Business Law 1
The principle of stare decisis does which of the following?
Creates predictability in the legal system.
You participate in Black Lives Matter protests and have begun studying the issues raised about police officers. Your local protest group believes the budget of the local police department should be made public as well as the training manuals used to prepare recruits for the job. You and the group want this information to help assess the effectiveness of the police department. For example, is the money well spent? Is training appropriate? What law enables citizens to obtain information from the government about a subject of interest when a written request is made?
Freedom of Information Act
Under the common law, which of the following is true?
In a case of first impression, a judge may use persuasive authorities rather than precendents.
Joan's lawyer, Albert, feels pretty good about the chances of winning Joan's case. He has found a case directly on point, which means it has the same issue and very similar facts. If the court follows the decision in the case Albert found, then Joan will win her case. Albert argues Joan's case to the trial court, and the trial court decides for Joan. The fact that the trial court decided the case in Joan's favor is an example of:
Stare Decisis
Rhea, a 45-year-old supervisor in a women's retail clothing store, recently learned that a younger co-worker was promoted to a position she had applied for. Rhea has more experience and more time with the company and has always gotten excellent scores in her annual reviews. Rhea files an action with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for age discrimination. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issues an order in favor of Rhea. This decision of the ALJ is:
The final order in the case unless the store appeals.
Agency rules are similar to statutes because of which one of the following?
They are legal requirements and binding as if Congress has passed them.
If a trial court judge is deciding an issue that has never come before the court (a case of first impression), they:
may create new precedent.
Historically, the common law developed from:
the unification of local customs and laws in feudal England.
Harold is the owner of Fairway Lawn Service, which provides lawn-care services to residential and commercial customers. Harold regularly sprays his customers' lawns with a pesticide that contains glyphosate. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues a citation to Harold for commercial use of the pesticide. The EPA says glyphosate can only be used in residential applications. Harold knows that this has not been the law in the past, so he searches the EPA website for information about glyphosate. Harold finds nothing that indicates glyphosate cannot be used in commercial applications, so Harold demands a hearing to dispute the citation he has been issued. Harold will probably:
win because the EPA did not give notice of the rule change regarding glyphosate.
What is the role of an administrative law judge (ALJ)
An ALJ is an employee of the agency bringing the charges.
Roger has worked for an agency, the Federal Reserve, for ten years. Recently, Roger has heard rumors that multiple employees have contracted COVID-19, a highly contagious and potentially dangerous disease, although they have recovered completely. Nevertheless, Roger is still concerned about being around these people, so Roger asks his employer, the Federal Reserve, for a list of these employees. The Federal Reserve refuses, so Roger files a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the information. Under the FOIA, will the Federal Reserve provide Roger this list?
No, this information is confidential and personal.
Dion is head of the National Security Agency, a subagency of the Department of Defense. Dion has held the position for years and feels comfortable that he is secure in his position. However, after Dion holds a press conference where he directly contradicts a statement the president made, he receives a letter from the president removing him from his position. Dion objects to the firing, stating that he can only be removed from office "for good cause." If Dion sues for being wrongfully removed from office, he will:
lose because the president has the power to appoint and remove officers of executive federal agencies.