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 David Reutter:

• Philadelphia Agrees to $9.1 Million Settlement for Wrongful Murder Conviction, Feb. 15, 2025
• ‘Fictional Pleas’ and ‘Hidden Departures’: Failure to Collect Data on Binding Federal Plea Bargains Hinders Researchers, Feb. 15, 2025
• First Circuit: Two-Level Enhancement Under § 3B1.1(c) for Leadership or Managerial Role Vacated Because Government Failed to Prove Defendant’s Order Was Actually ‘Obeyed’ by Fellow Criminal Participant, Feb. 15, 2025
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Holds Witness Wearing Surgical Mask During Pandemic Is Denial of Sixth Amendment Right to Face-to-Face Confrontation and No General Exception to This Right for Pandemic or ‘Other Global Events’ Such as Wars and Natural, Feb. 15, 2025
• The Murky Waters of Parole, Feb. 1, 2025
• California Prisoner Awarded Over $1.26 Million in Suit Challenging Withheld Legal Mail Which Resulted in Habeas Loss, Jan. 15, 2025
• Muslim New York Prisoner’s Free Exercise of Religion Claim Reinstated, Jan. 15, 2025
• Fourth Circuit: Baltimore County Prisoners May Qualify as Employees under FLSA, Jan. 15, 2025
• In Failure-to-Treat Claims, Wellpath Denied Dismissal in Virginia, Settles in Pennsylvania, Dec. 15, 2024
• Trends Show Mortality Risks Increase with Higher Jail Turnover Rates, Dec. 15, 2024

More from these topics:

• ‘Fictional Pleas’ and ‘Hidden Departures’: Failure to Collect Data on Binding Federal Plea Bargains Hinders Researchers, Feb. 15, 2025. Databases, Disclosure of Records, Public Records Act, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Third Circuit Grants Habeas Relief to Prisoner on Confrontation Clause and Ineffective Assistance Claims Based on Trial Court Reading Entire Criminal Information Into the Record of Co-Conspirator Who Pleaded Guilty, Feb. 15, 2025. Habeas Corpus, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Exculpatory No Doctrine, Confrontation Clause/Rights, Witnesses - Prior Statements/Testimony, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Guard Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force at Indiana Jail Sued Nine Times in Two Years, Jan. 15, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Kansas Supreme Court Announces Defendant-Witness Retains Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Compelled Self-Incrimination After Guilty Plea and Sentencing as Long as Testimony Sought Presents Legitimate Risk of Incrimination, Dec. 15, 2024. Self Incrimination, Self-Incrimination Clause, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• First Circuit Holds Government Breached Plea Agreement by Implicitly Arguing for Upward Variant Sentence by Including Pictures and Video of Defendant That Allegedly Depict His Criminal Tendencies in Sentencing Memo, Dec. 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Grounds for Variance, 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(2), Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas, Grounds.
• 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.
• Third Circuit Announces Claim of Innocence Does Not Resolve Whether Defendant Would Have Accepted Plea Offer Absent Counsel’s Error and Holds Counsel Ineffective for Failing to Properly Advise Defendant About Mandatory Sentences If Plea Offer Rejected, Dec. 15, 2024. Actual Innocence/Claim of Innocence, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Mandatory Minimum Sentence, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas, Rejection.
• Plea Deal Falls Apart for Accused 9/11 Masterminds, Dec. 15, 2024. Guard Brutality/Beatings, CIA, Guards/Staff, Torture, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Missouri Prisoner Executed After Making—and Losing—New Plea Deal, Oct. 15, 2024. Death Penalty/Death Row, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Virginia Supreme Court Announces Parties Are Free to Renegotiate Plea Agreement Not Already Accepted by Trial Court, Which May Not Enforce Original Plea Against Parties’ Wishes, Oct. 1, 2024. Awareness of Consequences, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas, Rejection, Validity of.