The Suffolk University Law Review welcomed ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Adriel Cepeda Derieux as the featured speaker for the 127th Donahue Lecture. Attorney Cepeda Derieux addressed civil rights in U.S. territories. He argued that the Insular Cases must be formally disavowed, not only because of their blatantly racist origins but also because their holdings no longer provide valid legal precedent. As Justice Breyer wrote about the Insular Cases in 2020, “whatever their continued validity we will not extend them.” And Justice Gorsuch has questioned as recently as November, 2021, “why shouldn’t we just admit the Insular Cases were incorrectly decided?” Notwithstanding the Supreme Court’s repeated commentary as to the valuelessness of the Insular Cases, Attorney Cepeda Derieux outlined how attorneys and lower courts continue to invoke the Insular Cases to justify unequal protections in non-state jurisdictions. Included below are photos and a recording of the lecture.
Recording:
https://suensemble.suffolk.edu/Watch/Zc63Pyf9
Photos:
