Campus News
February 13, 2018
Garrett College Administrator publishes law review article in the West Virginia Law Review
Another article cited in a pleading to the Supreme Court of Texas
JR Kerns, the director of the learning commons, has published his most recent article entitled, "The History of the West Virginia Code" in the 120th edition of the West Virginia Law Review. In the article Kerns explores the formation of statutory laws in West Virginia, from the formation of the state to present day. "It's important to understand how laws were formed and how they have changed over time to comprehend and appreciate how they have affected and transformed our society," said Kerns. "All attorneys practicing in West Virginia should read this article to better understand the statutory laws they are working with and citing to everyday".
In addition, Kerns recently had another article cited in a pleading to the Supreme Court of Texas. In the case of Mary Bos. vs. Craig Smith, Kerns' article, "Crying Wolf: The Use of False Accusations of Abuse to Influence Child Custodianship and A Proposal to Protect the Innocent" was cited in the first paragraph of the pleading. In that article, Kerns explores the growing issue of parties lying during court proceedings to affect the outcome of child custody disputes. "This is a growing problem during child custody battles in court systems all across the United States today," Kerns said. "It's easy for one party to gain an upper hand by deceiving the court during these proceedings." The article outlines how courts should handle the situation when it happens. In addition, it sets a framework for how courts should change several legal standards to dissuade parties from lying at the outset. Kerns said, "Hopefully it will help alleviate the problem and protect the interests of the children and the innocent parties involved."
