More from this issue:

1. Speed Trap Gold Mine, by Jayson Hawkins
2. Indirect DNA Transfer Can Result in Miscarriages of Justice, by David Reutter
3. Manhattan DA Launches Conviction Review Unit, by Jayson Hawkins
4. New Jersey Supreme Court Announces Framework for Determining Constitutionality of Warrantless Protective Sweep of Home Where Arrest Is Made Outside the Home, by Douglas Ankney
5. SCOTUS Holds AEDPA’s Restrictions on Habeas Relief Trump Federal Courts’ Authority Under All Writs Act, by Dale Chappell
6. FBI Gets New Mass Surveillance Tool, by Jayson Hawkins
7. Federal Habeas Corpus: Taking an Appeal After the Denial of Habeas Relief, by Dale Chappell
8. First Circuit Announces ‘Knowingly’ Violating § 922(g)(9) Requires Proof Defendant Knew He Belonged to Category of Persons Prohibited from Possessing Firearms, Mere Knowledge of ‘Features’ of Prior Offense Insufficient, by Richard Resch
9. How Many Federal Crimes Are There?, by Casey Bastian
10. Vaccine Passports Raise Privacy Issues and Create a Class of Undesirables, by David Reutter
11. First Circuit: Procedurally Unreasonable for District Court to Base Upward Variance on Defendant’s Prior Arrests, by Douglas Ankney
12. SCOTUS Holds Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery Not a ‘Crime of Violence’ Under a § 924(c)(3)(A), by Dale Chappell
13. Outdated Wiretap Law Gives Feds Easy Access to Metadata, by Anthony Accurso
14. Law Enforcement Refuse to Admit Most Forensic Science Is Junk Science, by Casey Bastian
15. California Court of Appeal: Exclusion of Expert Witness at SVP Trial as Remedy for Discovery Violation Constitutes Denial of Constitutional Due Process, by David Reutter
16. California Court of Appeal: Assembly Bill 124 Applies Retroactively and Includes Psychological Trauma Based Upon Mental Illness as Mitigating Factor Under § 1170(b)(6), by Harold Hempstead
17. Sixth Circuit Announces Full, Unconditional Pardon, Regardless of Issue of Innocence, Meets Heck Requirement of Invalidated Conviction; § 1983 Claims May Be Pursued, by Harold Hempstead
18. FBI Forces Suspect to Unlock Messaging App Using FaceID, by Anthony Accurso
19. Colorado Supreme Court Announces Courts Not Required to Address All 11 Brown Factors in Ruling on Defendant’s Motion for Continuance to Change Counsel, by Harold Hempstead
20. California Court of Appeal: New Law Requiring Bifurcated Trial on Gang Enhancements Applies Retroactively, by David Reutter
21. New Jersey Supreme Court Announces ‘Non-Transparent’ for Purposes of Tinted Window Violation Justifying Traffic Stop Means Front Windows Dark Enough That Police Can’t Clearly See People or Items Inside Vehicle, by Anthony Accurso
22. SCOTUS Announces Judge’s Error of Law Constitutes ‘Mistake’ for Purposes of Reopening a Case Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(1), by Dale Chappell
23. Sixth Circuit: Government Cannot Withdraw Consent to Lesser Included Charge After Defendant Pleaded Guilty but Court Reject Plea Agreement, by David Reutter
24. New Jersey Supreme Court: Defendant Did Not Voluntarily Waive Privilege Against Self-Incrimination Because Police Persistently Contradicted and Undermined Significance of Miranda During Interrogation, by Richard Resch
25. Connecticut Supreme Court Announces Trial Courts, Prospectively, Must Canvass Defendants Who Seek to Waive Right to Testify to Ensure Waiver Is Made Knowingly, Intelligently, and Voluntarily, by Anthony Accurso
26. Missouri Supreme Court: Defendant Entitled to ‘Castle Doctrine’ Jury Instruction Even Though Assailant Not Unlawfully in Vehicle at Very Moment of Use of Deadly Force, by Harold Hempstead
27. Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Expanding Scope of Traffic Stop to Investigate Occupant’s Pretrial Release Conditions Violates Minnesota Constitution, by Douglas Ankney
28. Sixth Circuit Reverses Denial of First Step Act Relief Because Sentence Imposed Is Substantively Unreasonable, by Douglas Ankney
29. San Francisco DA’s Inaugural Innocence Commission Frees Its First Victim of Wrongful Conviction, by Keith Sanders
30. Inextricably Intertwined: The Practice of Negotiated Pleas and the Rise of Mass Incarceration in America, by Casey Bastian
31. News in Brief
32. Use of Death Penalty Continues to Decline in the U.S., by Douglas Ankney
33. $670,000 Awarded to Use Virtual Reality to Evaluate Eyewitness Accuracy, by Jacob Barrett

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:

• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Odor of Burnt Cannabis Alone Is Insufficient to Establish Probable Cause for a Warrantless Vehicle Search, Feb. 1, 2025. Vehicle Searches, Probable/Proximate Cause, Warrantless Searches, Marijuana Laws/Issues.
• Wisconsin Supreme Court: Officer Violated Fourth Amendment by Exceeding Scope of Community Caretaking Function During Traffic Stop, Nov. 1, 2024. Traffic Stops, Terry Stops.
• Chicago PD Continues Racial Profiling While Underreporting Incidents of Traffic Stops, Nov. 1, 2024. Racial Profiling, Traffic Stops.
• Washington Court of Appeals Clarifies ‘Nexus’ Standard Authorizing Warrantless Searches of Parolees and Probationers, Sept. 1, 2024. Parole/Probation Searches, Nexus between crime and property, Warrantless Searches.
• Down with Big Brother: Warrantless Surveillance Makes a Mockery of the Constitution, Aug. 1, 2024. Police State-Surveillance, Warrantless Searches.
• California AB 2773 Requires Police to State Reason for Traffic Stops Before Questioning, May 15, 2024. Traffic stop, State Constitutional Claims, Pretextual Stops, Traffic Stops.
• Pharmacies Are Giving Your Prescription Data to Police Without a Warrant, April 15, 2024. Medication, Statistics/Trends, Warrantless Searches.
• California Court of Appeal: Traffic Stop Prolonged for Drug Dog Sniff Search Unrelated to ‘Mission’ of Stop Violates Fourth Amendment, April 15, 2024. Drug-Sniffing Dog, Traffic Stops.
• New York Court of Appeals Announces Traffic Stop of Bicyclist Is Seizure Under Both Fourth Amendment and State Constitution Requiring Reasonable Suspicion of Crime or Probable Cause of Traffic Violation, March 15, 2024. Traffic stop, Seizure, Freedom of Movement, Traffic Stops.
• Nebraska Supreme Court Announces Probation Search Unlawful When Conducted After Original Term Expired and Before Hearing on Extending Term, March 15, 2024. Parole/Probation Searches, Condition of Probation, Warrantless Searches.