More from this issue:

1. The Debunking of Forensic Science: A Decade of Increased Scrutiny Reveals Forensic Processes Prone to Bias and Error, by Casey Bastian
2. California Court of Appeal: At Felony-Murder Resentencing Hearing, Court May Not Deny Relief Based on Findings That Are Inconsistent With Previous Acquittal, by Douglas Ankney
3. You’d Better Watch Out: The Surveillance State Is Making a List, and You’re On It, by Nisha Whitehead, John W. Whitehead
4. Montana Supreme Court: Odor of Marijuana by Itself Insufficient to Prolong Traffic Stop, by Anthony Accurso
5. Fifth Circuit: ‘Nonsubstantial Overcrowding’ of Vehicle Used in Transporting Illegal Aliens Insufficient for Imposition of Sentencing Enhancement Under Guidelines § 2L1.1(b)(6), by Douglas Ankney
6. California Court of Appeal: Kill-Zone Theory Principles Articulated in Canizales Are Retroactive to Judgments That Were Final at Time of Decision, by Jacob Barrett
7. Florida Supreme Court Announces Completed ‘Purchase’ of Drugs Under Trafficking Statute Requires Exchange of Money and Possession, by David Reutter
8. Police Digitally Frame Activists in India, but It Can Happen Anywhere, by Jayson Hawkins
9. Eleventh Circuit: Prosecutor Denied Absolute Prosecutorial Immunity for Failure to Ensure Cancellation of Material Witness Warrant, by David Reutter
10. Fifth Circuit: District Court Erred in Finding That a Fourth Amendment Stop Did Not Occur, by Harold Hempstead
11. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Where Trial Counsel Believed, Erroneously, He Had Ethical Duty to Tell Prosecution Location of Key Incriminating Evidence Not in Counsel’s Possession, by Douglas Ankney
12. Los Angeles: Police Union Resists Changes to Pretextual Stops, by Jayson Hawkins
13. Police Find It Easier to Influence Public Opinion Than to Protect and Serve, by Benjamin Tschirhart
14. Tenth Circuit: Unreasonable Determination of Downward Variance of Guidelines Resulted in Plain Error, by David Reutter
15. Ninth Circuit Suppresses Evidence as Fruit of the Poisonous Tree Where Officer Lacked Probable Cause to Arrest Man Who Displayed Handgun in Open Carry State, by Douglas Ankney
16. California Court of Appeal Announces the People Are Not Entitled to Have Privately Retained Psychological Expert Testify at Trial of SVPA Petition, by Douglas Ankney
17. Connecticut Supreme Court Announces ‘John Doe’ Warrant Based on Suspect’s General Description and Partial DNA Profiles, Which May or May Not Include Suspect’s DNA, Fails to Satisfy ‘Particularity Requirement’ of Fourth Amendment, by Douglas Ankney
18. Tenth Circuit: Prisoner Convicted of Covered Drug Offense but Sentenced to Mandatory Life Sentence Via Cross Reference for Murder Under Pre-Booker Guidelines Has Standing to Request First Step Act Sentence Reduction, by Douglas Ankney
19. NYC: The First DNA Gun Crimes Unit in America, by Harold Hempstead
20. Sixth Circuit: Unarmed Bank Robber Who Ordered Tellers to Get on the Floor Not Subject to Enhancement for Physical Restraint, by Matthew Clarke
21. Traditional Forensic Ballistics Comparisons Giving Way to Virtual 3D Methods, by Casey Bastian
22. The National Registry of Exonerations 2021 Annual Report: 161 Exonerations Comprising 1,849 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment, by Casey Bastian
23. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Ends Practice of Juvenile Courts Granting Continuances for Sole Purpose of Extending Delinquent’s Period of Detention, by Douglas Ankney
24. Mislabeling of Marijuana Products Is a National Problem, by Kevin Bliss
25. Review of Prior Research Identifies Three Main Sources of Bias in Jury Decision-Making Processes, by Casey Bastian
26. Police Foundations: The Impossible Task of Separating the World of Policing From the World of Corporate Money, by Casey Bastian
27. People Convicted of Sex Crimes Remain Incarcerated 25 Years After Completing Their Prison Sentences, by Douglas Ankney
28. Charlotte Is Ground Zero for New FBI Asset Forfeiture Tip Line Program, by Casey Bastian
29. News in Brief
30. Theft of Public Funds or Accounting Incompetence? Kansas Police Agencies Can’t Accurately Track Property Forfeitures, by Jacob Barrett

More from David Reutter:

• Help Wanted: 31,000 Prison Guard Jobs Open Nationwide, Sept. 1, 2025
• Fifth Circuit Greenlights Federal Takeover of Mississippi Jail, Aug. 1, 2025
• Ninth Circuit Revives Prisoner’s Claim Based on Guard’s 
Thwarting of Administrative Remedies, Aug. 1, 2025
• Tenth Circuit Ruling Paves Way for $2.7 Million Settlement 
for Intellectually Disabled Jail Detainee Raped by Sheriff, Aug. 1, 2025
• Ninth Circuit Agrees That Former Guantanamo Detainee 
Lacks Grounds to Sue for Waterboarding, Aug. 1, 2025
• Qualified Immunity Denied for Iowa Prison Doctor’s MRI Delay 
for Non-Medical Reasons, Aug. 1, 2025
• Ninth Circuit: Continuing-Violations Doctrine Applies 
for PLRA Administrative Exhaustion Purposes, Aug. 1, 2025
• First Circuit: Prosecutor’s Breach of Plea Agreement 
Requires Government’s Specific Performance of Agreement, 
Not Specific Performance by District Court, Aug. 1, 2025
• Oregon Prisoners Can Now Seek Economic Damages 
for Future Lost Income More Easily, July 15, 2025
• $22.5 Million Verdict Arrives Too Late for 
Wrongfully Convicted Illinois Prisoner, July 15, 2025

More from these topics:

• U.S. Sentencing Commission Adopts 2025 Amendments 
to Resolve Circuit Conflicts, Aug. 1, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Criminal History, Arrest/Arraignment, Sentence Enhancements/Departures.
• Summary of the 2025 Drug Offenses Amendment 
by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Aug. 1, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Methamphetamine, Drug Mule, Machine Guns, Safety Valve.
• First Circuit: Prosecutor’s Breach of Plea Agreement 
Requires Government’s Specific Performance of Agreement, 
Not Specific Performance by District Court, Aug. 1, 2025. Failure to Recommend the Sentence Promised, Plain Error, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas, Acceptance/Rejection by the Court.
• Third Circuit Rejects U.S. Sentencing Commission 
Amended Compassionate Release Policy, July 15, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Compassionate Release.
• Fourth Circuit: A Finding of Offering Money to Minor 
for Videos Depicting Specific Conduct Without Establishing 
Order of Events Insufficient to Establish Offer ‘Caused’ 
Minor to Produce Explicit Material Within Meaning 
of Guidelines § 2G2.2(c)(1) Cros, July 1, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Applicable Guidelines Issues.
• First Circuit Announces What Constitutes ‘Otherwise Using’ 
a Dangerous Weapon for Purposes of the Four-Level 
Enhancement Under Guidelines § 2B3.1(a), May 15, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Probation, Sentence Enhancements/Departures.
• ACLU Sues BOP Over Failure to Implement First Step Act Release Credits, May 1, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, First Step Act, Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
• Arkansas Supreme Court Rules § 16-93-609(b)(2)(B), Relating to Parole Eligibility for Residential Burglary Conviction, Applies Retroactively to Defendant, April 15, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Resentencing, Bank Fraud/Robbery/Theft, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, Eligibility for Parole.
• Virginia Parole Board Skirts New Transparency Rules, Governor Walks Back Expanded Sentence Credits—Again, March 1, 2025. Local Rules, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, Credits.
• Former South Carolina Jailer Spared Prison After Testimony Fails to Convict Former Sheriff, Feb. 15, 2025. Guard Brutality/Beatings, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Sentences - Adjustments and Departures, Offense of Conviction.