Law Library Bulletin

October 2018 Issue 2, Vol. 4 This Month in Legal History: Amityville Trial Began

On October 14, 1975, Ronald DeFeo Jr. went on trial for the killings of his parents and four siblings in their Amityville, New York home. The family’s house was later said to be haunted and served as the inspiration for the Amityville Horror book *Courthouse will be closed on Monday, and movies. October 8, 2018 in observance of Columbus Day. On the evening of November 13, 1974, Ronald “Butch” DeFeo Jr. entered an New IICLE Arrivals: Amityville bar and told people his parents Business Bankruptcy Practice, 2018 edition had been shot inside their home. Several bar patrons accompanied DeFeo back to his Continuing Legal Education family’s home, at 112 Ocean Avenue, Here is a free online Continuing Legal where a man named Joe Yeswit called Education opportunity: Suffolk Country police to report the crime. When officers arrived, they found the How to Select and Prepare an Expert bodies of Ronald DeFeo Sr., age 43, his Witness wife Louise, 42, and their children Dawn, The right expert can play as big a role in 18, Allison, 13, Marc, 11, and John, 9. The winning your case as the facts and the law. victims had been shot dead in their beds. The wrong expert can bring agonizing, Ronald DeFeo Jr., 22, initially tried to say embarrassing disaster. This program the murders were a mob hit; however, by addresses five concepts: (i) using the expert the next day he confessed to committing the to build a better case, (ii) the expert as a crimes himself. teacher/narrator, (iii) choosing the right expert, (iv) working with the expert, and (v) One aspect of the case that puzzled cross-examining the expert. investigators was the fact that all six victims appeared to have died in their sleep, without Approved for 1.00 hour of Professional struggle, and neighbors didn’t hear any Responsibility gunshots, despite the fact that the rifle Go to: DeFeo used didn’t have a silencer. When http://pcam.mcleboard.org/publicui/(S(rsnga DeFeo’s trial began in October 1975, his zpmmgcqyswcqdge0ner))/Courses/CourseD attorney argued for an insanity defense; etail.aspx?id=308390 however, that November, he was found guilty of six counts of second-degree and later sentenced to six consecutive sentences of 25 years to life in prison. DeFeo, who gave conflicting Prohibition, which outlawed the brewing accounts of his story over the years, later and distribution of alcohol and lasted from claimed his sister Dawn and two other 1920 to 1933, proved extremely lucrative accomplices were involved in the murders. for bootleggers and gangsters like Capone, who raked in millions from his underworld The DeFeo house was sold to George Lutz, activities. Capone was at the top of the who moved in with his wife and three F.B.I.’s “Most Wanted” list by 1930, but he children in December 1975. The new avoided long stints in jail until 1931 by owners resided in the house for 28 days, bribing city officials, intimidating before they fled, claiming it was haunted by witnesses, and maintaining various the spirits of the DeFeo family. Critics hideouts. He became Chicago’s crime accused George Lutz of concocting the kingpin by wiping out his competitors story to make money, but he maintained he through a series of gangland battles and was telling the truth. In 1977, slayings, including the infamous St. published a novel titled The Amityville Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929, when Horror. The book became a best-seller and Capone’s men gunned down seven rivals. inspired a 1979 movie of the same name, as This event helped raise Capone’s notoriety well as a 2005 remake. to a national level.

Source: https://www.history.com/this-day- Among Capone’s enemies was federal agent in-history/trial-begins-in-amityville- Elliot Ness, who led a team of officers murders known as “The Untouchables” because they couldn’t be corrupted. Ness and his men This Month in Legal History: Capone routinely broke up Capone’s bootlegging Sent to Prison businesses, but it was tax-evasion charges that finally stuck and landed Capone in On October 17, 1931, gangster Al prison in 1931. Capone began serving his Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison time at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, but for tax evasion and fined $80,000, signaling amid accusations that he was manipulating the downfall of one of the most notorious the system and receiving cushy treatment, criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. he was transferred to the maximum-security lockup at Alcatraz Island, in Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in California’s San Francisco Bay. He got out , New York, in 1899 to Italian early in 1939 for good behavior, after immigrants. He was expelled from school at spending his final year in prison in a 14, joined a gang, and earned his nickname hospital, suffering from syphilis. “Scarface” after being sliced across the cheek during a fight. By 1920, Capone had Plagued by health problems for the rest of moved to Chicago, where he was soon his life, Capone died in 1947 at age 48 at his helping to run crime boss Johnny Torrio’s home in Palm Island, Florida. illegal enterprises, which included alcohol- smuggling, gambling, and prostitution. Source: https://www.history.com/this-day- Torrio retired in 1925 after an attempt on in-history/capone-goes-to-prison his life and Capone, known for his cunning and brutality, was put in charge of the organization.

Book Review While Kaplan clearly has his opinions – he By Leslie Strauss is all for judicial restraint – there is something here for everyone. The book is a The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside the fascinating look at the Court in this divisive Supreme Court’s Assault on the time. The Most Dangerous Branch is Constitution readable and colorful, filled with anecdotes By David A. Kaplan from Kaplan’s interviews with the Justices and many of their law clerks. He describes “If you have five votes here, you can do beautifully the marble temple which houses anything.” the United States Supreme Court and the - Justice William J. Brennan Jr. traditions and etiquette that are a part of it. He tells funny stories too. For example, The timing of the recently published book during the height of obscenity prosecutions by David A. Kaplan, The Most Dangerous in the early 1970s the Justices gathered to Branch: Inside the Supreme Court’s Assault view porn films that were exhibits in First on the Constitution, borders on uncanny Amendment appeals. Justice John Marshall considering recent events with the Court. Harlan II was nearly blind, so one of his law Just released September 4, 2018, it of course clerks had to narrate the films for him! discusses the nomination and subsequent appointment of Neil Gorsuch to replace recently deceased Justice Antonin Scalia. Banned Books Week 2018 However, clearly when Kaplan began writing this 370-page book he could not The Law Library participated in Banned have known that on June 27, 2018 Justice Books Week during the last week of Anthony Kennedy would finish the 2017-18 September by displaying some books that term and hand deliver his letter of have been challenged or banned, as well as resignation to President Trump the same information regarding this topic. day. This presented an opportunity for the President to actually change the Court; replacing Scalia with Gorsuch was just replacing one conservative for another, whereas Kennedy was on occasion a swing vote so his replacement could potentially change the entire makeup of the Court.

The overall question posed by the book is whether the Supreme Court has become both too politicized as well as too powerful. Kaplan argues persuasively that the Court has weakened the other branches and Congress specifically, by exceeding its role.

The old way of conflict and compromise has been replaced by overreaching decisions on controversial issues by SCOTUS, taking away the responsibility of the legislative and executive branches to establish policy.

Staff Book Recommendations Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great Fiction Selection: American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. – Recommended by The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks Leslie. and Sarah Pekkanen – Recommended by Sarah. “Empty Mansions is a rich mystery of wealth “A novel of suspense and loss, connecting the that explores the Gilded Age opulence of the nineteenth century complexities of with a twenty-first- marriage and the century battle over a dangerous truths we $300 million inheritance, ignore in the name of which involves a love.” – From the reclusive heiress named publisher. Huguette Clark, a woman so secretive that, at the time of her death at age 104, no new photograph of her had been seen in decades. Dedman and Newell, who is one of the few relatives to have frequent conversations with her, tell a fairy tale in reverse: the bright, talented daughter, born Nonfiction Selections: into a family of extreme wealth and privilege, who secrets herself away from the outside The Living Stones: Cornwall by Ithell world.” – From the publisher. Colquhoun – Recommended by Mary. Horror Selection: “British surrealist painter and writer Ithell Bird Box by Josh Malerman Colquhoun drifts through Cornwall in “A propulsive, edge- search of an artist’s of-your-seat horror studio and sanctuary thriller set in an from the modern world. apocalyptic near-future Her observations of world, in which the festivals, fairs, and sight of something druidic rituals paint a unknown drives people land of , pedlars, to savagely attack borrowed saints, holy sites, charmed wells, others before taking and crumbling megaliths, connecting us with their own lives.” – the eerie, numinous beauty of the Cornish Amazon.com countryside.” – From the publisher. Quotable Quote

“Don't work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition.” - H. Jackson Brown,

Jr.

Recipes Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:  2 sweet potatoes, diced Ingredients:  2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced stewed tomatoes with  3 cups all-purpose flour chili seasonings  1 teaspoon baking soda  1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce  3/4 cup diced sweet onion  1 teaspoon coarse salt  1/2 cup chopped celery  1 3/4 cups brown sugar  1/2 cup water  1 cup unsalted butter, softened  1 tablespoon chili powder  1/4 cup white sugar  1 teaspoon ground cumin  2 eggs  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon  2 teaspoons vanilla extract  1 pinch salt  2 cups chocolate chips  1 pinch ground black pepper  18 unwrapped caramel candies (such as  1 pinch cayenne pepper Werther's®), each cut into 6 pieces  1 pinch garlic powder  1 pinch onion powder Directions:  1/2 pound ground turkey Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  1/2 pound ground beef Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a  1 (12 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar  1 cup corn together in a bowl using an electric mixer until Directions: creamy. Beat eggs, 1 at a time, into butter Place sweet potatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, mixture until blended; beat in vanilla extract. onion, celery, water, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until dough salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, is just combined; fold in chocolate chips. Divide and onion powder in a slow cooker. Cook on high, dough into thirty six 2 tablespoon-size balls; stirring occasionally, for 5 hours. Heat a large skillet arrange on a baking sheet. Press 3 caramel over medium-high heat and stir in ground turkey and pieces into each dough ball. Bake in the ground beef. Cook and stir until meat is crumbly, preheated oven until edges are golden brown, 13 evenly browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease. Add cool. cooked ground turkey, cooked ground beef, black beans, and corn to sweet potato mixture in the slow cooker; cook until flavors have blended, 1 to 2 more Recipe found at: hours. Serve warm. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/235458/salted -caramel-chocolate-chip- Recipe found at: cookies/?internalSource=recipe%20hub&referri https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229081/sweet ngContentType=Search&clickId=cardslot%2012 -potato- 2 chili/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringC ontentType=Search

Art in the Law Library Tech Tips to Try:

As you may know, we have art from county Astro - Astro is an email employees displayed in the law library. This and calendar application month’s art/artist is: “A Night to that supports accounts from Remember” by Victor Tellez. Gmail, Google Apps (G Suite), and Office 365. It offers a list of helpful features powered by AI, plus snoozing, actionable notifications, and tons of customizations. Additionally, Astro’s built- in calendar allows for creating and managing events, and staying on track with schedules.

Paprika - Paprika is an application that helps

organize recipes, make meal plans, and create Law Library Lingo grocery lists. Recipes can be saved from anywhere on the web by using Paprika’s built-in browser. D N A Q E S P J B R D E J T E Paprika Cloud Sync can seamlessly sync R F R D R C P I R A X L R E V I E J P J P N O Z J I A L M I recipes, grocery lists, and meal plans across E O V T D O T A J T N L L Q T all devices, so they are accessible from H A Q N X A U I R S M T E B I anywhere. D I S M I S S R P E O V B V G Z S B D K L U O N I V J I T U T D E B M I R R B J W E L C F E M N O I T C N U J N I S O E Y U L L A L S S Q M Z P U U Q V T G T E Y T I U Q E O Q N F C G I V Z I A L V N V U Q S R X O O R C J X J R W D P J E T N R X E E F W K X T W S E L R P I Z P V V A C T S A A S C J

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