More from this issue:

1. Blue Lies Matter, by Nia T. Evans
2. Missouri Supreme Court: Witness’ Two-Way Live Video Feed Testimony Violates Confrontation Clause, by Jacob Barrett
3. Federal Habeas Corpus: Jurisdictional Pitfalls When Seeking Habeas Relief, by Dale Chappell
4. New Jersey Supreme Court: Description of Race and Gender of Robbery Suspects, Without More, Doesn’t Constitute Reasonable Suspicion for Investigatory Traffic Stop of Black Motorists, by Mark Wilson
5. Commentary: Attacking the Guilty Plea—Court Cautions More Time Possible in Child Porn Case if Post-Conviction Motion Successful, by Dale Chappell
6. SCOTUS: No Procedural-Default Exceptions to Excuse Federal Habeas Evidentiary Hearing Bar, by Dale Chappell
7. Ohio Supreme Court: Constitutionality of Indeterminate Sentence Under Reagan Tokes Law May Be Challenged on Direct Appeal, by David M. Reutter
8. Idaho Supreme Court: Telephonic Testimony Violated Defendant’s Sixth Amendment Right to Confrontation, by David M. Reutter
9. Ninth Circuit Holds Statute Criminalizing Encouraging or Inducing Alien to Reside in U.S. Is Overbroad and Facially Unconstitutional, by Mark Wilson
10. Federal Prosecutors Directed to Stop Obtaining Compassionate Release Waivers From Defendants During Plea Agreements and to Not Enforce Previously Obtained Waivers, by Harold Hempstead
11. Cop Training Other Cops to Use Facial Recognition to ID Individuals During Traffic Stops, by Anthony Accurso
12. Seventh Circuit: District Court’s Failure to Exercise Discretion After Erroneously Finding Defendant Ineligible for Relief Under First Step Act Was Abuse of Discretion, by Douglas Ankney
13. Seventh Circuit Vacates Sentence Where District Court’s Rationale for Defendant’s Offense Level Unclear, by Douglas Ankney
14. Supreme Court of Iowa: Sentence Vacated Because Prosecution Failed to Follow Spirit of Plea Agreement Requiring Recommendation of Suspended Sentence, by David M. Reutter
15. California Court of Appeal: Trial Court Violated Humphrey by Setting High Bail Without Considering Financial Condition of Defendant or Nonfinancial Conditions of Release, by Matthew Clarke
16. U.S. Treasury Bypasses Fourth Amendment by Buying Location Data for Law Enforcement Purposes, by Anthony Accurso
17. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Announces Coty’s ‘Inference-of-Falsity’ Framework Extended to Apply to Police Officers With Established History of Falsifying Evidence in Drug Cases, by Richard Resch
18. The Feds Are Monitoring Messaging Apps, and Some Are Shockingly Unsecure, by Anthony Accurso
19. Cops in Virginia Beach Used Fake DNA Reports During Interrogations, by Douglas Ankney
20. Tenth Circuit Vacates Special Conditions of Supervised Release Where District Court Failed to Make Appropriate Findings and Provide Adequate Explanation, by Douglas Ankney
21. Fourth Circuit: Good Cause Not Required to Withdraw Consent to Magistrate Judge’s Jurisdiction Prior to Other Parties Consenting, by Harold Hempstead
22. Kentucky Supreme Court: Traffic Stop Impermissibly Extended Where Officer Stopped Writing Citation to Aid Drug-Detection Dog’s Sniff of Vehicle’s Exterior, by Anthony Accurso
23. New Jersey Supreme Court: Youth May Be Considered as a Mitigating Factor but Not Aggravating Factor in Sentencing, by David Reutter
24. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Announces Overruled Motion for New Trial May Be Amended With Court’s Leave Within 30-Day Period After Sentenced Imposed, by Matthew Clarke
25. Tenth Circuit Announces District Court Abused Discretion by Imposing Harsher Sentence Based on Defendant’s Decision to Plead Guilty Without Plea Agreement, by David Reutter
26. Expert Forensic Testimony Flawed by Implicit Racial Bias, by Casey Bastian
27. Oregon Becomes 38th State to Enact Wrongful Conviction Compensation Law, by Mark Wilson
28. Federal Officers Can Violate Civil Rights With Near Impunity - Supreme Court’s Refusal to Consider New Bivens Contexts Provides Protection to Those Who Abuse Their Authority, by Casey Bastian
29. Organization Created Platform to Log Police Misconduct in North Carolina, by Ashleigh Dye
30. A Union Scandal Landed Hundreds of NYPD Officers on a Secret Watchlist. That Hasn’t Stopped Some From Jeopardizing Cases., by Jake Pearson
31. Police Outsourcing Reduces Transparency, by Anthony Accurso
32. COVID-19 Measures Do Not Interfere with Jurors’ Ability to Distinguish Between Truth and Lies, by Casey Bastian
33. The Right to be Forgotten, by David Reutter
34. Oregon Bans Pre-Conviction Mugshot Public Disclosure, by Mark Wilson
35. Racially Disparate Sentencing Patterns Prevalent Amongst Federal Judges, by Casey Bastian
36. What Happened When Oakland Tried to Make Police Pay For Misconduct Decades Ago, by Akintunde Ahmad
37. Council of State Governments Initiates Efforts to Reduce Barriers to Employment for the Formerly Incarcerated, by Douglas Ankney
38. 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:

• 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.
• Dogs Are Sniffing Out Electronics, Aug. 1, 2024. Cell Searches, Searches - Cellphones/Computers/Internet, Drug-Sniffing Dog, Electronic Surveillance.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fifth Circuit: Fourth Amendment Seizure Occurred When Officer Pulled Behind Parked Vehicle, Activated Emergency Lights, and Simultaneously Ordered Suspect to Remain in Vehicle, Dec. 15, 2023. Search and Seizure, Searches - Automobile, Seizure, Freedom of Movement, Traffic Stops.
• Cops Aren’t Just Murdering People With Impunity – They Also Conduct Bogus Traffic Stops, June 15, 2023. Excessive Force (Police), Traffic Stops, Immunity - Absolute and Qualified.
• Ohio Supreme Court: Good-Faith Exception to Exclusionary Rule Inapplicable to Warrant Based on Affidavit Stating Cellphones Found at Scene of Traffic Crash ‘May’ Contain Evidence, May 15, 2023. Traffic Stops, Good Faith Exception, Exclusionary Rule.
• Idaho Supreme Court: Drug-Detection Dog Conducted Warrantless Search by Placing Paws on Exterior of Vehicle to Sniff for Drugs, April 15, 2023. Traffic stop, Drug-Sniffing Dog, Warrantless Searches.