Exposure interlock for oscilloscope cameras

An exposure interlock has been developed for oscilloscope cameras which cuts off ambient light from the oscilloscope screen before the shutter of the camera is tripped. A flap is provided which may be selectively positioned to an open position which enables viewing of the oscilloscope screen and a closed position which cuts off the oscilloscope screen from view and simultaneously cuts off ambient light from the oscilloscope screen. A mechanical interlock is provided between the flap to be activated to its closed position before the camera shutter is tripped, thereby preventing overexposure of the film

Hyperbola-generator for location of aperiodic events

Plotting device, when used in conjunction with three or more detectors and local receiver and recorder, can quickly pinpoint location of any aperiodic event. Operation requires minimal training and is readily adapted to the field. Mechanical error in device prototype is less than or equal to 3 percent

Coupled mode effects on energy transfer in weakly coupled, two-temperature plasmas

The effects of collective modes on the temperature relaxation in fully ionized, weakly coupled plasmas are investigated. A coupled mode (CM) formula for the electron-ion energy transfer is derived within the random phase approximation and it is shown how it can be evaluated using standard methods. The CM rates are considerably smaller than rates based on Fermi's golden rule for some parameters and identical for others. It is shown how the CM effects are connected to the occurrence of ion acoustic modes and when they occur. Interestingly, CM effects occur also for plasmas with very high electron temperatures; a regime, where the Landau–Spitzer approach is believed to be accurate

Municipal Police Power in Washington State

Local governments in Washington State have enjoyed strong regulatory powers since the state\u27s constitution was adopted in 1889. Those police powers initially focused on the protection of public health and safety, but broadened in the early twentieth century to encompass the protection of consumers and employees and the promotion of the general welfare. The Supreme Court of Washington sparingly applied substantive due process as a brake on the police power and promptly dropped that doctrine when the U.S. Supreme Court ceased its use in the 1930s. However, the vocabulary of substantive due process lived on in state court opinions defining the inherent nature and scope of the police power. Furthermore, substantive due process has been resurrected as a constitutional doctrine in a narrow group of land use cases—an unnecessary revival given the built-in limits on local regulatory activities

Washington: The Past and Present Populist State

Describes the impact of the late-nineteenth century populist movement on the structure and content of Washington’s constitution and the consequential impact on the state’s political and legal life. Suggests that the anti-business attitudes and skepticism about government prevalent among Washington State residents in the 1880s and 1890s, continues to influence that state\u27s constitution, laws and politics today.https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/faculty-chapters/1020/thumbnail.jp

Reasoning v. Rhetoric: The Strange Case of “Unconstitutional Beyond a Reasonable Doubt”

An odd formulation has frequented American constitutional discourse for 125 years: a declaration that courts should not overturn a statute on constitutional grounds unless it is “unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt.” This concept has been thought of as a presumption, a standard, a doctrine, or a philosophy of coordinate branch respect and judicial restraint. Yet it has been criticized because “beyond a reasonable doubt” is at root an evidentiary standard of proof in criminal cases rather than a workable theory or standard for deciding constitutional law cases. This article discusses the history and use of “unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt,” which was famously promoted by Harvard professor James Bradley Thayer in 1893. The formulation never gained much traction at the United States Supreme Court, but its use spread widely at the state level. This analysis focuses on that state court usage, concentrating on the past twenty years. The article presents empirical data on the application of “unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt” in state supreme court decisions starting in 2000, observing that while its use is geographically random, it is applied mostly in civil cases and overwhelmingly in opinions upholding statutes. It shows how some state courts have picked up the formulation and then abandoned it, while in other jurisdictions it was absent and then suddenly appeared. Few state court decisions have consciously analyzed whether Thayer’s concept makes sense. But the concept continues to be used as a rhetorical device to communicate with coordinate branches of government and to provide institutional cover when an appellate court resolves a controversial case. What “unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt” does not do is serve as a working doctrine or presumption. This article concludes—as others have concluded—that the idea should be eliminated from judicial discourse because it does not help judges decide cases. It can mislead both lawyers and the public or appear disingenuous and reduce respect for the judiciary. Consequently, courts would do well to say what they mean and drop any pretense that “unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt” is a real standard

A Survey of the Washington Industrial and Safety Act’s First Months of Operation

The still brief existence of the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA)\u27 has not begun to yield a full view of its operations, effects, strengths and weaknesses. But a look at the preliminary data compiled by the Division of Industrial Safety and Health of Washington\u27s Department of Labor and Industries does give one an idea of the shape that the Act\u27s enforcement will take, as well as its effect on the business and working communities.\u27 This comment will provide a brief overview of Washington\u27s early experience with the Act, based on statistics and interviews with the individuals responsible for carrying out the statute\u27s mandates

Why Lawyers Have Often Worn Strange Clothes, Claimed to Work for Free--and Been Hated

Why have lawyers and judges always adorned themselves in ancient regalia? Obviously, they must symbolically transform themselves from private individuals into law speakers for the community. They become tools of a longstanding legal system, and special clothes offer clues to others (and reminders to themselves) that they have special responsibilities, both to their clients and to the community at large. The retro clothes that lawyers and judges wear also remind everyone that law is old that it isn\u27t meant to change rapidly, and that it offers stability and predictability in a changing world

Court Rulemaking in Washington State

Reviews the history and approach to court rule making in Washington State. Critiques the Washington Supreme Court’s weakening of the Judicial Council and the Court’s assumption of control of aspects of rulemaking that might better be handled by a Judicial Council or the Legislature