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Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Testimonial References to Post-Arrest Silence Cannot Be Used Against Defendant at Trial, Pre-Arrest Harmless Error Analysis Does Not Apply
by Anthony W. Accurso
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reversed a defendant’s conviction in which his post-arrest silence was mentioned multiple times at trial, and it was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. In doing so, the Court reiterated that there is a different harmless error standard for pre-arrest versus ...
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More from this issue:
- Geofence Warrants: The Mass Location Surveillance and Privacy Threat Created by Google May Be Eliminated by Its Creator, by Anthony Accurso
- Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Odor of Marijuana Alone Emanating From Vehicle Insufficient for Probable Cause to Search Under Automobile Exception, by Anthony Accurso
- Michigan Supreme Court: Defendant’s Statements Involuntary and Inadmissible, by Douglas Ankney
- Tales From the ‘Tails’ of Bloodstains, by Douglas Ankney
- New Jersey Supreme Court Excludes CSLI Testimony Based on Agent’s ‘Rule Of Thumb’ Method for Determining Defendant’s Location, by Anthony Accurso
- New Night-Vision Capable Drone Marketed to Police, by Anthony Accurso
- Missouri Supreme Court Orders Dismissal of Pending Charges Where Trial Court Failed to Bring Prisoner to Trial Within 180-Day Limitations Period Provided for in ‘Interstate Agreement on Detainers’, by Douglas Ankney
- Third Circuit: Defendant Not on Rental Agreement Had Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Car Because He Had Dominion and Control of Car Where Renter Gave Keys to Him, He Was in Possession of Them Upon Arrest, and Car Parked Nearby, by Anthony Accurso
- NYPD Has Spent Millions of Dollars on Social Media Analysis Tools, by Jo Ellen Nott
- New York Court of Appeals: Forensic Findings Establishing Possible Alternative Cause of Injuries in Sex-Crime Prosecution Admissible Under ‘Interest of Justice’ Exception to Rape Shield Law, by David Reutter
- The Diminishment of Miranda Is Leading to False Confessions and Conviction of Innocents, by David Reutter
- FBI Works to Expand Court Authority for Its Offensive Cyber Operations, by Anthony Accurso
- Fifth Circuit Announces Revocation Judgments for Violation of Supervised Release Vacated Because Underlying Sentence Vacated, by Anthony Accurso
- Third Circuit: Defense Counsel Ineffective Under Strickland Where Counsel Sat Silent After Judge Threatened to Charge Witness With Perjury Unless Testimony Changed, by Douglas Ankney
- Study Raises Alarms About Inaccuracies and Bias in Gun Forensics Reporting, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Ninth Circuit Announces District Courts Must Either Orally Pronounce All Discretionary ‘Standard’ Conditions of Supervised Release in the Presence of Defendant or Provide Conditions in Writing Prior to Sentencing, by Douglas Ankney
- The Problem with Some Non-Carceral Punishments, by Carlo Difundo
- Researchers Find Fiber Evidence Lasts Longer Underwater Than Previously Thought, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Who Let the Dogs Out? Robotic Dogs Are the Newest (and Scariest) Surveillance Tech in U.S. Police Departments, by Jo Ellen Nott
- After Ohio Becomes 24th State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana, What Next?, by Jordan Arizmendi
- DHS Allows CBP and ICE Officers to Create Fake Social Media Profiles to Track Subjects of Interest and Conduct Investigations, by Jo Ellen Nott
- Fourth Circuit: Walking Past Unoccupied Home With Bulging Pocket and Attempting to Evade Neighborhood Tipster Insufficient for Reasonable Suspicion to Seize and Search, by Anthony Accurso
- Harris County, Texas, Settles Civil Rights Case for $1.5 Million Brought by Innocent Man Shot in His Home Five Times by Trigger-Happy Deputy, by Jo Ellen Nott
- DEA’s Domestic Surveillance Mission Creep: Beyond Drugs, Beyond Protests, by Jo Ellen Nott
- New Mexico Supreme Court Announces Marquez’s Holding That ‘Crime of Shooting at or From Motor Vehicle Cannot Be Predicate Felony Supporting Charge of Felony Murder’ Is New Substantive Rule and Applies Retroactively, by Douglas Ankney
- The Potential Privacy Threat of Generative AI, by Michael Thompson
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Testimonial References to Post-Arrest Silence Cannot Be Used Against Defendant at Trial, Pre-Arrest Harmless Error Analysis Does Not Apply, by Anthony Accurso
- Evidence Shows When Researchers Work Alongside Cops in the Field, De-escalation Training Is Implemented and Effective, by Douglas Ankney
- Data Mining: Law Enforcement Pays Cash for Your Private Data and Saves on the Hassle of Complying With the Fourth Amendment, by Douglas Ankney
- Sixth Circuit Announces Due Process Right to ‘Prompt’ Post-Seizure Hearing While Government Deciding Whether to Initiate Forfeiture Proceedings and Holds Wayne County’s Vehicle Forfeiture Program Violates Due Process, by Matthew Clarke
- Idaho Supreme Court Announces Adoption of ‘Primary Purpose’ Standard for Reviewing Police Decision to Impound Vehicles and Conduct Inventory Search to Prevent Pretextual Searches in Violation of Fourth Amendment, by Anthony Accurso
- Steady Improvement in Techniques for the Analysis of Degraded DNA, by Douglas Ankney
- Indiana Supreme Court Announces Civil Forfeiture Triggers Right to Jury Trial, by Matthew Clarke
- Study Finds Public Defenders’ Heavy Workloads Prevent Effective Representation, Amendments to 50-Year-Old Guidelines Recommended, by Douglas Ankney
- Kentucky Supreme Court: Trial Court Abused Discretion by ‘Rehabilitating’ Juror Who Indicated Could Not Be Impartial and Failing to Strike Juror, by David Reutter
- Identification Via DNA, Fingerprints, and 3D Scanning of Footwear, by Douglas Ankney
- Vendors Late to Recognize the Serious Threat of Cell-Site Simulators, by Michael Thompson
- Car Culture Dramatically Increases Number of Cop Confrontations, by Matthew Clarke
- 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:
- Oregon Supreme Court Clarifies Test to Determine When Person Becomes Agent of the State and Rules Jailhouse Snitch Was Agent, Requiring Suppression of Defendant’s Statements, Jan. 15, 2024. Informants, Post-Arrest Statements, Informants and Paid Witnesses, Confessions - Admissibility, Police Interrogations, Custodial Interrogations, Confessions and Statements of Defendant.
- Doyle v. Ohio, No. 75-5014 (U.S. Supreme Court) (426 U.S. 610; 96 S.Ct. 2240) (June 17, 1976) (Justice Powell), Sept. 9, 2005. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- U.S. v. Hale, No. 74-364 (U.S. Supreme Court) (422 U.S. 171; 95 S.Ct. 2133) (June 23, 1975) (Justice Marshall), Oct. 18, 2002. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- Greer v. Miller, No. 85-2064 (U.S. Supreme Court) (483 U.S. 756; 107 S.Ct. 3102) (June 26, 1987) (Justice Powell), Aug. 27, 2002. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- U.S. v. Velarde-Gomez, No. 99-50602 (9th Cir.) (269 F.3d 1023) (October 23, 2001) (Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw), Nov. 1, 2001. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- U.S. v. Rodriguez, No. 99-10982 (5th Cir.) (260 F.3d 416) (July 30, 2001) (Judge James L. Dennis), Sept. 1, 2001. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- Griffin v. California, No. 202 (U.S. Supreme Court) (380 U.S. 609; 85 S.Ct. 1229) (April 28, 2065) (Justice Douglas), July 2, 2000. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- Jenkins v. Anderson, No. 78-6809 (U.S. Supreme Court) (447 U.S. 231; 100 S.Ct. 2124) (June 10, 1980) (Justice Powell), July 1, 2000. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- Combs v. Coyle, No. 97-4369 (6th Cir.) (205 F.3d 269) (February 23, 2000) (Judge Karen Nelson Moore), Feb. 1, 2000. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
- U.S. v. Whitehead, No. 99-50200 (9th Cir.) (200 F.3d 634) (January 11, 2000) (Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw), Feb. 1, 2000. Punch And Jurists, Comments on Defendant's Silence.
