More from this issue:

1. Felony Murder: The Crotchet of American Murder Jurisprudence, by Douglas Ankney
2. Comply or Die: The Only Truly Compliant Person in a Police State Is a Dead One, by John W. Whitehead
3. Reverse Location Warrants Neglect Particularity Requirement, by Casey Bastian
4. Cops Increasingly Use Amazon Ring to Target Protestors, by Dale Chappell
5. Debunked Bite-Mark Comparison Evidence: Wrongfully Convicted Man Freed After Spending Over 25 Years on Death Row, by Casey Bastian
6. $1.4 Million for Nevada Man Wrongly Imprisoned Over 20 Years, by Dale Chappell
7. Data: NYPD Still Using Chokeholds Despite Ban, by Kevin Bliss
8. New Book Scrutinizes Data-Driven Policing
9. Sixth Circuit Orders New Trial and Reassigns Case to Different Judge Where District Court’s Mishandling Deprived Defendants of Meaningful Opportunity to Prove Juror Bias, by Douglas Ankney
10. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Invalidates Parole Regulation Prohibiting Aggregation of Life Sentences With Consecutive Sentences, by Matthew Clarke
11. It’s Time to Reconsider Consent Searches, by Anthony Accurso
12. Austin, Texas, Diverting Funds From Police to Transform Community, by Edward Lyon
13. Philadelphia’s Progressive Reform-Minded DA Has Made Tremendous Strides – But Are They Enough to Win Reelection?, by Douglas Ankney
14. Extreme Prosecutorial Misconduct Results in Wrist Slap, by Edward Lyon
15. Study: Reduced Pretrial Incarceration Doesn’t Diminish Public Safety, by Casey Bastian
16. When Police Body Cam Is a ‘Propaganda Tool’, by Edward Lyon
17. Internet-Connected Devices and the Fourth Amendment, by Anthony Accurso
18. Are Police Playing Copyrighted Music to Prevent Live Streaming?, by Anthony Accurso
19. Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Meaning of ‘Mentally Incapacitated’ Regarding Consent to Sexual Contact, by Douglas Ankney
20. Leaving Digital Trails, by Jayson Hawkins
21. Fourth Circuit: Police Description of ‘More Deliberate’ Second Handshake Than First Handshake Doesn’t Give Rise to Reasonable Suspicion of Drug Transaction Justifying Terry Stop, by Douglas Ankney
22. Tenth Circuit: Firearm Seizure Not Justified After Inventory Search Is Abandoned, by Anthony Accurso
23. Study Shows Innocent People Choose False Guilty Pleas and False Testimony to Gain Benefits, by David Reutter
24. Washington Supreme Court Reaffirms Workman’s Lesser Included Offense Test and Clarifies Confusion in its Application, by Douglas Ankney
25. Report: Police More Aggressive at Leftwing Rallies, by Kevin Bliss
26. Eleventh Circuit: Lawyer’s Purposeful Late Filing of Habeas Petition Grounds for Equitable Tolling, by Dale Chappell
27. Washington Supreme Court Announces State’s Strict-Liability Drug Possession Law Is Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
28. California Supreme Court Announces Conditioning Pretrial Release on Ability to Afford Bail Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
29. Ohio Supreme Court: Touching ‘Fog Line’ Doesn’t Justify Traffic Stop, by Douglas Ankney
30. Sixth Circuit Follows Trend of Reigning in Commentary’s Impermissible Expansion of Sentencing Guidelines, by Douglas Ankney
31. Nevada Supreme Court Announces Felon’s Possession of Multiple Firearms at One Time and Place Is Only Single Violation of State Statute, by Douglas Ankney
32. New Hampshire Supreme Court: Defendant Had Subjective and Objective Expectation of Privacy in Apartment Building’s Utility Closet in Common Areas, Evidence Suppressed, by Anthony Accurso
33. Online Records Impose Digital Punishment for Millions, by Anthony Accurso
34. Study: Militarizing Police Doesn’t Shrink Crime Rates, by Jayson Hawkins
35. Georgia Supreme Court: Cumulative Effect of Trial Errors Requires Reversal of Murder Conviction, by Matthew Clarke
36. Fourth Circuit Finally Holds Davis Retroactive, by Dale Chappell
37. The Costs of the War on Drugs, by Jayson Hawkins
38. Tennessee Supreme Court Clarifies Inevitable Discovery Doctrine in Raid of Home to Execute Arrest Warrant, by Anthony Accurso
39. $27 Million Settlement for George Floyd’s Family, by Jayson Hawkins
40. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Speculation Insufficient to Trigger ‘Forfeiture by Wrongdoing’ Exception to Confrontation Clause, by Dale Chappell
41. Second Circuit: No Qualified Immunity for Police Detaining and Frisking Man Based Solely on Unconfirmed Hunch, by Matthew Clarke
42. Colorado Supreme Court Suppresses Evidence on Cellphone Obtained Via Invalid Warrant, Not Cured by Obtaining Second Valid Warrant, by Anthony Accurso
43. News in Brief

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:

• 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.
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Habeas Relief in ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case, Feb. 1, 2025. junk science, Habeas Corpus, Forensic Sciences, Child Abuse/Abusers, Evidence - Admissibility.
• Maryland Supreme Court Clarifies Process for Admitting Co-Conspirator’s Hearsay Statements During Police Interview Under ‘Declaration Against Penal Interest’ Exception, Trial Court Must ‘Parse’ Interview to Determine Admissibility of Each Statement, Feb. 1, 2025. Standard of Review, Police Interrogations, Evidence - Admissibility, Hearsay Evidence, Co-conspirator Statements.
• Ninth Circuit Announces ‘Hate Crime’ Sentence Enhancement Under Guidelines § 3A1.1(a) Requires Finding Defendant Motivated by Hate or Animus, Feb. 1, 2025. Hate Crimes, Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Evidence - Admissibility.
• Eighth Circuit: Evidentiary Admissibility Is a “Red Herring” At Class Certification of St. Louis Jail Conditions Challenge, Jan. 15, 2025. Classification, Conditions of Confinement, Class Certification, Class Actions, Evidence - Admissibility.
• Arkansas Supreme Court Announces Petition for Testing Forensic Evidence Based on Advances in Technology Under Act 1780 of 2001 May Be Filed by Anyone Convicted of a Crime, Not Just Those Still in State Custody, Dec. 1, 2024. Forensic Sciences, Evidence - Admissibility.
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Announces Prosecution’s Duty to Provide Discoverable Evidence Upon Request Applies to Discoverable Items in Law Enforcement Agencies’ Possession Unbeknownst to Prosecution and Exclusion Is Appropriate Remedy for Violation, Dec. 1, 2024. Brady Violations, Evidence - Admissibility.
• Researchers Discover Wire-Cutting Evidence Is Too Unreliable for Court, Aug. 1, 2024. junk science, Forensic Sciences, Evidence - Admissibility.
• Maryland Supreme Court Announces Expectation of Privacy Covers Electronic Data, Not Physical Devices, Thus War-rantless Search of Government’s Copy of Defendant’s Hard Drive After Consent Revoked Violated Fourth Amendment, Jan. 15, 2024. Consent, Cell-Phone Location/Tracking Data, Digital Devices, Privacy Act/Rights.
• Study: ‘Inconclusive Finding’ by Examiner of Cartridge Casing Should Be Finding of ‘Excluded’ 85% of the Time, Nov. 1, 2023. junk science, Evidence - Admissibility, Factual Disputes/Findings.