Bentley to speak at law school
Crimson White – Dec. 3
Newly elected members of the Alabama Legislature will be in Tuscaloosa next week to attend The University of Alabama’s Legislative Orientation Conference. The event, which is held every four years, will take place on December 6-8. The conference is hosted by the UA School of Law and will feature addresses by Governor-Elect Robert Bentley and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Kay Ivey as well as several other legislators and members of the UA Community. Governor-Elect Bentley’s address will close the session at 11 a.m. in the Moot Courtroom. Bentley’s speech will be his first address to lawmakers since his Nov. 2 election…
UA ensemble’s yearly tradition is this weekend
Tuscaloosa News – Dec. 3
A kind of irony shines from “Hilaritas.” It began 41 years ago as an innovative gathering, drawing together jazz and classical sides of the University of Alabama School of Music to play some edgy or less-heard interpretations of sacred and secular music of the holidays… “Hilaritas” has a rich and deep well of past tunes to draw from, though, and even with new co-leaders in Director of Choral Activities John Ratledge and Director of Jazz Studies Chris Kozak, tradition and innovation blend to please and challenge audiences and performers…
Crimson White – Dec. 3
UA holiday survival guide
FOX6 (Birmingham) – Dec. 2
…the holiday season is perfect for spending time with family and friends, but it can be really stressful…Neal Posey from our Tuscaloosa newsroom shows us how the University of Alabama is trying to help. Michelle Harcrow “this is a time of typically joy, excitement and enthusiasm for people but it is also very stressful because there is a lot of anticipation. “This is why The University of Alabama has devoted a webpage to holiday survival.
Alabama capital murder trials can continue despite guilty pleas
Mobile Press-Register – Dec. 3
… under new guidelines, capital trials are broken into guilt and sentencing phases. Joseph A. Colquitt, University of Alabama law professor, retired circuit judge and expert in capital litigation, said many states allow defendants to plead guilty before a judge and be sentenced without jury involvement. Some states let juries decide the sentence, Colquitt said…Colquitt said Alabama legislators took another approach, saying prosecutors must present at least the basic evidence proving the case to a jury. Once guilt is established, the jury recommends a penalty and the judge makes the final sentencing decision. Defendants can waive the jury’s role in sentencing. Colquitt said the state’s approach “seeks to preserve the integrity of the system. Policy-wise, we do not want ‘volunteers’” who plead guilty to protect someone else, allowing an innocent person to be punished while the guilty party goes free. Requiring the state to present the case establishes that a crime was committed and the accused is guilty, he said. For there to be a conviction, Colquitt said, the jury would be required to return a verdict of guilty. If jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict, there could be no conviction. If the decision was split, the judge would declare a mistrial and another jury would hear the evidence. If the jury voted unanimously to acquit, the defendant would go free, he said. “Although the plea of guilty may weigh toward conviction,” Colquitt said, “it does not dictate a conviction.” But just how detailed does the case have to be if the defendant has admitted guilt? That varies, according to Talitha Powers Bailey, director of the Capital Defense Law Clinic at the University of Alabama. The law requires proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and a defendant’s guilty plea can be used as evidence. Having the evidence on the record can prove helpful to prosecutors down the road, she said. “It is beneficial to have the evidence on the record so that, say, six months later the defendant decides the plea was not such a good idea and decides to appeal,” Bailey said. “If the defendant says he had ineffective counsel, that evidence could help counter that appeal.” Just how detailed the proceedings get is up to prosecutors, she said. Typically, defense attorneys do not cross-examine witnesses or challenge the evidence, and typically present no evidence on behalf of the accused. And the sentencing phase is eliminated…
Safety center advises responsible holiday driving
Crimson White – Dec. 3
…A study composed by UA’s Center for Advanced Public Safety showed that over the 2009 Christmas holiday, 10 fatalities were results of automobile accidents in Alabama. The same study showed that eight people were killed in automobile accidents over the New Year holiday. Rhonda Stricklin, assistant research engineer for CAPS, said the main cause for automobile accidents during the holiday season is drinking and driving. “When you are drinking, you are more likely to speed and not wear your seat belt,” she said. CAPS has invented an electronic crash reporting system, eCrash, that allows for new insights into the dangers of driving, Stricklin said. Stricklin said through eCrash, information regarding time and type of accident is readily available…
Students struggle during Dead Week
Crimson White – Dec. 3
…Michelle Harcrow, assistant director of health education and promotion, said the anxiety that accompanies Dead Week comes from the perception students have of that period of study and preparation. “I definitely think it is all about perception,” she said. “It is a time set apart for preparation… but if you wait until the last minute, it will be much more challenging [to make the desired class grade].”…Delynne Wilcox, assistant director of health planning and prevention, said Dead Week has been set apart from normal class time for the benefit of students. “This is a time supposed to be set apart for the advantage of the student,” she said. “The University is very committed to maintaining the integrity of Dead Week by having no added work to be given during this week. This gives students time to focus on exam preparation.”…
Alcohol awareness campaign success
CBS42 (Birmingham) – Dec. 2
the campaign had a test-run this fall at the University of Alabama. They used humor to make an impression on students and it seemed to work — 73 percent of students were familiar with the Less Than You Think campaign, 41 percent agreed they were now more likely to think about the negative consequences of binge drinking…
Engineering student wins international leadership award
Crimson White – Dec. 3
The University has yet another award to boast about thanks to the hard work of Bianca Covington. Covington, a 2009 UA alumna, is the second student at the University to receive the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Charles T. Main Student Section Silver Award. The award recognizes student leaders of ASME throughout the world for their leadership and service contributions, Covington said…
International students make holiday travel plans
Crimson White – Dec. 3
…Rose Towers is the residential housing for most international students, and it will remain open throughout the holiday season. There will be resident advisors on campus, housing personnel and desk assistants to help with anything the students need. “Rose Towers, The Highlands, The Bluffs, Ridgecrest South and Bryce Lawn remain open during these break periods,” according to the Housing and Residential Communities’ website. Other residence halls are preparing for routine closing at 10 a.m. Dec. 11 and plan to re-open at 10 a.m. on Jan. 9…