Oklahoma City University School of Law » The Gavel

Oklahoma’s “Open Carry” Bill Signed Into Law

tgatton — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:19:57 +0000

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed Senate Bill 1733 into law today and it will go into effect November 1. The Senate voted 33-10 in favor of the bill, while the House passed it with a margin of 85-3 earlier in May. This bill, known to many as the Open Carry Bill, would allow those who are licensed to carry a firearm under the Oklahoma Self Defense Act to openly carry that weapon or choose to conceal it. The bill would also permit property owners to openly carry a firearm on his or her own property without having a concealed carry permit. Individuals wishing to receive a license under the Oklahoma Self Defense Act would need to successfully complete an approved firearms safety and training course and submit to a background check by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Felons and those convicted of certain misdemeanors would not be able to receive the license. To review the license procedures, click here.

Senate Bill 1733 would still prohibit firearms on government properties, educational institutions, liquor stores, and at sporting events. Additionally, other businesses would be able to prohibit firearms on their property if they chose to do so.

The John Edwards Trial: What Does “the purpose” Mean?

tgatton — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:06:58 +0000

Former North Carolina senator and presidential candidate John Edwards is currently on trial in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. According to the indictment, Edwards is charged with violation of federal campaign finance laws for a conspiracy to divert hundreds of thousands of dollars from two campaign contributors to hide his extramarital affair and his pregnant mistress. The statute of which Edwards is accused of violating, 2 U.S.C. 431 (8) (A) (i), states that the term “contribution” encompasses “any gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money or anything of value made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office…”

According to ABC News, Edwards’ attorneys are expected to argue the meaning of “the purpose,” suggesting that in order to obtain a conviction, the only reason for using the money would have been to finance Edwards’ presidential campaign. The prosecution, however, would like the court to interpret that phrase as meaning “a purpose,” so the money obtained would not need to have been used on just Edwards’ campaign in order for Edwards to be found guilty.

How have the courts defined this term? The Law Library has several resources for investigating this issue! The Words and Phrases volumes of the Oklahoma Digest (Lower Level South), which lists words and phrases defined by Oklahoma courts, had no entry for the phrase “the purpose.” Neither did the Words and Phrases volumes of the Federal Practice Digest 4th (Lower Level North), which covers the most recent judicially defined terms from federal courts. However, the Federal Practice Digest 3d (Lower Level North) did contain a definition from the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, in the 1986 case of U.S. v. Vest, 639 F.Supp. 899 (D. Mass.1986). The Reference Wing has West’s Words and Phrases, which covers 1658-present, so that would be another good option for finding out how the court has defined a particular term.

If you want to know how the courts have interpreted other words or phrases, remember to look in the Words and Phrases volumes, or ask a reference librarian for assistance.

Graduation Weekend and Interim Hours

jewatson — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:25:42 +0000

The law library will be open alternate hours until May 20:

Graduation Weekend (May 11-13)

Friday (May 11) 7:30am-9pm
Saturday (May 12) 9am-6pm
Sunday (May 13) 12pm- 8pm

Interim Hours (May 14-19)

Monday-Friday (May 14-18) 7:30am-9pm
Saturday (May 19) 9am-9pm

Regular Summer Hours begin May 20:

Monday-Thursday 7:30am-9pm
Friday 8am-5pm
Saturday CLOSED
Sunday 12pm-9pm

More information about library hours is available on the Library Hours page.

Motion to Dismiss Denied in Broken Arrow Casino Suit

tgatton — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:24:47 +0000

A federal judge ruled last week that Kailegee Tribal Town, a tribe trying to build a casino in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, cannot use sovereign immunity as an argument for dismissing the lawsuit filed by the state of Oklahoma. The State of Oklahoma filed suit on February 8, 2012 to stop Tiger Hobia, Town King of the Kialegee Tribal Town, Florence Development Partners, LLC, and the Kailegee Tribal Town from building a casino in the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow. The State charged that the defendants were in violation of the Gaming Compact between the State and the Kialegee Tribal Town as well as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701-2721). Hobia and the Kialegee Tribal Town argued that they are protected by sovereign immunity, that the court did not have Article III jurisdiction because the State did not have the standing to bring suit, and that the present controversy was not ripe for judicial review. U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Frizzell denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss. To read the case in its entirety, click here.

New books for April 2012

nndeberry — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:27:47 +0000

The Law Library acquired over 25 new books during the month of April. Many of these items can be found in the New Books section of the Reference Wing (1 North). For a complete list of the new acquisitions, click here.

Tweet with caution

tgatton — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:44:22 +0000

Can your Tweets be subpoenaed?

A judge in New York ruled that they can be. According to an April 24^th blog post from The New York Times, a criminal court judge in Manhattan held that writer Malcolm Harris did not have standing to oppose the subpoena from the Manhattan District Attorney seeking three months of old messages on Harris’ Twitter feed. Twitter’s policies state that the company has “a worldwide, non-exclusive royalty-free” authority to reveal the public messages. Harris was arrested during an Occupy Wall Street march and prosecutors feel that Harris’ old tweets might be inconsistent with his trial defense. You can read the opinion here.

Oklahoma courts have not yet addressed this issue, but as Twitter gains in popularity and people continue tweeting about the details of their lives, this may indeed come up in other jurisdictions.

Twenty-three students earn Certificate of Accomplishment in Legal Research Skills this semester

tgatton — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:17:18 +0000

This semester, twenty-three students earned the Certificate of Accomplishment in Legal Research Skills! Students attended a wide variety of sessions, ranging from the mandatory Legal Information Literacy to Fact Finding on the Internet. Students were also able to earn points by participating in one of the Law Library’s Brown Bag Lunch sessions, attending a class (other than first-year Legal Research and Writing and the upper-level Advanced Legal Research courses) when a law librarian presented information, or having a law librarian speak at a student organization meeting. For more information about the Certificate of Accomplishment in Legal Research Skills, click here.

The following students completed the Certificate this semester:

Youngwoo Ban

Colin Barrett

Christopher Bertels

David Burge

Kerry Green

David Hammer

Erick Harris

Robert Henderson

Caitlin Irwin

Terrence Johnson

Sarah Kujawa

Megan Leger

Sandra Magar

Alisha Mehrhoff

Chau Phan

Sara Potts

Jace Powell

Austin Proctor

Michelle Roller

Alexandra Rupp

Paulina Thompson

Travis Weedn

Monica Ybarra-Bennett

Congratulations to everyone! Pictured below are some of the students who earned the Certificate in the fall and spring semesters.

Free Coffee during finals

jewatson — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:49:21 +0000

The law library will provide complimentary coffee six days during finals:

Sunday, April 29
Monday, April 30
Wednesday, May 2
Sunday, May 6
Monday, May 7
Wednesday, May 9

Reference and Student Services Librarian Tim Gatton will provide cookies Sunday, April 29!

Learn more about Justice Sandra Day O’Connor!

tgatton — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:26:52 +0000

On Tuesday, April 24th at 2:30 PM, retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will be speaking in the Homsey Family Moot Courtroom. The Law Library has a display in the Reference Wing devoted to Justice O’Connor. Find out more about our nation’s first female Supreme Court Justice by checking out the materials in the display!

Certificate Class: Fact Finding on the Internet

tgatton — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:47:51 +0000

We will be offering one last session this semester for the Certificate of Accomplishment in Legal Research Skills on Sunday, April 22nd at 1 PM in the Homsey Small Computer Lab. The class is “Fact Finding on the Internet.” Students may sign up for training sessions through TWEN. This session is worth four points toward the certificate and is open to all students. To sign up for training sessions:

Sign in to Westlaw at http://lawschool.westlaw.com.
Select the TWEN link on the top of the page
Select “Add A Course”
From the list select the course “Legal Research Skills Certificate”
Click the “Submit” button on the bottom of the page.
You will be redirected to your course list
Again, select the course “Legal Research Skills Certificate”
Select the “Sign-up sheets” link on the left hand column
Choose the course you would like to attend
Choose the time and select “Sign Up”

Please visit the Certificate’s webpage or email Timothy Gatton at tgatton@okcu.edu.

Spring Finals Study Room Reservations

jewatson — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:07:03 +0000

From Monday, April 23 through Thursday, May 10 the OCU Law Library Reserved Study Room policy is in effect.

When can I make reservations?

Study room reservations are available from April 23 through May10, 2012 during the exam reading period and finals week. Room Reservations begin April 23, 2012. Starting on April 23 you will be able to make reservations up to one week in advance.

Where do I make reservations?

Reservations can be made on the Study Room Reservations website.

Which rooms can be reserved?

7 study rooms are available for reservation: LL-1, LL-2, and LL-3 in the LL South wing, 169 and 170 in the 1 South wing, and 233 and 234 on the 2nd floor (just outside Faculty Support Services).

How do I make reservations?

Watch the Study Room Reservations Tutorial for detailed information on how to reserve a room. Don’t have time for the video? The full instructions are written out on the Study Room Reservations website.

How do I know if the room or time slot I want is available?

Check our availability chart to see if a room is available at a certain time.

What if I get an error message or it won’t let me make my reservation?

Our reservation software is only compatible with a few web browsers. Please use Internet Explorer when placing your reservation. If you continue to have problems, feel free to visit the circulation desk where we will be happy to place your reservation.

Earth Day Display!

tgatton — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:22:10 +0000

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 and is celebrated on April 22nd each year. Its purpose is to promote environmental awareness. The Oklahoma City University Law Library currently has a display across from the Circulation Desk that contains just some of the many items from our collection that cover environmental law and environmental issues. For more resources, just perform a search on the Law Library Catalog! To read more about Earth Day, click here.

Severe Weather Preparedness at the Law Library

nndeberry — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:56:46 +0000

Oklahoma’s severe weather season is upon us. The Law Library routinely monitors the weather situation and will inform patrons when severe weather is near. However, dangerous weather situations can develop rapidly. It is important to stay informed and alert in case of a weather emergency.

Just a reminder:

Tornado Watch: Conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms producing tornadoes in and close to the watch area in the next 12 hours. Stay alert of current weather conditions and be prepared to take cover if necessary.

Tornado Warning: Radar or satellite indication and/or reliable spotter reports of a tornado in the area. Take cover immediately.

In the event of a Tornado Warning, take cover in the the Lower Level lobby of Gold Star. You may use the TV in the Lower Level lounge to monitor the weather situation.

For more information on current weather conditions, watches, and warnings, click here to visit the National Weather Service website for this area.

To learn more about tornadoes and tornado preparedness visit the National Weather Service’s tornado fact page by clicking here.

East entrance open again!

jewatson — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:18:50 +0000

The east entrance to the Goldstar building is open again. No more taking the long way around!

As before, this door will be unlocked from the opening of the circulation desk (7:30 am Monday through Friday, 9am on Saturday, and Noon on Sunday) until 9pm each night. After 9pm law students, staff, and faculty may enter the building through the west doors using their StarCards.

New books for March 2012

nndeberry — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:14:08 +0000

The Law Library acquired 54 new books during the month of March. Most of these items can be found in the new books section of 1 North. For a complete list of the new acquisitions, click here.

Library Week Survey

jewatson — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:18:34 +0000

Want a chance to win the Library Week 2012 Grand Prize? Just complete our mini-survey!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

Library Week Contests!

nndeberry — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:37:28 +0000

Library week is April 9-13! Make sure to participate in any of our 4 contests for a chance to win our grand prize, a study room stocked with snacks.

1. The Annual M&M Contest. Visit the circulation desk and guess how many M&M’s are in the jar. You have a chance to win the M&Ms, and you get an entry for the grand prize!

2. Twitter Treats. Follow us on @OCULawLibrary, and you can gather clues to find the location of prizes hidden in the library. If you find the twitter treat, bring your raffle ticket to the circulation desk to be entered into the grand prize raffle.

3. Legal Movie Trivia. Each day, Reference Librarian Timothy Gatton will email law students a legal movie trivia question. Each law student who emails the correct answer totgatton@okcu.edu will be entered to win the grand prize raffle, and the first person to respond will receive a small prize.

4. Crossword Puzzle. At the beginning of the week, law students will be emailed a crossword puzzle about the library and librarians. Print copies will also be available in the first floor lobby of the library. Any law student who fills out the crossword and brings it to the circulation desk will be entered in the grand prize raffle.

Only law students are eligible to win prizes.

Easter Weekend Law Library Hours

jewatson — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:41:24 +0000

The library will be closing at noon on Friday, April 6. Per the 24 Hour Access Policy, “Law students and other visitors will not have access to the Gold Star Building during inclement weather and other campus-wide closures.” The Dulaney-Browne Library will be open until 7pm on Friday if you would like to study on campus.

The library will be open regular hours on Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8.

It’s almost Library Week!

jewatson — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:39:47 +0000

National Library Week is an annual celebration sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA). The OCU Law Library is celebrating with free coffee April 6-14!

Law students will also be eligible to enter a raffle for a guaranteed study room for one night (6pm to 10pm) of their choosing during the finals period (April 23 – May 10). The study room will be stocked with cookies and soda and the winner will also get a free Endangered Libraries t-shirt. To enter the raffle, law students can enter various contests.

Watch The Gavel or follow @OCULawLibrary on twitter for more information as Library Week draws near!

Course Registration and Demerits

jewatson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:00:20 +0000

Registration is coming and the library wants to be sure you are ready to go! Before you begin to register for classes, log in to your library account to see if you have any lost books on your account. When a books is more than 30 days overdue it is marked as lost, an email is sent to your campus email, and a hold is placed on your student account. A hold on your account blocks you from enrolling in classes. Demerits are NOT linked to your student account and will not prevent you from enrolling in classes.

To see if you have a library hold on your account, you can contact the Student Accounts office at 405-208-5858 during regular business hours or log in to the Law Library Catalog any time using your B number and last name. If you have a lost book it will be listed under Charged Items with a status of “Lost –Library Applied”.

You can have the hold removed by returning the lost item to the circulation desk. If the item is truly lost, you will need to speak to a circulation librarian. For more information about circulation policies, visit the Law Student Library Guide.

If you have any questions about the lost book policy or library holds, please visit the circulation desk or email Circulation Library Jenny Watson or Assistant Circulation Librarian Natalie DeBerry.