In 1996, Professor Lassiter commented on the draft Civil Procedure Code of Ukraine as part of a project undertaken by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Since 1994, he has lectured and written annual updates on Supreme Court litigation for the Federal Public and Community Defenders Program, and has also led discussions at bench-bar conferences on improving the judicial process for the State Bar of Ohio since 1992.
Locally, Professor Lassiter served as a member of the Hamilton County Criminal Justice Task Force which studied and suggested legal reforms Professor Lassiter served as the Task Force's Trial Committee chair in 1992. Beginning in 1994, Professor Lassiter served on the Cincinnati Bar Association's Law Day Committee as the script writer for a two-hour televised discussion on constitutional issues of interest to high school students. The program received second place in the ABA 1996 Outstanding Law Day Activities Award competition when Professor Lassiter became chair of the Committee. In 1997, Professor Lassiter led a discussion on professional ethics in the CBA's Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers, and also lectured on "The Death Penalty in the United States: Historically and Today" at a symposium sponsored by the College of Law. Professor Lassiter was a consultant for "The Affair," a joint HBO-BBC production concerning the U.S. military's use of the death penalty for interracial rape during World War II.
Professor Lassiter received the UC College of Law Goldman Prize for Teaching Excellence in 2008, 2006, and 1993. He was also named to UC's inaugural class of the Academy of Fellows for Teaching & Learning in 2007.
Finally, in his most exciting and professionally rewarding endeavor, Professor Lassiter happily coached Christo's Angels, the law women's softball team to the All University Intramural Championship in 2000.
Publications
- Consent to Search by Ignorant People, 39 Texas Tech L. Rev. 1171 (2007) (symposium)
- Lex Sportiva: Thoughts Towards a Criminal Law of Competitive Contact Sports, 22 St. John's J. Legal Comm. 35 (2007)
- Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998)
- Cameras and the Infusion of Political Bias into the Courtroom, 5 International J.L. & Tech. 28 (1997)
- Cyberspace and the Battle for First Amendment Freedoms, 30 Law/Technology 27 (1997)
- A Call to the Arts: Exploring New Means of Jurisprudential Expression, 14 Cardozo J. Art & Ent. L. 387 (1996)
- The New Race Cases and the Politics of Public Policy, 12 J.L. & Pol. 411 (1996)
- The O.J. Simpson Verdict: A Lesson in Black and White, 1 Mich. J. Race & L. 69 (1996)
- TV or Not TV—That Is the Question, 86 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 928 (1996)
- The Stop and Frisk of Criminal Street Gangs, 14 Nat'l Black L.J. 1 (1995)
Articles, Essays & Book Reviews
Presentations
- Does Flight From Police Constitute Reasonable Suspicion, University of Cincinnati College of Law (Feb. 22, 2000)
- Criminal Law and Literature: Lecture, Problem, and Socratic Methods and the Virtual Classroom, University of Cincinnati College of Law (Mar. 13, 2000)
- Searches and Seizures—Update on the U.S. Supreme Court and Supreme Court of Ohio, Hamilton County Criminal Justice Center (May 17, 2000)
- Criminal Law and Literature: Lecture, Problem, and Socratic Methods and the Virtual Classroom, Institute for Law Teaching. Sixth Annual Summer Conference: Fresh Looks at Teaching and Learning Law, Gonzaga University School of Law (June 11-12, 1999)
Courses
- Antitrust
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure I
- Criminal Procedure II
- White Collar Crime
Awards
- 2008 Goldman Prize for Teaching Excellence
- 2006 Goldman Prize for Teaching Excellence
- 1998 Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology
- 1993 Goldman Prize for Teaching Excellence
October 2011
Christo was quoted in:
- Martine Powers, US Courts in State to Allow Videotaping; Experiment Will Involve Civil Trials, Hearings Only, The Boston Globe, Oct. 7, 2011, at 1; and
- Janice Morse, Perjury Claims are Serious, but Widmer's Chances for Fourth Trial 'Fair'at Best, Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 17, 2011.
Summer 2011
Christo was quoted in:
Sharon Coolidge, Bengals Replay System To Cost County $300,000, Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, July 28, 2011; and
- Janice Morse, Why Was Casey Anthony Acquitted?, Cincinnati Enquirer, July 6, 2011.
April 2011
Christo’s article, Consent to Search by Ignorant People, 39 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1171 (2007), was cited in Nirej Sekhon, Willing Suspects And Docile Defendants: The Contradictory Role Of
Consent In Criminal Procedure, 46 Harv. C.R.-C.L. L. Rev. 103 (2011).
March 2011
Christo was quoted in:
• Does One Court Need Two Prosecutors?, Cincinnati Enquirer, Mar. 6, 2011; and
• Legal Experts: Widmer's Claims Worth Exploring,Cincinnati Enquirer, Mar. 6, 2011.
February 2011
Christo’s article, TV or Not TV - That is the Question? 86 J. Crim. L. Criminology 928 (1996), was cited in Kevin F. O'Malley, Jay E. Grenig, William C. Lee, Federal Jury Practice and Instructions (Thomson/West, 6th ed. 2011 Supp.).
Christo was quoted in:
• A Brave 'New Media' World For Courts? Cincinnati Enquirer, Feb. 15, 2011; and
• Will A Jury 'Buy' Troubled Widmer Witness? Cincinnati Enquirer, Jan. 30, 2011.
January 2011
Christo was quoted several times:
- Jury Seated In Widmer Murder Retrial, nky.com, Jan. 19, 2011;
- Social Media Fans Interest In Widmer Trial; LEBANON - An Internet Search For The Words "Ryan Widmer" And "Murder" Yields About 16,000 Results On Google.Com. Cincinnati Enquirer, Jan. 17, 2011; and
- This Widmer Trial Is 'Different Ballgame'; LEBANON - The Third Murder Trial Of Ryan Widmer In The Bathtub-Drowning Of His Wife Of Four Months Will Differ Significantly From His Two Previous Trials, Cincinnati Enquirer, Jan. 16, 2011.
October 2010
Two of Christo’s articles were cited:
- Put the Lens Cap Back on Cameras in the Courtroom: A Fair Trial is at Stake, 67 N.Y. St. B.J. 6 (1995), in Kate Blacker & Lissa Griffin, Megan’s Law and Sarah’s Law: A Comparative Study of Sex Offender Community Notification Schemes in the United States and the United Kingdom, 46 No. 5 Crim. L. Bull. Art. 6 (2010), and
- TV or Not TV - That is the Question?, 86 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 928 (1996), in Kevin F. O'Malley, Jay E. Grenig, & William C. Lee, Federal Jury Practice and Instructions (Thomson/West, 6th ed. 2010 Supp.).
Summer 2010
Christo’s article Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), was cited in Josephine Ross, Blaming the Victim: ‘Consent’ within the Fourth Amendment and Rape Law, 26 Harv. J. Racial & Ethnic Just. 1 (2010).
Christo was quoted in Ryan Widmer Jury Has Both Sides on Edge, Cincinnati Enquirer, May 28, 2010.
June 2010
Christo was quoted in:
- Former Prosecutor: Public Opinion Changing on Widmer Guilt, Cincinnati Enquirer, May 24, 2010.
- Widmer Lawyers Attacked Evidence, Cincinnati Enquirer, May 17, 2010.
- Ryan Widmer Retrial Tough for Both Sides, Cincinnati Enquirer, May 10, 2010.
May 2010
Christo’s article, Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), was cited in Fabio Arcila, Jr., The Death of Suspicion, 51 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 1275 (2010).
March 2010
Christo's article, Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U.L. Rev. 79 (1998), was cited in Ronald D. Rotunda & John E. Nowak, Treatise on Constitutional Law-Substance & Procedure (Thomson West, 3rd ed., 2010 Supp.). He was quoted in Hundreds Jailed on Clerks' Orders, Cincinnati Enquirer, Feb. 14, 2010, at A1.
Christo served as the judge in the Weaver Institute of Law and Psychiatry moot court, Is the Megabomber Competent?
January 2010
Two of Christo’s articles were cited:
- Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), in Daniel E. Pulliam, Post-Georgia v. Randolph: An Opportunity to Rethink the Reasonableness of Third-Party Consent Searches under the Fourth Amendment, 43 Ind. L. Rev. 237 (2009).
- The New Race Cases and The Politics of Public Policy, 12 J. L. & Pol. 411 (1996), in David Welsh, Racism and the Law: Slavery, Integration, and Modern Resegregation in America, 2009 Utah L. Rev. 479.
December 2009
Christo was quoted in:
- Canton Repository: UC Professor Speaks at Veterans Day Event, UC News, Nov. 10, 2009.
- Hoover Honors Area Veterans, CantonRep.com, Nov. 10, 2009.
- Ceremonies and Special Events to Honor Veterans, Akron Beacon Journal, Nov. 10, 2009.
Summer 2009
Christo’s article, Consent to Search by Ignorant People, 39 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1171 (2007), was republished as a chapter in Prosecutorial Misconduct – Problems and Perspectives (G. Radha Kalyani, ed.) (Amicus Books, India, 2009). He spoke on a Federalist Society panel at the University Club on U.S. Supreme Court Appointments: Perspectives on the Sotomayor Nomination with Ross Wright (GE Aviation) and Jennifer Morales (Keating, Muething & Klekamp).
Several of Christo’s articles were cited:
- An Annotated Descriptive Summary of State Statutes, Judicial Codes, Canons, and Court Rules Relating to Admissibility and Governance of Cameras in the Courtroom, 86 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 1019 (1996), in Eugene R. Milhizer, So Help Me Allah: An Historical and Prudential Analysis of Oaths as Applied to the Current Controversy of the Bible and Quran in Oath Practices in America, 70 Ohio St. L.J. 1 (2009).
- Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), in Dana Raigrodski, Reasonableness and Objectivity: A Feminist Discourse of the Fourth Amendment, 17 Tex. J. Women & L. 153 (2008).
- TV or Not TV - That is the Question?, 86 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 928 (1996), in Kevin F. O'Malley, Jay E. Grenig, & William C. Lee, Federal Jury Practice and Instructions (Thomson/West, 6th ed., 2009 Supp.).
June 2009
Christo’s article, TV or Not TV - That is the Question?, 86 J. Crim. L. and Criminology 928 (1996), was cited in Kristen D. Clardy, Judicial Confusion and Inconsistency in Handling Juror Misconduct: a New Proposal, 17 Wm. & Mary Bill Rts. J. 895 (2009). He was quoted in Long Road Ahead in Widmer Case, Cincinnati Enquirer, May 22, 2009.
May 2009
Christo was quoted in:
- Juror Actions Questioned in Bathtub Drowning Case, USA Today, Apr. 28, 2009 and Newark Advocate, Apr. 28, 2009.
- Widmer Moves for Acquittal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Apr. 9, 2009, at 1B.
- Widmer Juror: 'We Were All Sure', Cincinnati Enquirer, Apr. 4, 2009, at 1A.
- Was Widmer Jury Logical?, Cincinnati Enquirer, Apr. 3, 2009.
- Defense Gets its Chance, Cincinnati Enquirer, Mar. 30, 2009, at 1B.
- Bathtub Death Trial Starts Monday, Cincinnati Enquirer, Mar. 22, 2009.
April 2009
Christo was quoted in:
- Judge to Rule on Video Re-creation of Death, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 18, 2009, at 1B.
- Stakes High in Tub-death Trial, Cincinnati Enquirer, March 23, 2009, at 1A.
- Widmer Strategy: Create Doubt, NKY.Com, March 29, 2009.
March 2009
Two of Christo's articles were cited:
- Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U.L. Rev. 79 (1998), in Ronald D. Rotunda & John E. Nowak, Treatise on Constitutional Law-Substance & Procedure (Thomson West, 3rd ed., 2009 Supp.).
- TV or Not TV — That is the Question?, 86 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 928 (1996), in Kevin F. O'Malley, Jay E. Grenig, & William C. Lee, Federal Jury Practice and Instructions (Thomson/West, 5th ed., 2007 Supp.).
Christo was quoted in:
- Dropped Case Might Not Be Last, Cincinnati Enquirer, Feb. 13, 2009
- I Shot Him in Self-Defense — After He Fell Asleep, Feb. 25, 2009
- Why Kay Rogers Isn't in Jail, Middletown Journal, Feb. 16, 2009.
February 2009
Christo’s articles, Cameras and the Infusion of Political Bias Into the Courtroom, 5 Int’l J. L. & Tech. 28 (1997), and Put the Lens Cap Back on Cameras in the Courtroom: A Fair Trial is at Stake, 67 N.Y. St. B.J. 6 (1995), were cited in Robert H. Klonoff, Mark Herrmann & Bradley W. Harrison, Making Class Actions Work: The Untapped Potential of the Internet, 69 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 727 (2008). He was quoted in Bailiff Snared in Bribery Probe, Cincinnati Enquirer, Jan. 4, 2009, at 1A.
October 2008
Christo's article, The O.J. Simpson Verdict: A Lesson in Black and White, 1 Mich. J. Race & L. 69 (1996), was cited in Rebecca J. Kelly, Defensive Shootings and Error Risk: A Collateral Cost of Changing Gun Laws?, 26 Yale L. & Pol'y Rev. 567 (2008).
Summer 2008
Christo was listed as one of the 100 African-Americans of Influence in Our Area, Cincinnati Enquirer, July 13, 2008, at 4E.
Christo's article, Consent to Search by Ignorant People, 39 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1171 (2007), was cited in Matthew Phillips, Effective Warnings before Consent Searches: Practical, Necessary, and Desirable, 45 Am. Crim. L. Rev. 1185 (2008).
May 2008
Christo won the Goldman Prize for Teaching Excellence. He spoke on a panel at the College on The Role of the Prosecutor and Public Defender with Assistant Federal Public Defender Ransom Hudson.
Christo's scholarship was featured in the University Libraries' 17th Annual Authors, Editors and Composers Reception.
April 2008
Christo posted Consent to Search by Ignorant People, 39 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1171 (2007), on SSRN.
March 2008
Christo's article, Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), was cited in Ronald D. Rotunda & John E. Nowak, Treatise on Constitutional Law-Substance & Procedure (Thomson West, 3rd ed., 2008 Supp.).
February 2008
Christo's article, Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), was cited in Ronald D. Rotunda & John E. Nowak, Treatise on Constitutional Law-Substance & Procedure (Thomson West, 3rd ed., 2008 Supp.).
December 2007
Christo hosted a two-day visit to the College by Order of the Coif Distinguished Visitor Jesse H. Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law and former Dean, Boalt Hall, University of California at Berkley.
November 2007
Christo participated in the Alumni Teach-In Day, as Kevin Schad (Class of 1993), Schad & Schad (Lebanon, OH), taught his Criminal Procedure I Class, and Kathy Brinkman (Class of 1975), Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur (Cincinnati, OH) taught his White Collar Crime Class.
Christo was quoted in
- School Boy with Gun Not Charged, Cincinnati.com, Oct. 13, 2007.
- Cops: Man Left Gun for Boy to Find, Cincinnati Post, Oct. 13, 2007, at 11.
October 2007
Christo published Lex Sportiva: Thoughts Towards a Criminal Law of Competitive Contact Sport, 22 St. John's J.L. Comm. 35 (2007).
Christo published an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bring Federal Charges against Mom in Heat Death, Sept. 11, 2007, at 7B, which generated an opppsoing op-ed by Don White, Law Professor's Column on Heat Death Wrong on Many Counts, Cincinnati Enquirer, Sept. 12, 2007, at 7B.
Summer 2007
Christo published Consent to Search by Ignorant People, 39 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1171 (2007). His article, Sports Lexivita Thoughts Toward a Criminal Law of Competitive Contact Sports, was accepted for publication by the St. John's Journal of Legal Commentary.
Christo was selected for the inaugural class of UC's Academy of Fellows for Teaching and Learning. His article, The New Race Cases and The Politics of Public Policy, 12 J.L. & Pol. 411 (1996), was cited in Takiyah Rayshawn McClain, An Ounce of Prevention: Improving the Preventative Measures of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 40 Vand. J. Transnat'l L. 579 (2007).
Christo was quoted in:
- Charge: Teen Boy Killed Fetus, Cincinnati Post, July 17, 2007.
- Arrests Made in Assault Case, Cincinnati Post, July 27, 2007.
April 2007
Christo's article, Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), was cited in Ronald D. Rotunda & John E. Nowak, Treatise on Constitutional Law (Thomson-West, 3rd ed., 2007 Supp.).
February 2007
Two of Christo's articles were cited:
- Eliminating Consent from the Lexicon of Traffic Stop Interrogations, 27 Cap. U. L. Rev. 79 (1998), in Ronald D. Rotunda & John E. Nowak, Treatise on Constitutional Law-Substance & Procedure (Thomson/West, 2007).
- TV or Not TV - That is the Question?, 86 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 928 (1996), in Kevin F. O'Malley, Jay E. Grenig, & William C. Lee, Federal Jury Practice and Instructions (Thomson/West, 5th ed., 2007 Supp.).
Please see Faculty News Archives for earlier issues.