Jackson "Jack" MillerI recently posted my first completed law review article,
The Peculiar Story of United States v. Miller on
SSRN. The paper provides a historical account of
United States v. Miller (1939), the only Supreme Court case construing the Second Amendment. The Siloam Springs, Arkansas police picked up Jack Miller (pictured above) and Frank Layton with a sawed-off shotgun, and the federal government charged them with violating the National Firearms Act, the first real federal gun control law. The district court held the NFA violates the Second Amendment, and the Supreme Court reversed. I argue
Miller was a test case arranged by the government and Judge Ragon of the Western District of Arkansas. I argue the Supreme Court didn't adopt a theory of the Second Amendment right, but did imply it protects a limited individual right to possess and use firearms suitable for militia service.
Professor Dudziak of the University of Southern California Law School and the
Legal History Blog graciously posted a notice of the paper
here. More images follow:
Paul E. Gutensohn (Miller's lawyer)
Judge Hiram Heartsill Ragonof the Western District of Arkansas
Irish O'Malley (born Walter Holland)"leader" of Miller's gang
Judge Hiram Heartsill Ragon
Irish O'Malley (born Walter Holland)
This week, The Stranger ran my review of Fantoma's new Kenneth Anger DVD, which includes his first five extant films, Fireworks, Puce Moment, Rabbit's Moon, Eaux d'Artifice, and Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome.
Thank god for DVDs. Even if Alain's right about their demerits, at least they give me an excuse to write about films. A few weeks ago the Stranger ran this review of Craig Baldwin's Tribulation 99.
In this week's Village Voice, Ed Halter covers the Collective for Living Cinema tribute at Anthology Film Archives. Which looks like an excellent program. Not to mention flattering, as I'm included. Unexpectedly, as I arrived in NYC well after the Collective had closed its doors. In any case, what struck me was his mention of the former Robert Beck Memorial Cinema in his opening paragraph. There's nothing for feeling old like becoming historical. Even if it feels premature. But I guess the Robert Beck was mostly archival from the get-go, anyway. Or at least aspired to be.
