?

What has been the trend for job security in private employment?

What is the cost of reducing job security for public employees?