More from this issue:

1. The Pseudoscientific Practice of Blood Spatter Analysis How the Desire for Convictions Drives Flawed Prosecutions, by Anthony Accurso
2. Tennessee County Disproportionately Jails Black Children, and It’s Not Getting Better, by Jacob Barrett
3. Digital Tyranny: Beware of the Government’s Push for a Digital Currency, by Nisha Whitehead, John W. Whitehead
4. California Court of Appeal: Fifth Amendment Violation Where Police Use Two-Step Interrogation in Deliberate Strategy to Circumvent Miranda, by Richard Resch
5. Seventh Circuit: Four-Year Delay in Filing Appeal Excused Habeas Exhaustion Requirement Because Any Further Attempts for Postconviction Remedies in State Court Would Have Been Futile, by Dale Chappell
6. Ninth Circuit: IAC for Failure to Engage Mental Health Expert and Testing, State PCR Court’s Decision Contrary to Federal Law and Defective Factfinding, Habeas Relief Granted, by Dale Chappell
7. Hawaii Supreme Court: Due Process Violation to Exclude Evidence of Victim’s BAC in Assault Case in Which Defendant Claims Self-Defense, by Matthew Clarke
8. Sixth Circuit: Courts May Consider Nonretroactive Change in Law as One of Several Factors for Extraordinary and Compelling Circumstances for Compassionate Release, by Matthew Clarke
9. Maryland Court of Appeals Announces Accepting Empaneled Jury Doesn’t Waive Prior Objection to Trial Court’s Refusal to Propound a Voir Dire Question, by Douglas Ankney
10. United States Has Four Percent of the Global Population and Over Thirteen Percent of Global Deaths at the Hands of Law Enforcement, by Casey Bastian
11. I, Robot, Am The LAW!, by J.D. Schmidt
12. Thanks to Homeowner’s Private Security Camera Catching Cops’ Blatant Misconduct, He’s a Free Man, by Douglas Ankney
13. SCOTUS Rejects Government’s Interpretation of the ACCA’s ‘Occasions Clause’ That Would Make It Possible to Become ‘a Career Criminal in the Space of a Minute’, by Richard Resch
14. Kentucky Supreme Court: Officer’s History of Arresting Defendant on Multiple Occasions Constituted ‘Show of Authority’ That Defendant Was Not Free to Leave, Resulting in Unlawful Terry Stop, by Anthony Accurso
15. Connecticut Supreme Court: Trial Court Abused Discretion by Limiting Self-Represented Defendant’s Direct Examination Regarding Risk of Injury to a Child, by Matthew Clarke
16. Fifth Circuit Affirms Habeas Relief and New Trial Based on Counsel’s Failure to Interview State’s Key Eyewitness in Murder Case, by Dale Chappell
17. Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Confession Must Be Corroborated by Independent Evidence Crime Occurred, Rejects Federal ‘Trustworthiness Standard’ for Corpus Delicti Rule, by Douglas Ankney
18. Crushing Whistleblowers, by Jayson Hawkins
19. California Court of Appeal Orders New Trial Due to Jurors Considering Potential Penalty During Guilt Phase of Deliberations, by Douglas Ankney
20. Colorado Supreme Court Announces Parents’ Income That’s Unavailable to Defendant Who Lives With Them Expense-Free Not Included in Indigency Determination for Court-Appointed Counsel, by Matthew Clarke
21. FOIA Request Reveals How the FBI Obtains and Analyzes Cellular Provider Data, by Anthony Accurso
22. Vermont Supreme Court: Under Totality of Circumstances, Police Interview of Defendant in Store Parking Lot Was ‘Custodial Interrogation,’ Triggering Requirement for Miranda Warnings, by Anthony Accurso
23. Facbook Reminds Police, No Dummy Accounts for Surveillance, by Anthony Accurso
24. Government Drones Compromise National Security, yet the NYPD Uses Them, by Ashleigh Dye
25. LASD Defends Practice of Stopping Latino Bicyclists, Says People Using Bikes for Transportation Are Generally Criminals, by Douglas Ankney
26. News in Brief
27. Discredited Narcotics Unit Revamped as Firearms Unit, by Douglas Ankney

More from Richard Resch:

• From the Editor, Dec. 15, 2024
• New York Court of Appeals Overturns Harvey Weinstein’s Convictions Based on Trial Court Rulings That Admitted Prejudicial ‘Prior Bad Acts’ Into Evidence and Violated His Right to Testify in His Own Defense, June 15, 2024
• SCOTUS: Reiterates Jury Verdict of Acquittal for Any Reason Bars Retrial Under Double Jeopardy Clause of Fifth Amendment, May 15, 2024
• Fourth Circuit: Defendant Entitled to Discovery and Evidentiary Hearing on § 2255 Petition to Withdraw Guilty Plea Because It Was Not Knowingly and Voluntarily Made, March 15, 2024
• 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
• First Circuit Announces It Has Authority to Raise Claim of Error Sua Sponte for Violation of ‘Mandate Rule’ by Sentenc-ing Court on Remand, Jan. 15, 2024
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Clarifies Application of ‘Estoppel’ in Plea Bargain Context and Holds Trial Court Lacked Jurisdiction to Revoke Community Supervision After Statutory Term Expired, Dec. 15, 2023
• Seventh Circuit Announces Procedures for Addressing ‘Facially Questionable Warrant’ Due to ‘Material Handwritten Alterations’ Unsigned or Initialed by Issuing Judge, Dec. 15, 2023
• Colorado Supreme Court Announces ‘Self-Serving Hearsay’ Statements Introduced Under Rule of Completeness Not Hearsay and Do Not Render Defendant Impeachable, Nov. 1, 2023
• New York Court of Appeals Suppresses Evidence Because Police Lacked Reasonable Suspicion Necessary for Level 3 Stop and Frisk Under De Bour Framework, Oct. 1, 2023

More from these topics:

• Seventh Circuit Announces Safety Valve Relief Under § 3553(f) Is Narrower Than Guidelines Firearms Enhancement Under § 2D1.1(b)(1), District Court Erred by Conflating Them, May 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Possession or Use of Firearms, Vicarious Liability, Safety Valve.
• Eleventh Circuit Announces Defendant May Not Be Sentenced to Home Confinement for Violating Terms of Supervised Release When Sentenced to Statutory Maximum Period of Imprisonment for the Violation, Dec. 15, 2023. Community Confinement/Home Detention, Supervised Release - Imposition of New Term, Offense Statutory Maximum, Sentence, Statutory Maximum.
• Fourth Circuit Announces Rehaif Applies to All § 922(g) Firearms-Possession Offenses and Applies Retroactively to Initial § 2255 Motions, June 15, 2023. Firearms Owners' Protection Act, Possession or Use of Firearms, Knowingly and Voluntarily Made.
• 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, Aug. 15, 2022. Possession or Use of Firearms, Knowingly and Voluntarily Made.
• Fourth Circuit: South Carolina Marijuana Law Not a Categorical Match to Federal Law for ACCA Sentencing, July 15, 2022. War on Drugs, Offense Statutory Maximum, Marijuana Laws/Issues.
• Third Circuit, Joining Every Other Circuit That’s Addressed the Issue, Holds Hobbs Act Robbery Does Not Qualify as ‘Crime of Violence’, March 15, 2022. Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, Possession or Use of Firearms, Hobbs Act.
• 11th Circuit: District Court Must Demonstrate It Considered § 3553(a) Factors When Denying Motion for Compassionate Release, Sept. 15, 2021. Offense Statutory Maximum, Compassionate Release.
• Fourth Circuit: RICO Conspiracy Isn’t ‘Crime of Violence’ for § 924(c) Purposes, Sept. 15, 2021. RICO, Possession or Use of Firearms, Gang Membership.
• The Many Roads to Relief Under Borden, Aug. 15, 2021. Mandatory Minimum Sentence, Possession or Use of Firearms.
• Nevada Supreme Court Announces Felon’s Possession of Multiple Firearms at One Time and Place Is Only Single Violation of State Statute, May 15, 2021. Possession or Use of Firearms.