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Lies by Former Houston Cop Facing Murder Charge Might Affect Over 14,000 Cases
by David M. Reutter
A Texas judge, Ramona Franklin, declared Otis Mallet “actually innocent” of selling crack cocaine to a Houston police officer, saying “What a miscarriage of justice we have all witnessed with your case, Mr. Mallet.”
That finding may be the tip of the iceberg as former Houston ...
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
- Federal Rules Limit Searches of Private DNA Databases, by Jayson Hawkins
- Unsurprisingly Lenient Sentence for Rapist Cop, by Anthony Accurso
- Kim Kardashian Keeps Going, Helps Release D.C. Prisoner, by Dale Chappell
- Court Rulings Condemning Cash Bail Systems Increasing, by Edward Lyon
- More Crooked Cops in New York City Make the Naughty List, by Douglas Ankney
- For the Mentally Ill, Calling 911 Could Prove Deadly, by Edward Lyon
- Alabama Sheriff Denied Immunity for False Charges Against Whistleblower, by Anthony Accurso
- Police Still Have Access to Records That Are Supposedly Sealed, Suit Alleges, by Bill Barton
- DNA Contamination Threatened Conviction of Innocent Man, by Kevin Bliss
- White Cop Gets 10 Years for Murder; Black Kid Gets 10 Days for Oversleeping, by Douglas Ankney
- DA’s Office Files Bar Complaint on Its Own Former Prosecutor, by Anthony Accurso
- Tenth Annual NRC Report Magnifies Limits of Forensic Evidence, by Bill Barton
- Critics Claim Thin Blue Line Protects Cops and Prosecutors in Orange County, California, by Bill Barton
- Study Confirms Immigrants Sentenced More Harshly in Non-Immigrant Areas, by Dale Chappell
- Prosecutors Transform Due Process into ‘Dues Processed’, by Douglas Ankney
- New Tennessee Legislation Will Destroy Hundreds, Probably Thousands, of Families, by Sandy Rozek
- Employers are Adjusting to Hiring Ex-Offenders, by Anthony Accurso
- Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Kansas Considers It Acceptable to Listen to Attorney-Client Conversations, by Kevin Bliss
- Sixth Circuit Vacates Sentence Because District Court Relied on Uncharged Shooting Allegation for Upward Departure from Sentencing Guidelines Range, by Douglas Ankney
- Washington Supreme Court Remands for Resentencing Where State Failed to Prove Criminal History, by Douglas Ankney
- Washington Supreme Court Affirms Reversals of Murder Convictions, Overrules Townsend, by Douglas Ankney
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Announces New Test in Comparing Out-of-State Priors for Sentence Enhancement for Repeat Sex Offenders, by Michael Berk
- Vermont Supreme Court Rejects ‘Blanket Rule’ Requiring Fingerprinting in Misdemeanor Cases, by Dale Chappell
- Mississippi Supreme Court Abolishes ‘Pre-Arming’ Jury Instruction, by Dale Chappell
- Second Circuit Holds Appointment of Counsel for Direct Appeal Not Subject to Frivolousness Rule, by Dale Chappell
- Lies by Former Houston Cop Facing Murder Charge Might Affect Over 14,000 Cases, by David M. Reutter
- The ‘First Step’ Has Been Taken — What’s Next?, by Dale Chappell
- Ninth Circuit Affirms Habeas Relief Where Counsel Failed to Present Mitigating Evidence at Penalty Phase, by Douglas Ankney
- Georgia Supreme Court Reverses Conviction for Failure to Give Accomplice-Corroboration Jury Instruction, by Douglas Ankney
- California Court of Appeal Invalidates Title 15 § 3490(a)(5) of the California Code of Regulations, by Douglas Ankney
- Nevada Supreme Court Announces Rule for When Hearing Required on Fair-Cross-Section of Community Violation Claim in Jury Selection, by Dale Chappell
- Ohio Supreme Court Announces State Cannot Raise Fourth Amendment Standing Issue for First Time on Appeal, by Douglas Ankney
- Eleventh Circuit Holds Georgia’s Terroristic Threats Statute Not Violent Felony for ACCA, by Dale Chappell
- New York Court of Appeals Reverses Conviction Where Trial Court Negotiated Cooperation Agreement with Codefendant, by Anthony Accurso
- Nation’s First-Ever Nonprofit Forensics Laboratory Coming to Utah, by Douglas Ankney
- Hawai’i Supreme Court: Time Spent in Arizona Prison Counts Toward Speedy Trial Rule in Hawai’i, by Anthony Accurso
- Eleventh Circuit: Selling Body Armor Doesn’t Satisfy Sentencing Guidelines’ Definition of ‘Use’, by Douglas Ankney
- Fourth Circuit: Magistrate’s Failure to Warn of ACCA Enhancement Was Plain Error, by Douglas Ankney
- Ninth Circuit Vacates Unconstitutionally Vague Supervised-Release Conditions, by David M. Reutter
- Hawai’i Supreme Court Rules Search Warrant Failed to Satisfy the Particularity Requirement for Multiple-Occupancy Dwellings, by Douglas Ankney
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: When Exit Order is Unlawful, Evidence Obtained from Subsequent Search Must be Suppressed, by Douglas Ankney
- First Step Act Earned-Time Credits are Coming ... Eventually and Only to Some Prisoners, by Dale Chappell
- Alaska Supreme Court: Forcing a Defendant to Testify Is Structural Error Requiring Automatic Reversal, by Douglas Ankney
- California Court of Appeal: Electronics Searching Condition Struck in Mandatory Supervision Case, by Anthony Accurso
- Nevada Supreme Court: Parole Board May Petition To Modify Life Sentence, by Anthony Accurso
- Colorado Supreme Court Clarifies and Modifies Analytical Framework for Proportionality Reviews, by Douglas Ankney
- Attacking the Guilty Plea: The ‘Voluntarily and Knowingly Made’ Standard, by Dale Chappell
- Hawai’i Supreme Court Announces Degree of ‘Restraint’ Necessary to Support Kidnapping Conviction, by Douglas Ankney
- Prosecutorial Misconduct: Justice Denied as the System Turns a Blind Eye, by Christopher Zoukis
More from David M. Reutter:
- Fifth Circuit Kills Suit by Louisiana Prisoners Whose Release Dates Were Incorrectly Calculated, Aug. 15, 2023
- Federal Court Upholds and Monitors Requirement for Tennessee Jail to Provide COVID-19 Vaccination for Detainees, July 15, 2022
- Federal Courts Order Seizure of Canteen Funds for Restitution Owed by High-Profile Prisoners, July 15, 2022
- California Court Rules Bail Bond Companies Must Give Cosigners Financial Impact Notice, July 15, 2022
- Supreme Court of Kansas: Lower Court Did Not Have Authority to Revoke Probation Without a Warrant, July 15, 2022
- Idaho Supreme Court: Telephonic Testimony Violated Defendant’s Sixth Amendment Right to Confrontation, June 15, 2022
- Ohio Supreme Court: Constitutionality of Indeterminate Sentence Under Reagan Tokes Law May Be Challenged on Direct Appeal, June 15, 2022
- Supreme Court of Iowa: Sentence Vacated Because Prosecution Failed to Follow Spirit of Plea Agreement Requiring Recommendation of Suspended Sentence, June 15, 2022
- Wisconsin Prisoner In Vegetative State After Suicide Attempt Wins New Trial on Jury Instruction Error, July 1, 2021
- Illinois Prisoner’s Negligence Lawsuit Alleging Injuries from Wart Treatment Timely Filed, July 1, 2021
More from these topics:
- Fourth Circuit Decision on Claim of Retaliation for Exercising First And Sixth Amendment Rights Highlights Police Corruption, Feb. 15, 2025. Police Misconduct, Retaliation for Filing Grievances.
- Police Departments Are Now Using AI to Write Reports, Feb. 15, 2025. Police Misconduct, Computer Searches, Electronic Surveillance, Police/Govt Misconduct, Police Reports.
- California Court of Appeal Announces Defendants May Obtain Brady Evidence From Police Officers’ Personnel Files in Advance of § 1172.6 Hearing Requesting Vacatur of Conviction and Resentencing for Certain Types of Murder Convictions, Feb. 15, 2025. Disclosure of Records, Police, Brady Violations, Murder/Felony Murder, Resentencing, Prior Conviction/Sentence/Incarceration, Evidence - Admissibility.
- Chicago’s Police Body Cam Transparency, Feb. 1, 2025. Videotaping, Police, Police State-Surveillance.
- Corruption Charges Dropped Against Maryland Sheriff, Former Virginia Sheriff Headed to Trial, Dec. 15, 2024. Guard Misconduct, Police Misconduct.
- Two Former Georgia Sheriffs Sentenced for Misconduct, Related $5 Million Settlement Approved, Nov. 15, 2024. Police Misconduct, Settlements.
- Wisconsin District Attorneys’ Police Brady Lists Often Secret, Incomplete, or Nonexistent, Nov. 1, 2024. Police Misconduct, State Lists/Databases.
- Mistrial for Vermont Sheriff Who Kicked Shackled Detainee, Oct. 15, 2024. Police Misconduct, Mistrial Motion.
- Alabama Warden and Wife Busted for Making “Magic” Mushrooms, Oct. 15, 2024. Police Misconduct, War on Drugs.
- Study Finds That Black Americans Want Both Police Presence and Reform: Looking Beyond the Headlines, Oct. 1, 2024. Criminal justice system reform, Police, Racial Profiling.