Officer Szymanski visit

Wednesday 2/13/2013

Office Matt Szymanski came into our Business Law class to discuss aspects of search and seizure during our Criminal Law unit.  Officer Szymanski was peppered with questions by the students, and they learned plenty and enjoyed the session.

Courtroom Field Trip

Wednesday, April 3rd

Skokie Courthouse

Leaving at 8:15 from F216, returning around 11:30

Court Case Discussion

Find a court case worth discussing.

Post your court case here, using your first name and last initial, just like my example below.  Do NOT copy and paste anything.

Matt B  Iverson - Hampton v. Newport
Tony B  Miranda v. Arizona
Joel C  Wisconsin v. Yoder
Kate F  Loubison v. St. Laurent
Julia G  Roe v. Wade
Jennifer G  NFL v. American Needle
Nick J  Martin v. PGA Tour
Alex H Shelley V. Kraemer
Rachel L  Bush v. Gore
Jory N  Norman v. Honda
Anjali P  Roper v. Simmons
Ali R  Clinton impeachment
Navee S  Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart
Pat S  California v. O.J. Simpson
Nate T  Gideon v. Wainwright
Johnny W  Korematsu v. United States
Peter W  Flood v. Kuhn
Josh H  Plyler v. Doe
Madison L. Texas v. Johnson

USFL vs. NFL

by Tim D.

Southern District of New York, 1986

THE BACKGROUND

·      The USFL began in 1983 as a rival to the NFL, signing a number of players, paying them big contracts and competing for fans’ loyalty

THE CASE

• The USFL sued the NFL for violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits non-competition in American business
•  The USFL sought damages of $567 million, which, if they won, would be “trebled” – or tripled – because that’s what happens in anti-trust cases
• The USFL accused the NFL of pressuring the TV networks CBS, NBC and ABC to not televise USFL games
• They also accused the NFL of following the Porter Presentation, a document which a professor proposed on how the NFL could eliminate rival leagues 
• The trial lasted 48 days, and the jury took five days to deliberate

THE RESULTS

•  Finding for the plaintiff, the USFL, but only for $1 in damages!  Trebled damages amounted to $3!
•  The jury found the NFL did indeed have a monopoly on professional football, but did not find that the NFL had controlled or attempted to control the TV market
• The jury also felt that the USFL created a lot of their own problems, including abandoning major markets and tried to adopt a “merger strategy”, where they would be big enough and attractive enough to eventually be acquired by the bigger league

AFTERMATH

•  The USFL was stunned by the decision and never recovered
•  They never played another game, and ceased operations in 1986, where many of their star players went to the NFL or Canadian Football League
•  Interestingly, the check for $3.76 (interest was tacked on), was never cashed

• Though denied on appeals, the USFL was able to get their attorneys’ fees back ($6-10 million)

           

MY THOUGHTS

•  I think that capitalism is great, however, restricting monopolistic and shady business practices should be one of the government’s main functions, and so the USFL should have been given every opportunity to compete
• ·      The USFL was an interesting league, but certainly not on par with the NFL, as with any other upstart league, and I was not surprised that they eventually folded, but surprised that this was the way they went down
• ·      I thought the award was a joke, and if they felt that way, the jury should have just found them not guilty

SOURCES

·      http://www.oursportscentral.com/usfl/trial.htm