Environmental Crimes: The Boom in Busting Corporations and Their Responsible Officers

After detailing the recent increase in environmental prosecutions, this article discusses the criminal provisions of the major federal environmental acts and discusses recent legislative efforts to strengthen those provisions even further. Those efforts include the addition of knowing endangerment violations, the adoption of sentencing guidelines for environmental crimes and corporate offenders, the passage of the Criminal Fine Improvements Act and the Pollution Prosecution Act, and the, as yet, unsuccessful attempts to pass the Environmental Crimes Act. Finally, this article examines the recent trend that the regulated community finds the most troubling: prosecutors\u27 largely successful efforts to extend the responsible corporate officer doctrine, which arose under strict liability misdemeanor statutes, to felony environmental statutes requiring a violator in most instances to act knowingly

Montana\u27s Unique Writ of Supervisory Control

This article explores the history of the Montana Supreme Court\u27s unique writ of supervisory control, which dates back to the infamous War of the Copper Kings in Butte, Montana. The article also examines the steps the Court has taken to clarify the law of supervisory control in Rule 14(3) of the new Montana Rules of Appellate Procedure, which went into effect in October 2007, and expressly states for the first time the circumstances under which the writ will issue

Montana\u27s Unique Writ of Supervisory Control

This article explores the history of the Montana Supreme Court\u27s unique writ of supervisory control, which dates back to the infamous War of the Copper Kings in Butte, Montana. The article also examines the steps the Court has taken to clarify the law of supervisory control in Rule 14(3) of the new Montana Rules of Appellate Procedure, which went into effect in October 2007, and expressly states for the first time the circumstances under which the writ will issue

Once Upon a Time in the West: Citizens United, Caperton, and the War of the Copper Kings

This article examines the Montana Supreme Court decision in Western Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Attorney General which upheld Montana’s long standing Corrupt Practices Act banning corporate contributions in judicial elections in the wake of Citizens United v. FEC. The author notes that Montana’s continued effort to restrict independent corporate expenditures in campaigns for elected office is rooted in the State’s history of corrupt elections, which took place at the turn of the twentieth century. The article first details the extent of that corruption. The article next analyzes Citizens United and how it’s sweeping conclusions about independent campaign expenditures and corruption conflict with the way the Court treated those same expenditures a year earlier in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co. The article then discusses Western Tradition Partnership. The author argues that even if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Montana’s statute as a whole, the Court should use American Tradition Partnership to revisit the issue of independent corporate expenditures in judicial elections and reconsider at least that aspect of Citizens United

Purely the Creature of the Inventive Genius of the Court : State ex rel. Whiteside and the Creation and Evolution of the Montana Supreme Court\u27s Unique and Controversial Writ of Supervisory Control

Montana\u27s Writ of Supervisory Contro

Purely the Creature of the Inventive Genius of the Court : State ex rel. Whiteside and the Creation and Evolution of the Montana Supreme Court\u27s Unique and Controversial Writ of Supervisory Control

Montana\u27s Writ of Supervisory Contro

The Role of Macroeconomic Fundamentals in the Determination of House Prices

This paper attempts to explain the variance of housing prices as a function of macroeconomic fundamentals. The analysis is based on data from six advanced countries. The sample range is from 2001-2012. A panel regression procedure is applied to the data set. The findings suggest that house prices can be interpreted as a function of macroeconomic variables. These macroeconomic variables include percentage real GDP growth, the current account and first differences in the current account as a percent of GDP, first differences in the imbalance between investment and savings, and the public debt as a percent of GDP

Design of Deployable Optical Space Arrays Based on a Thickened Origami Flasher Pattern

Performance of space-based optics could be greatly enhanced by using deployable origami-based arrays, which can offer a large aperture size relative to their stowed volume when compared to traditional technology, thus improving imaging quality. In this work, we select, develop, and adapt the origami flasher pattern to serve as the foundation for a deployable array that shows promise for meeting stringent optical requirements. We apply a novel thickness accommodation technique, improve stability by adjusting geometric characteristics of the pattern, and create an array of frames for housing optical elements in a co-planar configuration. By following the guidelines in this work, more efficient and powerful optical arrays can be developed

Design of 3D-Printed Titanium Compliant Mechanisms

This paper describes 3D-printed titanium compliant mechanisms for aerospace applications. It is meant as a primer to help engineers design compliant, multi-axis, printed parts that exhibit high performance. Topics covered include brief introductions to both compliant mechanism design and 3D printing in titanium, material and geometry considerations for 3D printing, modeling techniques, and case studies of both successful and unsuccessful part geometries. Key findings include recommended flexure geometries, minimum thicknesses, and general design guidelines for compliant printed parts that may not be obvious to the first time designer