More from this issue:

1. A Nation on the Brink, by Christopher Zoukis
2. Office of Homeland Security Circumventing Warrant Requirement by Buying Cellphone Location Data from Marketing Firm, by Anthony Accurso
3. From the Editor, by Richard Resch
4. Using Location Surveillance to Fight COVID-19 May Chill Free Speech and Association, by David Reutter
5. This Is Not a Revolution. It’s a Blueprint for Locking Down the Nation, by John W. Whitehead
6. Fourth Circuit Expands Savings Clause of § 2255(e) to Include Later Retroactivity of New Rule, by Dale Chappell
7. Seventh Circuit: Defendant’s Statement Given to Pretrial Services Can’t Be Admitted to Impeach Witness at Trial, by Douglas Ankney
8. California Court of Appeal Explains Procedural Requirements for Vacating Felony-Murder Conviction Via Section 1170.95 Petition, by Douglas Ankney
9. Police Violence Detrimental to Public Health, by Douglas Ankney
10. Congressmen File Amicus Brief Stressing Congressional Intent That First Step Act’s New Drug Laws Apply at Resentencing, by Dale Chappell
11. Indiana Supreme Court: Removal of Police’s GPS Tracker on Suspect’s Vehicle Not Probable Cause of Theft, Suppression of Evidence, by Anthony Accurso
12. New Hampshire Supreme Court: Police Violated Miranda in Obtaining First Statement, and State Failed to Prove Second Statement Was Voluntary, by Douglas Ankney
13. 5-Year Study Shows Police Stop Black Drivers Less Often at Night When ‘Veil of Darkness’ Obscures Race, by Douglas Ankney
14. Declassified Court Ruling Details FBI Abuses of Mass Surveillance Data, by Anthony Accurso
15. Second Circuit: Three Important Rulings Under First Step Act, by Dale Chappell
16. Marijuana Possession in Virginia Remains Illegal But Is Decriminalized, by Douglas Ankney
17. Eleventh Circuit Holds Hobbs Act Robbery Doesn’t Trigger Career Offender Enhancement, by Dale Chappell
18. COVID-19 Creates Opportunity for Big Brother in the Sky, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
19. Biden Accuser Accused of Inflating Credentials to Qualify as Expert Witness, Calling Convictions into Question, by Derek Gilna
20. Perjurous New York City Cop Sentenced to a Single Day in Jail, by Edward Lyon
21. Nebraska Supreme Court: Multiple Theft Charges for Stealing Items Belonging to Several People at Same Time and Place Violates Double Jeopardy, by Dale Chappell
22. Fourth Circuit: Standalone Rehaif Error Requires Automatic Vacatur of Guilty Plea, by David Reutter
23. Is the Death Penalty Slowly Dying Across the Nation?, by Chad Marks
24. Joint State-Federal Task Forces Practice Rogue Justice Under Protection of Qualified Immunity, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
25. Colorado Supreme Court: Requiring Defense to Disclose Exhibits to Prosecution Before Trial Violates Due Process Rights, by Dale Chappell
26. Iowa Supreme Court Orders Dismissal of Charges that State Brought in Breach of Plea Agreement, by Douglas Ankney
27. Justice Office Awards $145 Million in Forensic Science Grants, by Anthony Accurso
28. Carpenter Slowly Remaking Fourth Amendment Case Law, by Anthony Accurso
29. California Federal Court Rejects Plea Agreement’s Waiver of Compassionate Release Provision, by David Reutter
30. Aggressive NYPD Police Tactics Spreading COVID-19, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
31. COVID-19 Causing Some Pretrial Detainees to Spend More Time in Jail, by Douglas Ankney
32. California Supreme Court Announces Sentencing Law Changes Apply Until Revocation Sentence Becomes Final, by Anthony Accurso
33. NY Court of Appeals: Right to Review Suppression Decision When Decision Relates Solely to a Count Satisfied by Plea but Isn’t Count to Which Defendant Pled, by Douglas Ankney
34. Report: Cops Ill-Equipped to Handle Mental Illness Crisis in Hospitals, by Edward Lyon
35. Plenty of Practice Prevents Poor Police Performance, by Edward Lyon
36. Fifth Circuit Clarifies How ‘Pronouncement Requirement’ Applies to Supervision Conditions, by Douglas Ankney
37. First Circuit: Sentence Imposed Under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(c) Is ‘Covered Offense’ Under § 404 of First Step Act, by Douglas Ankney
38. Minnesota Supreme Court: Hotel Guests Have Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Registry Information, by Douglas Ankney
39. Sixth Circuit: Courts May Consider Good Prison Conduct in Sentence Reduction Under First Step Act, by Dale Chappell
40. DNA Database of NYC’s Chief Medical Examiner Plagued with Errors, by Douglas Ankney
41. South Carolina Supreme Court Rejects U.S. Supreme Court’s Shifting of Burden to Defendant to Prove Absence of Exigent Circumstances in DUI Cases, by Douglas Ankney
42. Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Expired Vehicle Registration Isn’t ‘Breach of the Peace’ Justifying Traffic Stop, by Douglas Ankney
43. Report: Risk Assessment Tools not Effective, Especially When not Used, by Kevin Bliss
44. Sixth Circuit: District Court’s Refusal to Reduce Crack Sentence Under First Step Act Requires Justification, by Dale Chappell
45. Florida Supreme Court Abandons Circumstantial Evidence Review Standard, by David Reutter
46. Courts Oppose Prosecutors’ Attempts to Right Past Wrongs, by Douglas Ankney
47. No Trust Between Police and Communities They Patrol, by Kevin Bliss
48. COVID-19 May Ring in a New Era of High-Tech Private Policing, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
49. North Carolina Supreme Court: Giving Finger to Police Not Disorderly Conduct Justifying Traffic Stop, by Dale Chappell
50. New Technique Separates Mixed DNA Evidence to Tell Suspects from Victims, by Dale Chappell
51. Feds Ramp up Purchase of Riot Gear in Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic, by Douglas Ankney
52. Army Veteran Serving Life Without Parole for Taking $9, by Douglas Ankney
53. Sixth Circuit Vacates Firearms Possession Conviction; Government Showed Jury Unauthenticated Prejudicial Facebook Video Not Admitted as Evidence, by Matthew Clarke
54. News in Brief

More from Douglas Ankney:

• Community Supervision: America’s Hidden Wellspring to Mass Incarceration, Feb. 15, 2025
• Rikers Island Continues Long Practice of Denying Education to Young Adults, Feb. 15, 2025
• Monterey County Pays $1 Million to Settle Suit Over Detainee Suicide by Toilet Tissue; Wellpath Pays Another Undisclosed Sum, Feb. 15, 2025
• Sixth Circuit Revives Challenge by Kentucky Prisoner Left Three Weeks in “Rancid” Paper Undershorts, Feb. 15, 2025
• California Court of Appeal: Evidence Insufficient to Show Robbery Victim Moved ‘Substantial Distance’ to Support Simple Kidnapping Conviction and Amendments to § 186.22 Require Vacatur of Gang Enhancements, Feb. 15, 2025
• Fourth Circuit Revives Claims Against Virginia Jailers by Detainee They Allegedly Manhandled While Handcuffed, Feb. 15, 2025
• Fourth Circuit Reinstates North Carolina Prisoner’s Failure-to-Protect Claim Against Guard in Stabbing, Feb. 15, 2025
• Minnesota Supreme Court Announces No Duty to Retreat When Using Reasonable Force in Defense of Another and Provides Framework for Analyzing Such Claims, Feb. 1, 2025
• NIJ Partners With Doctor to Develop Better Screening Method to Detect and Identify Drugs Postmortem, Jan. 15, 2025
• Fines and Fees Destroy the Impoverished and Perpetuate Mass Incarceration, Jan. 15, 2025

More from these topics:

• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Dismissal by Nolle Prosequi as Part of Agreement Bars State From Bringing Second Prosecution Where Defendant Satisfied Obligations and Reverses Empire Actor Jussie Smollett’s Conviction, Dec. 15, 2024. Double jeopardy, Breach of Plea/Coop./Immunity Agreements, Dismissal, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Ninth Circuit Clarifies ‘Implicit Breach’ Case Law Regarding When Government Breaches Plea Agreement by Responding to Defendant’s Request for Downward Variant Sentence, Oct. 1, 2024. Sentencing Goals/Purposes/Practices, Breach of Plea/Coop./Immunity Agreements, Breach of trust, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Pennsylvania Prisoner Smuggles Cellphones, Federal Prosecutor Breaches Plea Bargain, Sept. 15, 2024. Searches - Cellphones/Computers/Internet, Breach of Plea/Coop./Immunity Agreements.
• Second Circuit: Money Concealment Guilty Plea Vacated for Lack of Evidence to Support Factual Finding of Required Mens Rea, Jan. 15, 2024. Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas, Offense of Conviction, Acceptance/Rejection by the Court, Validity of.
• Eighth Circuit: Government Breached Plea Agreement by Relying on Pre-Plea Conduct to Dispute Acceptance of Responsibility Despite Acknowledging Defendant Qualified for Credit in Agreement, July 15, 2022. Breach of Plea/Coop./Immunity Agreements, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Man Rejects Plea Deal and Is Sentenced to 110 Years in Colorado Prison for Doing So, March 15, 2022. Acceptance/Rejection by the Court.
• D.C. Circuit: Government Breached Plea Agreement by Violating Ambiguous Terms, Ambiguities Resolved in Favor of Defendants, Sentence Vacated, Jan. 15, 2022. Breach of Plea/Coop./Immunity Agreements.
• "Eighth Circuit: Government Breached Plea Agreement by Endorsing PSR’s Calculation of Higher Base Offense Level Than Plea Agreement, Curing Breach Not Recognized in Circuit", Oct. 15, 2021. Breach of Plea/Coop./Immunity Agreements.
• North Carolina Supreme Court: Judge May Not Reject Informed Guilty Plea Because Defendant Refuses to Admit He’s Factually Guilty, March 15, 2021. Refusal to assist, Plea Allocutions, Acceptance/Rejection by the Court.
• South Carolina Supreme Court: State Cannot Appeal Guilty Plea, July 15, 2020. Appeals/Appellate Jurisdiction, Acceptance/Rejection by the Court.