More from this issue:

1. Forensic Science: Reliable and Valid?, by Jayson Hawkins
2. ‘Changes Are a Comin’, by Anthony Accurso
3. Kansas Supreme Court: Expired License Plate Doesn’t Attenuate Evidence from Illegal Seizure, by Douglas Ankney
4. Defendant’s Flight From Police’s Illegal Frisk Doesn’t Render Improperly Obtained Evidence Admissible in Maryland, by Anthony Accurso
5. Costly Electronic Monitoring Programs Replacing Ineffective Jail Bond Systems, by Kevin Bliss
6. Ninth Circuit Clarifies When Warrantless Searches of Cellphones at Border Are Reasonable, by Douglas Ankney
7. Faulty Science Still Admissible Evidence in Many States, by Kevin Bliss
8. Big Brother, Big Business, Big Law Enforcement, by Edward Lyon
9. Third Circuit Announces New Rule for Amending § 2255 Motions on Appeal, by Dale Chappell
10. Alabama OKs Chemical Castration for Some Sex Offenders, by Dale Chappell
11. California Court of Appeal Announces Defendant Convicted of Felony Accessory Is Eligible for Resentencing Under Proposition 64, by Douglas Ankney
12. Connecticut Supreme Court: When Expert’s Testimony Asserts Truth of DNA Profile Prepared by a Different Non-Testifying Expert, Confrontation Clause Is Violated, by Douglas Ankney
13. Ex-Felons’ Rights Expanding to Include Jury Duty, by Edward Lyon
14. Hundreds of Missouri Prisoners May Be Released Under New Sentencing Reform Law, by Dale Chappell
15. U.S. District Court Grants Savings Clause Petition, Vacates Mandatory Life Sentence, by Dale Chappell
16. Tenth Circuit: District Court Abused Discretion in Denying § 2255 Petition Without Hearing Where Record Didn’t Conclusively Show Defendant Not Entitled to Relief, by Douglas Ankney
17. Ninth Circuit: Drug Quantity in PSR Adopted by Sentencing Court not Binding in § 3582(c)(2) Sentence Reduction Proceedings, by Michael Berk
18. 10th Circuit: District Court Must Ensure When Defendant Waives Right to Counsel He Understands He’s Required to Adhere to Federal Procedural and Evidentiary Rules, by Douglas Ankney
19. Is Data Mining an Invasion of Privacy?, by Kevin Bliss
20. Ninth Circuit Rules IAC for Failure to Investigate Mitigating Evidence During Penalty Phase of Capital Trial, by Anthony Accurso
21. Fifth Circuit Vacates § 924 Convictions Based on Davis, by Anthony Accurso
22. Safe Interactions Between Police and Citizens, by Edward Lyon
23. Fifth Circuit Reiterates Diligence Under AEDPA Requires Consideration of Actions Both Before and After Filing of Habeas Petition, by Dale Chappell
24. 9th Circuit Says Inadvertently Placing Closed Folding Knife on Teller Counter Not Armed Bank Robbery, by Anthony Accurso
25. Oregon Supreme Court Reaffirms ‘Independent Evidence Rule’ for Accomplice Testimony, by Mark Wilson
26. Groundbreaking Connecticut Law Tracks Information on Jailhouse Snitches
27. Fifth Circuit: First Step Act Doesn’t Permit Plenary Resentencing in Retroactive Application of the Fair Sentencing Act, by Douglas Ankney
28. California Court of Appeal Explains Procedures to Determine Appropriate Relief When Conviction Is Vacated Based on People v. Chiu and Senate Bill 1437, by Douglas Ankney
29. Connecticut Supreme Court Rules 5 Days Past Due on Rent While Incarcerated Does Not Deprive Defendant of Expectation of Privacy in Home, by Anthony Accurso
30. New Hampshire Ends Death Penalty, by Jayson Hawkins
31. Fourth Circuit Grants Habeas Relief to Pre-Trial State Prisoner on Double Jeopardy Grounds, by Dale Chappell
32. Tennessee Supreme Court Abandons Doctrine of Abatement Ab Initio, by David Reutter
33. New Jersey Supreme Court Announces New Test to Determine When State May Obtain Second DNA Sample After Unlawfully Obtained First Sample, by Douglas Ankney
34. Fourth Circuit Reviews for Plain Error and Vacates Brandishing a Firearm Conviction Obtained Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(C)(3), by Douglas Ankney
35. Fifth Circuit: Practices of Orleans Parish Judges in Collecting Fines and Fees Violates Due Process, by Douglas Ankney
36. Tens of Thousands of Sentencing Decisions Are Hidden Within PACER, Hindering Access by Lawyers and Defendants, by Dale Chappell
37. Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Probationer Must Violate Specific Condition of Probation or Commit New Crime to Be Found in Violation, by Douglas Ankney
38. Seventh Circuit Reverses Convictions Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c); Holds Underlying Offenses Do Not Qualify as ‘Crimes of Violence’, by Matthew Clarke
39. Businesses Are Focusing More and More on Aiding Offenders Reentering Society, by Kevin Bliss
40. Qualified Immunity: Explained, by Emily Clark, Amir H. Ali
41. The Mass Incarceration Epidemic Viewed Through a Young Daughter’s Eyes, by Hayley Schulman
42. Prosecutors Working to Clear Wrongful Convictions With Mixed Results, by Bill Barton

More from Anthony Accurso:

• D.C. Circuit Holds Compelling Suspect to Unlock Cellphone With Thumbprint Is ‘Testimonial’ Act and Violates Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self-Incrimination, Feb. 15, 2025
• $220,000 Settlement After Woman Dies in Ohio Jail From Drug Withdrawal, Feb. 15, 2025
• Colorado Supreme Court Holds Defendant Was in ‘Custody’ for Miranda Purposes Because She Had Hands Bagged and Zip Tied, Commanded Not to Remove Them, and Questioned Alone in Interrogation Room With Door Closed, Feb. 15, 2025
• First Circuit Holds No Emergency-Aid Exception to Warrant Requirement Where Police Have Information That Subject Is Already Deceased, Feb. 15, 2025
• Police Departments Are Now Using AI to Write Reports, Feb. 15, 2025
• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Odor of Burnt Cannabis Alone Is Insufficient to Establish Probable Cause for a Warrantless Vehicle Search, Feb. 1, 2025
• Mass Spectrometry Being Studied as Way to Analyze Overlapping or Weak Fingerprints, Feb. 1, 2025
• Georgia Supreme Court Grants Habeas Relief Where Both Trial and Appellate Counsel Provided Ineffective Assistance by Failing to Challenge Indictment for Residential Burglary That Failed to Allege Defendant Illegally Entered a ‘Dwelling’, Jan. 15, 2025
• Childhood Trauma Incidence Higher Among Those Incarcerated, Jan. 15, 2025
• Nevada Supreme Court Announces Incorporated Probable Cause Affidavit Cannot Broaden Scope of Warrant’s Description of Places and Persons to be Searched or Items to Be Seized, Dec. 1, 2024

More from these topics:

• Seventh Circuit Rejects Retaliation Claim Based on Suspicious Timing Alone, Oct. 4, 2020. Retaliation, Searches, Failure to Protect (General), First Amendment, rights.
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: When Exit Order is Unlawful, Evidence Obtained from Subsequent Search Must be Suppressed, Feb. 18, 2020. Searches.
• California Court of Appeal: Electronics Searching Condition Struck in Mandatory Supervision Case, Feb. 18, 2020. Searches.
• First Circuit Vacates Conviction Because Sister had Neither Actual nor Apparent Authority to Consent to Search of Brother’s Bags, Jan. 21, 2020. Searches, Fourth Amendment, rights.
• Idaho Supreme Court: Where Police Were Unaware of Probationer’s Fourth Amendment Waiver Until After Unreasonable Search, Waiver Won’t Make Search Reasonable, Jan. 21, 2020. Searches, Police, Fourth Amendment, rights.
• Georgia Supreme Court: Warrantless Search of Vehicle’s Airbag Control Module is Unconstitutional, Dec. 18, 2019. Misconduct/Corruption, Police Misconduct, Searches, Police Searches.
• New York City Cops Can Always Tell by Just the Smell, Nov. 18, 2019. Police Searches, Police.
• California Supreme Court: Where Electronics Search Condition of Probation Is Not Reasonably Related to Future Criminality, Condition Is Invalid, Nov. 18, 2019. Searches.
• Alaska State Supreme Court Rules Due Process Afforded to Prisoners Seeking Laundry Job Reinstatement, Oct. 28, 2019. Searches, Money/Property, Fair Labor Standards Act, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights.
• Failure to Identify Specific Evidence Sought in Telephone Search Violates Oregon Constitution, Oct. 19, 2019. Searches, Telephone Access, Police, Traffic stop.