The Pelican Brief
1º Summary
Two Supreme Court Judges has been murdered. Darby Shaw, a law student,
wrote a brief (The Pelican Brief) about the linking between the two
murders and Vitor Mattience, the owner of an oil company which wants
to build a factory in the Louisiana's Marshlands and also a close
fiend of the United States' President. Shaw gave the brief to his
teacher (and boyfriend) Thomas Callaham who gave it to a FBI lawyer
friend of him. Several days after Callaham is murdered by a bomb-car.
Shaw get scared because the bomb was thought to kill her too and run
away from New Orleans.
Meanwhile Gary Graham, a Washington Post journalist, knew about the
Pelican Brief from a lawyer, who used the nickname of Garcia, and
wrote an article about it.
Shaw read Graham's article and called him. While Shaw travelled among
all the East Coast of USA running away from killers she phoned several
times to Graham. Finally they met in New York City.
Both, Shaw and Graham wanted to publish the Pelican Brief but first
they needed to affirm the information of the brief with another
source. And this source could be Garcia so they began a search all
over Washington with only a photo of him and a few details of his
private life. Finally after quite a lot of time they found Garcia's
widow. He were killed few weeks ago in strange circumstances. Luckily
he left in a safe box an affidavit and a video which confirmed the
information of the brief.
While the Washington Post published the story, starting the biggest
crisis in the United States since Watergate, Shaw and Graham flew to
the Virgin Islands.
2º Description of the main character of the book: Darby Shaw.
Darby Shaw is a smart law student at Tulane Uni...
... middle of paper ...
...el, and this will take another three or four months." Chapter
thirty. P 255
Bankruptcy: The estate of a person who had been adjudged by a court to
be insolvent. "Yeah, I worked in the bankruptcy section on the eight
floor, and oil and gas covers half of eight and all of nine." Chapter
thirty-six. P 332 & 333.
Lawsuit: court case brought by one person or group against another.
"Tell Jackson Feldman the lawsuit will be filed at nine in the
morning, just as soon as the courthouse opens." Chapter forty-two. P
392.
Affidavit: A sworn written statement used mainly for supporting
applications and as evidence in court proceedings. The person who
makes it must swear that the contents are true before a person
authorised to take oaths.
"It was a four-page affidavit, typed real neat and sworn to under oath
before a notary public". Chapter Forty. P. 367.
Pagan writes a captivating story mingled with the challenges of the Eastern Shore legal system. This book gives a complete explanation backed up by research and similar cases as evidence of the ever-changing legal system. It should be a required reading for a history or law student.
Hall, Kermit L, eds. The Oxford guide to United States Supreme Court decisions New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
The Louisiana purchase was a very significant event in the United States of America that changed the country we live in today. Since, “1762, Spain had owned the territory of Louisiana, between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains” (Office of the Historian). This purchase led to many great things due to the French now having possession over it. Even though the French sold major land in the Louisiana Purchase, the money gained by France and the land acquired by America was a win for both sides of the deal.
Authors Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld founded the innocence project at a law school in New York City, which has assisted in the exoneration of an astonishing number of innocent individuals. As legal aid lawyers, they blithely engaged in conflicts that implicated
Fitzgerald, F S, and Matthew J. Bruccoli. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald: A New
Reading newspapers or watching TV at home, at least we find one article or news describing a killing, a shooting, or an armed robbery. With all these problems, we are in fear but cannot avoid hearing and dealing with them. They happen every day and some time justice system blunders and leads to wrongly convict people for what they do not commit. This is reality of wrecked system that is resulted by injustice and corruption. Ultimately, Errol Morris confirms this reality based on a true story of an innocent convicted Randal Adams for a criminal case by creating a film, The Thin Blue Line. David Harris, an important accuser, claims Adams was a murderer and shot Robert Wood, a Dallas police officer. With Morris’ suspicion of Adams’ innocence, he turns himself to be a detective movie director and investigates the criminal case that occurred in Dallas, Texas in 1976. His goal is to show that Adams was wrongly convicted and justice system was flawed. By using juxtaposition and recreations, Morris successfully contrasts Adams and Harris to show that Adams is innocent and Harris is guilty, intensifies distrust of the legality in Adams’ wrong conviction to prove a flawed legal system, and evinces the eye witnesses are discreditable.
Remy, Richard C., Gary E. Clayton, and John J. Patrick. "Supreme Court Cases." Civics Today. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe, 2008. 796. Print.
The backdrop of Louisiana acquisition accompanied with the advent of the 17th century. As France scrutinized the Mississippi river rambling adjustment of the region took place. As the 18th century advanced France overcame the existing day United Sates of America than any other region of the European country (U.S., 2016). All the while the French and Indian War France abandon French Louisiana, Mississippi river of Spain and with advancing time they handed over the existing ownership to the Britain. The Louisiana acquisition was originally the deal of land between two enormous countries United States of America and France. In 1803, the accord of and took place between both the countries. The deal
The Louisiana Purchase was the largest land transaction for the United States, and the most important event of President Jefferson's presidency. Jefferson arranged to purchase the land for $11,250,000 from Napoleon in 1803. This land area lay between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. The purchase of this land greatly increased the economic resources of the United States, and proved Jefferson had expansionist dreams by doubling the size of the United States. Jefferson believed that the republic must be controlled by ambitious, independent, property-holding farmers, who would form the incorruptible bedrock of democracy (LaFeber 179). In order to complete his vision the country needed more land.
Coined in 1845 by journalist John L. O'sullivan the term Manifest Destiny outlined the idea that it was America's God given right to spread to the western territory bought in the Louisiana Purchase and beyond. Already swept up in the excitement of expansion, the people of America took up the term quickly, using it as yet another incentive to populate new lands in pursuit of riches. Manifest Destiny was used often to give reason to the nation’s imperialistic activities of conquering the west, including its justification for the war against Mexico in 1845- 1848. (Acuna 222, 226). America's desire for economic power and military prowess, as well as her wish to keep up with ever-expanding technology pushed her people west, with O'sullivan's Manifest
To buy or not to buy, that is the question. Although it was the greatest “real estate” deal, the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was perhaps one of the most controversial events in American History. President Thomas Jefferson, although he was a Founding Father and the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, faced major opposition with his decision to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French. Most of the opposition he faced, however, was domestic.
Smolowe, JillWillwerth, James. "Waiting For The Verdicts." Time 142.26 (1993): 48. MAS Ultra - School Edition.
The trial of O.J Simpson, an infamous case that had america glued to their Tv’s. Tensions were high as 11 months passed as the verdict was nearing. The case goes as following, O.J was accused of the murder of his ex wife Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman. On June 13, 1994 Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman were found dead around midnight near the entryway of Nicole’s apartment complex. The crime was heinous for the times and took America by storm. With O.J being a famous main suspect, the media wanted to give as much insight about the trial to the people watching at home and the first amendment gives them that right to gather intel. At first the media was not allowed to share what was happening in the trial. But later on, judge Ito later gave the media permission to cover the trial as long as the media does not disclose the insight of the grand jury. To coincide with this, the media wanted access to the preliminary hearings. Several news organizations requested access to photographs of the crime and transcripts of conferences held in the judge’s office. A lot of this information was sensitive material that was still being decided upon whether to reveal to the jury, but the media still wanted to have
Lailiberte, Joshua. Life or Death. 20 April 1999. Justice For All. 19 April 2001. www.prodeathpenalty.com .
The lead investigator was Tom Agnos. He, nor anybody in the state, had ever had to process such a terrible and devastating crime against humanity. According...