ReviewQuestionsforStatutoryInterpretationandRegulatoryPractice
Feb.26,2016
Prof.Hester
1. Thetextualcanonnosciturasociisisbestdescribedas:
a. Atooltoclarifythemeaningofabroadcatch-alltermattheendofalist
ofmorespecifictermsthatshareacommoncharacteristicorquality.
b. Amaximthatdrawsonthecommonorsharedaspectsofotherwords
listedinproximitywithanunclearstatutorytermtohelpclarifythat
term’smeaning.
c. Latinfor“athingisknownbyitscompanions”.
d. bandc.
e. Alloftheabove.
2. InBabbittv.SweetHomesChapterofCommunitiesforaGreatOregon,
a. JusticeScaliareliedontraditionaldictionarydefinitionsof“take”togive
thetermabroadermeaningthatincludedhabitatalteration;
b. JusticeStevensreliedonthetextualmaximejusdemgeneristonarrowthe
term“harm”andmakeitsimilartootherspecifictermsusedinthe
statutorydefinitionof“take”andrequiredirectintentionalharmto
individualsofspecies;
c. Thestatutorydefinitionof“harm”intheoriginalEndangeredSpeciesAct
includedareferencetohabitatalteration,whichwaspersuasiveevidence
ofCongress’intenttobanthatconduct;
d. Alloftheabove;
e. Noneoftheabove.
3.
Anewstatestatuterequiresuniversitiestoallowtheopencarryingof
firearmsin“anyandallclassrooms,dormitories,instructionallaboratories,
studentauditoriums,academicgymnasiums,oranyotherenclosedspaceon
universitygrounds.”OurArms/OurRights–apro-gunadvocacygroup–has
arguedthatthislanguagecompelstheuniversitytoletprospectivepatients
openlycarryfirearmswhentheyentertheUniversityhealthclinicfor
treatment,eventhoughtheUniversityhasalreadysufferedseveralincidents
wheredelusionalandintoxicatedpatientsthreatenedseriousharmtostaff.
Thegroupclaimsthattheterm“oranyotherenclosedspace”includesthe
healthclinic’semergencyroomandtreatmentfacilities,eventhoughthose
roomsarestaffedsolelybydoctors,nursesandprofessionalstaffunaffiliated
withtheUniversity.
Ascounselfortheuniversityopposingthisrequest,yourbeststatutory
interpretiveargumentislikely:
a. Expressiounis,becausethelegislature’sfailuretoexpresslyinclude
hospitalsandhealthcarefacilitiesinitslistreflectsadesiretoexclude
them.
b. Ejusdemgeneris,becausethegeneralterm“anyotherenclosedspace”at
theendofaclauseshouldreflectthecommonlimitingcharacteristicof
specifictermsprecedingit.Here,everyotherfacilitylistedbythestatute
isusedbystudentssolelyforeducationalandinstructionalpurposes.
c. Thelastantecedentrulebecausethephrase“onuniversitygrounds”
appliessolelyto“anyotherenclosedspace.”
d. TheRuletoAvoidSurplusagebecauseconstruingthephrase“anyother
enclosedspace”broadlyenoughtoincludehealthclinicswouldmakethe
statute’sspecificreferencestoothertypesofroomssuperfluous.
4. InNixv.Heddon,theU.S.SupremeCourtfoundthatatomatowasa“vegetable”
ratherthana“fruit”forpurposesofcollectingcustomsdutiesbasedonthe
followingsource:
a. Authoritativedictionariesinuseatthetime.
b. Testimonybyexpertbotanists.
c. StatementsbytheCustomsofficialswhodraftedtheunderlyingtariff
circulars.
d. Judicialnotice.
e. Commonlawmeaningsofthetermsbasedonpriordecisionsconstruing
thetaxationandregulationoftomatoes.
5. TrueorFalse:Statecourtscanadopttheirownrulesofstatutoryconstruction
thatdifferfromfederalrules,andsomestatecourts–notablyNewYorkand
California–usegenerallypurpose-basedapproachesratherthanliteral
textualistapproaches.
ANSWERSTOLASTWEEK’SREVIEWQUESTIONS:
1.
Theseshortanswersshouldbeself-explanatory.Pleaseseemeifyou
wouldliketodiscussyouranswers.
2.
D(technically,theSenatedoesnothavedischargepetitionstoremove
billsfromcommittees)
3.
C(Easterbrookquotesnodictionaries,reliesonnolegislativehistoryto
theoriginalstatute,omitsanyguidanceorinterpretationfromthe
SentencingCommissiononwhetherLSDweightsincludetheunderlying
blotterpapercarrier,andfoundthattheconstitutionalavoidancecanon
didnotapplybecausethestatutorylanguagewasunambiguous).
4.
True