On October 27, 1787, the first of 85 essays that would come to known as the Federalist Papers was published in a New York newspaper called The Independent Journal. Using the pen-name “Publius,” Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers to gain support for the ratification of the Constitution, which had been signed the month before on September 17, 1787.
Read the Federalist Papers at the Library of Congress.
Magna Carta and the Constitution has won the Cine Golden Eagle Award for short form Children’s Programing! Thank you to Cine. Click here to watch the film online.
Another film in the Constitution Project Series, Habeas Corpus: The Guantanamo Cases, was a runner up in the category.
The Supreme Court is considering two cases this month involving racal bias in the courtroom. In Buck v. Davis, the Court will decide whether a death sentence can be appealed because an expert for the defense testified that the defendant posed a greater risk of future criminal acts because he is African American. And today the Court will hear arguments in Peña-Rodriguez v. Colorado, which involves the question of whether a jury verdict can be overturned because of allegations of racial bias during jury deliberations.
Read more about Buck v. Davis.
Read more about Peña-Rodriguez v. Colorado.
And see Christina Swarns, who argued Buck v. Davis before the Supreme Court last week, in our film Jury Selection: Edmonson v. Leesville.
The Supreme Court is back in session today following summer recess. Click here for information about how the Court schedule works. And for more information on the cases before the Court this session, click here.
