Archive: 2019
December
-
News in Brief
(p 43) -
National Fingerprint Database Frees Man After 36 Years
(p 42) -
Seventh Circuit Holds Indiana Pointing a Firearm and Intimidation Convictions No Longer Qualify Under ACCA After Johnson
(p 41) -
Asset Forfeiture Not So Helpful to Crime-Fighting
(p 41) -
New York Court of Appeals Overturns Murder Conviction, Finds Prosecutor Withheld Critical Video Evidence in Violation of Brady Obligations
(p 40) -
Tennessee Supreme Court Reverses Conviction Because Trial Court Refused to Give ‘Necessity’ Jury Instruction Because Defendant Never Testified About Mental State
(p 39) -
Sixth Circuit Reverses District Court’s Denial of Safety-Valve Relief
(p 38) -
Georgia Supreme Court Announces Fundamental Overhaul of Jurisprudence Governing Appeals of Guilty Pleas and Out-of-Time Appeals
(p 37) -
California Court of Appeal: Equal Protection Requires Pretrial Detainees on Home Confinement Be Eligible for Good Conduct Credits
(p 36) -
U.S. Supreme Court ‘Death Caucus’ Setting Death Penalty Litigation Tone
(p 35) -
Georgia Supreme Court: Warrantless Search of Vehicle’s Airbag Control Module is Unconstitutional
(p 34) -
Seventh Circuit Vacates Sentence Because Sentencing Judge Should Have Recused Himself Due to Ex Parte Communications with U.S. Attorney’s Office
(p 34) -
Santa Didn’t Create Naughty Cops List, But It’s Worth Checking Twice
(p 33) -
Nevada Supreme Court: Trial Court Must Give Manslaughter Instruction Even When Evidence Is Circumstantial
(p 32) -
Seventh Circuit Reaffirms Sex Trafficking and Kidnapping Are not Violent Felonies for 924(c) After Davis
(p 32) -
Supreme Court of Hawai’i Rules Presenting Falsified Polygraph Results Is Coercive Per Se
(p 31) -
Sixth Circuit Holds Career Offender Status Does not Bar Retroactive FSA Relief Under First Step Act
(p 30) -
Using Algorithms to Erase Pot Convictions in California
(p 30) -
Colorado Supreme Court Announces Clarifications and Modifications to Proportionality Review Standard as Applied to Habitual-Offender Sentences
(p 28) -
Costly Electronic Monitoring Programs Replacing Ineffective Jail Bond Systems
(p 27) -
NJ Supreme Court: Confession not Voluntary Where Police Tell Suspect Truth Would Set Him Free, Promise Him Counseling Instead of Jail, and Minimize Seriousness of Offenses
(p 26) -
Eleventh Circuit: Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery not a Crime of Violence Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
(p 26) -
Third Circuit Grants Habeas Relief in Loss of GBMI Plea in Pennsylvania Court Due to IAC, Announces New Rule
(p 24) -
Washington Supreme Court: Failure to Pay Fines Don’t Increase Sentencing Score
(p 23) -
Harmless Error: Explained
(p 20) -
On Remand from Supreme Court, Eleventh Circuit Holds in Specific Circumstances an Ake Violation Constitutes Structural Error
(p 18) -
Refusing to Permit Attorney to Make Offer of Proof Is Abuse of Discretion, Says Indiana Supreme Court
(p 18) -
Police Use of Rapid DNA Machines Unregulated
(p 17) -
Tenth Circuit Holds Davis Retroactive, Retaliation Against a Witness Not Crime of Violence Under § 924(c)
(p 16) -
Perils of Risk Assessment Tools in Criminal Justice
(p 14) -
If It Saves More Than One Child
(p 14) -
U.S. District Court Holds Hobbs Act Robbery not Crime of Violence for § 924(c), Grants § 2255 Motion
(p 12) -
From the Editors
(p 12) -
Fourth Circuit: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Death Penalty Case for Failure to Investigate Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as Mitigating Factor During Sentencing Phase
(p 11) -
Hawai’i Supreme Court Announces New Rule Requiring Both Judges and Juries to Consider Numerous Factors in Witness ID Cases
(p 10) -
Insurance Companies Are Paying Cops To Investigate Their Own Customers
(p 1) - Suits Demand Cops be Held Accountable for Thousands of Rape Test Kits Sitting Untested
- Retroactive Oregon Judicial Decisions Do Not Violate Ex Post Facto Prohibitions or Due Process
- ‘Awful’ Oregon Closing Argument Constitutes Ineffective Assistance of Trial Counsel
- Misadvice About Oregon Time-Served Credit is Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
- Oregon Court of Appeals: Entering iPhone Passcode is Testimonial Act; Can Be Compelled if State Establishes Defendant’s Knowledge of Passcode is ‘Foregone Conclusion’
- Oregon Release Agreement Did Not Require Personal Appearance; FTA Conviction Reversed
November
- NYPD Creating Petty Crimes to Lock People Up
- Unlike Emoticons, Human Emotions Are Difficult to Interpret
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
$750,000 Settlement for St. Louis County Cops Shooting Dog
(p 42) -
The Two-Edged Sword of DNA Exonerates Another Prisoner
(p 41) -
National Fingerprint Database Frees Man After 36 Years
(p 41) -
Free Speech Is Sometimes Expensive
(p 40) -
New York City Cops Can Always Tell by Just the Smell
(p 40) -
Man Freed Who Sat in Prison Nearly 30 Years While Prosecutors Withheld Evidence of Innocence
(p 39) -
Payouts for Police Misconduct Claims Rise While Number of Claims Appear to Fall
(p 39) -
Michigan Supreme Court Reverses Criminal Sexual Conduct Convictions in Two Consolidated Cases Due to Improperly Admitted Expert Testimony
(p 38) -
High Bail Amounts Lead to Sharp Increase in Franklin, PA, Jail Population
(p 38) -
New Law Makes It Harder for California’s Cops to Get Away with Killing People
(p 37) -
Not Guilty but Punished Anyway
(p 37) -
Maryland Court of Appeals Announces Circuit Court Retains Authority to Exercise Its Revisory Power for Up to Five Years After Granting Belated Postconviction Motion
(p 36) -
Indiana Supreme Court: Postconviction Petition Addressing Only Issues From New Trial, New Sentencing, or New Appeal From Federal Court via Habeas Proceedings Is Not a Second Petition Under State Law
(p 36) -
Ninth Circuit: Federal Sentencing Court Must Hear Defendant Before Determining If Acceptance of Responsibility Reduction Applies
(p 35) -
Sixth Circuit Grants § 2254 Habeas Relief in Unusual Case of Attorney Failing to Initiate Plea Negotiations
(p 34) -
Law Professor Peeks at Prosecutor’s Veiled DNA Database
(p 34) -
Fifth Circuit: Practices of Orleans Parish Judges in Collecting Fines and Fees Violates Due Process
(p 33) -
Seventh Circuit Vacates Conviction and Remands for a Franks Hearing
(p 32) -
California Supreme Court Holds Discovery Statute Requiring ‘Good Cause’ Not Applicable When Evidence Held by Court
(p 32) -
Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Heightened Pleading Standard for Birchfield/Johnson Claims Raised in Collateral Postconviction Proceedings
(p 31) -
Missouri Supreme Court Clarifies Defendant Is Entitled to Self-Defense Instruction When Substantial Evidence Supports Instruction Regardless of Whether Defendant Presented Evidence Contrary to Self-Defense
(p 30) -
Ninth Circuit Reverses Convictions Where Trial Court Failed to Provide Oral Jury Instructions
(p 30) -
Tenth Circuit: ‘Relevant Background Law’ Trumps Unclear Record in Granting § 2255 Relief From Johnson Error
(p 29) -
Another notable (but ultimately disappointing) ruling about sentence reductions under § 3582(c)(1)(A) after FIRST STEP Act
(p 28) -
Maryland Court of Appeals Abrogates Rule Requiring Corroboration of Accomplices’ Testimony and Announces New Rule
(p 27) -
In Landmark Opinion, Colorado Supreme Court Announces Courts May Not Sentence Defendant to Both Prison and Probation in Multi-Count Cases
(p 26) -
9th Circuit: Sentence Under 18 U.S.C. § 3583(k) Violated Ex Post Facto Clause When Underlying Offense Was Committed in 2005
(p 24) -
California Supreme Court: Where Electronics Search Condition of Probation Is Not Reasonably Related to Future Criminality, Condition Is Invalid
(p 22) -
Risk Assessments in Cook County Ineffective
(p 22) -
$2.4 Million Paid by Sacramento in Wrongful Death Suit of Stephon Clark
(p 21) -
Second Circuit: Federal Habeas Relief Warranted Where State Trial Court’s Evidentiary Rulings Deprived Defendant of Right to Present a Complete Defense
(p 20) -
South Carolina Supreme Court Grants New Trial Based on IAC Because of Botched Alibi Defense
(p 20) -
Massachusetts Supreme Court Suppresses Evidence Obtained After Miranda Warnings Translated into Spanish Deemed Incapable of Conveying Meaningful Advice
(p 19) -
Civil Death Laws: When Life is Death
(p 18) -
10th Circuit: Child Porn Stored on Multiple Devices Constitutes One Count of Possession Under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B)
(p 18) -
Tell Me What I Want to Hear, Not What I Need to Hear: How Confirmation Bias Causes Wrongful Convictions
(p 16) -
Flaws in Mobile Phone Records Free Danish Prisoners
(p 15) -
Second Circuit Clarifies Conditions for Releasing a Defendant on Bail to Home Detention With Private Armed Security Guards
(p 14) -
Eighth Circuit Vacates Sentence for Improper Supervision Length After ACCA Enhancement Removed
(p 14) -
Oregon Supreme Court Explains PCR ‘Escape Clause’ Availability for Untimely Filed Petitions
(p 12) -
Roadmap for Filing a Second or Successive § 2255 Motion Under Davis
(p 10) -
Law Crazy, Government’s Insatiable Desire to Criminalize All Facets of Life
(p 9) -
Why Juries Need Expert Help Assessing Jailhouse Informants
(p 8) -
Massachusetts Supreme Court Suppresses Evidence Obtained Following Illegally Prolonged Traffic Stop, Orders New Trial
(p 6) -
How the Secretive 'Discipline' Process for Federal Prosecutors Buries Misconduct Cases
(p 1)
October
- Failure to Identify Specific Evidence Sought in Telephone Search Violates Oregon Constitution
- Oregon Identity Theft Convictions Merge Into Aggravated Identity Theft
- News in Brief
-
Forensic Science: Reliable and Valid?
(p 42) -
‘Changes Are a Comin’
(p 41) -
Kansas Supreme Court: Expired License Plate Doesn’t Attenuate Evidence from Illegal Seizure
(p 40) -
Defendant’s Flight From Police’s Illegal Frisk Doesn’t Render Improperly Obtained Evidence Admissible in Maryland
(p 40) -
Costly Electronic Monitoring Programs Replacing Ineffective Jail Bond Systems
(p 39) -
Ninth Circuit Clarifies When Warrantless Searches of Cellphones at Border Are Reasonable
(p 38) -
Faulty Science Still Admissible Evidence in Many States
(p 38) -
Big Brother, Big Business, Big Law Enforcement
(p 37) -
Third Circuit Announces New Rule for Amending § 2255 Motions on Appeal
(p 36) -
Alabama OKs Chemical Castration for Some Sex Offenders
(p 36) -
California Court of Appeal Announces Defendant Convicted of Felony Accessory Is Eligible for Resentencing Under Proposition 64
(p 35) -
Connecticut Supreme Court: When Expert’s Testimony Asserts Truth of DNA Profile Prepared by a Different Non-Testifying Expert, Confrontation Clause Is Violated
(p 34) -
Ex-Felons’ Rights Expanding to Include Jury Duty
(p 34) -
Hundreds of Missouri Prisoners May Be Released Under New Sentencing Reform Law
(p 33) -
U.S. District Court Grants Savings Clause Petition, Vacates Mandatory Life Sentence
(p 32) -
Tenth Circuit: District Court Abused Discretion in Denying § 2255 Petition Without Hearing Where Record Didn’t Conclusively Show Defendant Not Entitled to Relief
(p 32) -
Ninth Circuit: Drug Quantity in PSR Adopted by Sentencing Court not Binding in § 3582(c)(2) Sentence Reduction Proceedings
(p 31) -
10th Circuit: District Court Must Ensure When Defendant Waives Right to Counsel He Understands He’s Required to Adhere to Federal Procedural and Evidentiary Rules
(p 30) -
Is Data Mining an Invasion of Privacy?
(p 29) -
Ninth Circuit Rules IAC for Failure to Investigate Mitigating Evidence During Penalty Phase of Capital Trial
(p 28) -
Fifth Circuit Vacates § 924 Convictions Based on Davis
(p 28) -
Safe Interactions Between Police and Citizens
(p 27) -
Fifth Circuit Reiterates Diligence Under AEDPA Requires Consideration of Actions Both Before and After Filing of Habeas Petition
(p 26) -
9th Circuit Says Inadvertently Placing Closed Folding Knife on Teller Counter Not Armed Bank Robbery
(p 26) -
Oregon Supreme Court Reaffirms ‘Independent Evidence Rule’ for Accomplice Testimony
(p 24) -
Groundbreaking Connecticut Law Tracks Information on Jailhouse Snitches
(p 24) -
Fifth Circuit: First Step Act Doesn’t Permit Plenary Resentencing in Retroactive Application of the Fair Sentencing Act
(p 23) -
California Court of Appeal Explains Procedures to Determine Appropriate Relief When Conviction Is Vacated Based on People v. Chiu and Senate Bill 1437
(p 22) -
Connecticut Supreme Court Rules 5 Days Past Due on Rent While Incarcerated Does Not Deprive Defendant of Expectation of Privacy in Home
(p 22) -
New Hampshire Ends Death Penalty
(p 21) -
Fourth Circuit Grants Habeas Relief to Pre-Trial State Prisoner on Double Jeopardy Grounds
(p 20) -
Tennessee Supreme Court Abandons Doctrine of Abatement Ab Initio
(p 19) -
New Jersey Supreme Court Announces New Test to Determine When State May Obtain Second DNA Sample After Unlawfully Obtained First Sample
(p 18) -
Fourth Circuit Reviews for Plain Error and Vacates Brandishing a Firearm Conviction Obtained Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(C)(3)
(p 17) -
Fifth Circuit: Practices of Orleans Parish Judges in Collecting Fines and Fees Violates Due Process
(p 16) -
Tens of Thousands of Sentencing Decisions Are Hidden Within PACER, Hindering Access by Lawyers and Defendants
(p 16) -
Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Probationer Must Violate Specific Condition of Probation or Commit New Crime to Be Found in Violation
(p 14) -
Seventh Circuit Reverses Convictions Under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c); Holds Underlying Offenses Do Not Qualify as ‘Crimes of Violence’
(p 14) -
Businesses Are Focusing More and More on Aiding Offenders Reentering Society
(p 13) -
Qualified Immunity: Explained
(p 10) -
The Mass Incarceration Epidemic Viewed Through a Young Daughter’s Eyes
(p 8) -
Prosecutors Working to Clear Wrongful Convictions With Mixed Results
(p 7) - Lack of Academic Research in U.S. on Secondary DNA Transfer Affects Criminal Defendants
September
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
Killer’s Bold DNA-Based Defense to Get New Mexico Supreme Court Hearing
(p 42) -
Study: Brazen Cops Posting Racist, Vitriolic Comments on the Internet
(p 41) -
Chicago PD Creating Files, Background Checks on Citizens Who Speak at Police Disciplinary Meetings
(p 41) -
Kentucky Supreme Court Rules Parole Board’s Revocation Procedures Are Unconstitutional
(p 40) -
7th Circuit Announces SORNA Requires Hybrid Approach in Comparing Underlying Conviction to Determine Tier Classification
(p 39) -
Tenth Circuit Vacates Special Condition of Supervised Release That Gave Probation Officers Discretion to Ban Computer and Internet Usage
(p 38) -
Arrest for Shouting ‘F—k You’ to Arkansas Trooper Violates First and Fourth Amendments Rights, Eighth Circuit Rules
(p 38) -
Michigan Will Pay $1.5 Million to Longest Serving Exonerated Prisoner
(p 37) -
MIX13 Reveals Potential Errors in DNA Testing
(p 37) -
Ninth Circuit Announces that District Court Cannot Sua Sponte Raise Waiver as Ground to Dismiss Motion for Sentence Reduction
(p 36) -
First Circuit: Prosecutor Not Entitled to Absolute Immunity When Performing Purely Administrative Duty
(p 36) -
New North Dakota Law Arrests Cops’ Ability to Seize Property
(p 35) -
Black Drivers in Missouri 91 Percent More Likely to Be Stopped Than White Drivers
(p 35) -
Maryland Court of Appeals: Sentence Imposed on Remand That Is of Equal Maximum Length as Former Sentence but With Longer Term Before Parole Eligibility Is ‘More Severe’
(p 34) -
Delaware Supreme Court: Where Defendant Competent to Plead ‘Guilty but Mentally Ill,’ He May Revoke Plea Before It Is Accepted
(p 34) -
First Circuit Rules Appeal Waiver Does Not Relieve Counsel of Duty to Consult About an Appeal
(p 33) -
Fifth Circuit Announces that Categorical Approach Applied to SORNA Doesn’t Permit Circustance-Specific Inquiry Into Offender/Victim Age Differential
(p 32) -
Seventh Circuit Announces That More Than Psychological Coercion Required to Trigger § 2B3.1(b)(4)(B) Sentencing Enhancement, Disapproving Prior Holdings to the Contrary
(p 32) -
New Hampshire Supreme Court: State’s Armed Career Criminal Statute Applies Only When Qualifying Convictions Arise From at Least 3 Separate Criminal Episodes
(p 31) -
U.S. District Court Holds Residual Clause of Federal Three-Strikes Law Unconstitutional
(p 30) -
Genetic Testing Raises Privacy Concerns
(p 30) -
Michigan Supreme Court: Reaching Out Door of Home to Retrieve ID Inadequate to Surrender Fourth Amendment Rights
(p 29) -
Tenth Circuit: No Absolute Immunity for Prosecutor Who Fabricated Evidence
(p 28) -
The Power of Sheriffs: An Explainer
(p 26) -
Pitfalls of Using Risk Assessment Tools
(p 25) -
Eleventh Circuit Holds Time on Appeal Counts When Considering If Sentence Was Imposed Under Residual Clause
(p 24) -
Fourth Circuit Holds Appeal Waiver Does Not Preclude Retroactive ACCA Claim
(p 23) -
Third Circuit Rules Lower Courts Abused Discretion When They Failed to Conduct Evidentiary Hearing on Brady Claim and on Conflict of Interest Claim
(p 22) -
Whether State or Federal, Most Convictions Are Overwhelmingly Based on Guilty Pleas
(p 21) -
Minnesota Supreme Court: Even With a Warrant, Forced Anoscopy Is Unreasonable Search
(p 20) -
9th Circuit Finds IAC for Failure to Investigate Mitigating Factors During Penalty Phase of Capital Case
(p 20) -
Oregon Supreme Court Announces State Constitution Prohibits Cops From Digging Through Residents’ Trash Without a Warrant
(p 19) -
SCOTUS Declares Portion of Federal Supervised Release Statute Unconstitutional
(p 18) -
Tracking Phones: Google as a Dragnet for the Police
(p 17) -
Who Inflicts the Most Gun Violence in America? The U.S. Government and Its Police Forces
(p 14) -
Partial Justice
(p 1) - No Attorney Fees for Pro Se Attorney Under FOIA
August
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
St. Louis Ordered to Stop Holding Detainees Simply Because They Can’t Afford Bail
(p 42) -
Debunked Shaken-Baby Syndrome Leads to Reduced Sentence
(p 41) -
Video Bail Hearings Violate Rights in Many Ways
(p 41) -
Chicago Fingerprint Unit Flawed, Under Scrutiny
(p 40) -
Seventh Circuit Rules Failure to Issue Summons or Warrant Means Supervised Release Not Tolled While Merely in Custody
(p 40) -
Private Companies Use DNA Profiles to Snitch on Customers and Their Families
(p 39) -
California Losing Millions in Civil Asset Forfeiture Funds as Law Aims to Curb Police Abuse
(p 39) -
Second Circuit Holds NY Sodomy Not ‘Prior Sex Conviction’ for Purposes of Federal Statute Mandating Life Sentence for Repeat Sex Offenders
(p 38) -
Groundbreaking Empirical Study of Expungement Released
(p 38) -
Sixth Circuit Announces § 2244(B)(1) Doesn’t Apply to Successive § 2255 Petitions and Rules That If the District Court Relied on Residual Clause of ACCA When Determining Prior Conviction Qualified as Predicate Felony, Then Sentence Cannot Stand
(p 37) -
Florida Supreme Court Holds Sentencing Statute That Allows Judge to Determine Dangerousness Triggering Upward Depar-ture of Maximum Sentence Unconstitutional
(p 36) -
Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies That State Has Burden to Prove Competency to Stand Trial
(p 36) -
Will Police Recruitment Crisis Prompt Change in Behavior?
(p 35) -
Houston Police Cover up Crime Scene With Poor Investigation Techniques
(p 35) -
Colorado Supreme Court Announces Sniff by Drug Dog Trained to Detect Marijuana Now Constitutes a ‘Search’ Requiring Probable Cause
(p 34) -
Tennessee Supreme Court Holds Judge Lacks Authority to Sign Search Warrant for Property Outside Court’s Jurisdiction
(p 34) -
Another Study Shows There’s No ‘War on Police’
(p 33) -
7th Circuit Instructs District Court to Grant Federal Prisoner’s Habeas Based on § 2255(e) Savings Clause
(p 32) -
Qualified Immunity: Explained
(p 30) -
Massive Outing of Nationwide Instances of Police Misconduct Revealed
(p 29) -
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Explains Procedures of G. L. c. 278A and Rules That a Claim of Self-Defense Is a Claim of Factual Innocence
(p 28) -
Vermont Supreme Court Rules DUI Breath Test Subject to Voluntariness Challenge Despite Implied Consent Law
(p 28) -
California Court of Appeal Announces Defendant Convicted of Felony Accessory Is Eligible for Resentencing Under Proposition 64
(p 27) -
California Supreme Court Reverses Attempted Murder and Explains Elements Required For Kill Zone Theory Instruction
(p 26) -
Oregon Supreme Court Holds ‘Attempt’ Requires Intent to Personally Participate in the Crime
(p 26) -
$13.1 Million Settlement Reached by Actor Framed for Murder
(p 25) -
BOP Finally Implements First Step Act, Officially Releases 3,100 Prisoners Under ‘Good Conduct Time’
(p 24) -
Colorado Supreme Court Announces That the People Cannot Withdraw From a Plea Agreement After the Trial Court Rejects Stipulated Sentence
(p 24) -
NYU Study Shows ‘Predictive Policing Systems’ Promote Bad Data, Bad Policing
(p 23) -
SCOTUS: SOL Governing § 1983 Claim Asserting Fabrication of Evidence Begins to Run on Date Criminal Proceedings Are Terminated in Complainant’s Favor
(p 22) -
Indiana Supreme Court Reduces 30-Year Prison Sentence to 23-Year Community Corrections Placement in Rare Case
(p 22) -
New Jersey Supreme Court: Prosecution May Appeal Drug Court Sentence Only When Sentence Is Illegal
(p 21) -
Sixth Circuit: Prosecutor’s Numerous Improper Comments Constitute Flagrant Misconduct Depriving Defendants of a Fair Trial
(p 20) -
Fourth Circuit Reverses Lower Court for Giving Dispositive Weight to Plea Agreement Language Rather Than Fact-Based Evaluation of Weight of Evidence in IAC Claim
(p 20) -
Taking Notes Influences Jurors’ Verdicts
(p 19) -
Colorado Supreme Court Announces That Claims of Insufficient Evidence Not Preserved at Trial Are Subject to De Novo Review on Appeal
(p 18) -
Refusing to Permit Attorney to Make Offer of Proof Is Abuse of Discretion, Says Indiana Supreme Court
(p 18) -
Change to New York Misdemeanor Definition May Benefit Non-Citizens
(p 17) -
Montana Supreme Court Rules Leaving a Brewery Doesn’t Provide Particularized Suspicion of DUI
(p 16) -
Massachusetts Supreme Court Holds Statute Requiring GPS Monitoring of Probationers Convicted of Sex Offenses Unconstitutional ‘as Applied’
(p 16) -
Oregon Supreme Court: Claim Based on New Rule of Constitutional Law Cognizable in Untimely Oregon PCR Action
(p 15) -
Virtual Imprisonment as Big Brother Interactively Listens From Cradle to School to Prison to Parole to Grave
(p 14) -
Column: Obtaining Relief Under 'Davis' in the Wake of 'Johnson'
(p 12) -
Seventh Circuit: Woman Answering Door of Suspect’s Residence Wearing Bathrobe Does Not Constitute Apparent Authority to Consent to Search
(p 11) -
The Role of Police Misconduct in Wrongful Convictions
(p 1) - Law Enforcement Access To Consumer Genetics Needs to Be Closed
- San Francisco launches experiment to curb racial bias
- New Tennessee Legislation Will Destroy Hundreds, Probably Thousands, of Families
July
- Scientific Experts Urge Forensic Experts to Be More Objective
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
Record Number of Exonerations Prompts Michigan AG to Create Conviction Integrity Unit
(p 42) -
$21 Million Settlement for Wrongfully Convicted Man Released After 39 Years in Prison
(p 42) -
Police, Prosecutor Misconduct Continues Unabated as Evidenced by Record Number of Exonerations in 2018
(p 41) -
Report: Google Can Track You Even When Your Phone’s Off
(p 41) -
New York Court of Appeals: Jury Trial Right Attaches to Deportable Crimes Punishable by Less Than Six Months in Jail
(p 40) -
$270,000 Awarded to Grandmother Brutalized by Pennsylvania Cops
(p 40) -
$1 Million Settlement for NYC Crime Lab Tech Who Blew Whistle on Use of Untested DNA Tests for Decades
(p 39) -
Wisconsin Supreme Court Holds That Statute Doesn’t Require Habeas Petitioner to Plead Timeliness, Overruling Smalley v. Morgan
(p 38) -
Report Finds Lack of Reporting on Deaths in Law Enforcement Custody, Even After Landmark Legislation
(p 38) -
Study Details the Effect of Brain Scan Evidence on Sentencing
(p 37) -
NYC Program Helps Former Prisoners Realize Their Dream
(p 37) -
‘They need to be marked for life’
(p 36) -
The FBI Polices Itself Like Kids Guarding a Candy Store
(p 36) -
Fifth Circuit: Confrontation Clause Violated When Officer’s Testimony Relates Incriminating Information Received From Non-Testifying Informant
(p 35) -
Eighth Circuit Overlooks Procedural Default, Orders Immediate Release From Excessive ACCA Sentence Based on Prior Sex Offense
(p 34) -
New York City’s Bail Success Story
(p 34) -
Ninth Circuit: Running From Police Alone Doesn’t Give Rise to Reasonable Suspicion Justifying Stop and Frisk
(p 32) -
Georgia Supreme Court Announces New Evidence Code Abrogates Categorical Exclusionary Rule of Mallory
(p 32) -
Under Marsy’s Law, Police Using Violence Can Claim ‘Victim’ Status
(p 32) -
Private Citizens Carrying Guns Commit Fewer Crimes Than Cops
(p 31) -
Massachusetts Supreme Court: Discharge From Civil Commitment
Required When Examiners Conclude Defendant Is Not Sexually Dangerous
(p 30) -
FAMM, Washington Lawyers’ Committee, NACDL Launch Compassionate Release Clearinghouse
(p 30) -
Seventh Circuit Orders Grant of Successive § 2255 Motion and
Resentencing in Pre-Booker Mandatory Guidelines Case Involving Elements Clause’s Definition of ‘Crime of Violence’
(p 29) -
West Virginia Supreme Court Announces Parole Eligibility Statute for Prisoners Who Committed Crimes as Minors is Retroactive
(p 28) -
California Supreme Court: Prop 47 Requires Dismissal of Conviction Based on a Predicate Felony That Is Later Reduced to a Misdemeanor
(p 28) -
Hawai’i Supreme Court Remands for Resentencing Where Circuit Court Considered Defendant’s Refusal to Admit Guilt in Imposing Consecutive Sentences
(p 27) -
Maryland Court of Appeals Rules That Courts Must Ask Non Compound ‘Strong Feelings’ Question Upon Request During Voir Dire
(p 26) -
Fourth Circuit: Cannot Substitute Career Offender Predicate on Collateral Review
(p 26) -
Court Extends McQuiggin Actual Innocence Exception to Defaulted Legal Claim, Vacates § 924(c) Conviction
(p 25) -
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Holds Consent to Search Does Not Include K-9 Sniff When No K-9 Present When Consent Given and Wait 40 Minutes for Its Arrival
(p 24) -
Fifth Circuit: Plain Error Requiring Resentencing Where Court Didn’t Give Defendant Chance to Speak at Sentencing Hearing and Prospective Allocution Provided Added Details to Lead Reasonable Judge to Reconsider Harsh Sentence
(p 24) -
Court Reporters Likely Fail to Accurately Transcribe Testimony for Speakers of ‘African American English’
(p 22) -
Bucklew v. Precythe
(p 22) -
From the Editor: Compassionate Release for Extraordinary and Compelling Reasons
(p 18) -
Parole a Detriment to Rehabilitation; ‘Less Is More’ Reform Sensible
(p 17) -
Minnesota Supreme Court Holds ‘Stalking-by-Mail’ and ‘Mail-Harassment’ Statutes are Facially Overbroad
(p 16) -
Fifth Circuit: Denial of Habeas Petition as Successive Reversed Where Second Petition Challenges a Separate Judgment, by Same Court, Not Covered in First Petition
(p 16) -
‘DNA Mixtures,’ ‘Touch DNA,’ and Software-Enhanced Forensic DNA Analysis
(p 14) -
Sixth Circuit Holds Chalking Car Tires for Parking Enforcement Constitutes a Search Under Fourth Amendment
(p 14) -
SCOTUS Announces Death of ‘Categorical Approach’ by Invalidating 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(B) as Unconstitutionally Vague
(p 12) -
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: Consent to Search Does Not Attenuate Seized Evidence From Taint of Illegal Search of CSLI
(p 10) -
Exonerations: From Wrongful Conviction to Release and Beyond
(p 1) - Miranda Violation Required Suppression of Oregon BAC Results
- Possibility of Oregon Supreme Court Review Determined by Objective Considerations, Not Affidavits from Justices for IAC Prejudice
- Wrongful Death Suit Highlights 'Pattern' of Oregon Police Shooting Mentally Ill Homeless People
- Oregon Crime Victims and Prosecutors Lose Fight to Bulletproof Draconian Sentencing Law
- Oakland Police Department, of Officer-Involved Shooting, ‘Disappointing and Myopic’
- Tenth Circuit Discusses Standards for Armed Career Criminal Classification
- California’s Bail Reform Law Stymied by Big Business
- Idaho: ACLU Files Suit That Reveals Officials Misled Public About Costs Associated With Executions In State
- Ohio Police Shoot Teen, Charge Girlfriend with his Murder
- Snohomish County Pays $1 Million Settlement in Death of Man in Chemical Cloud
- Groups Challenge Face Recognition Algorithm in Florida Case
June
- FAMM, Washington Lawyers’ Committee, NACDL Launch Compassionate Release Clearinghouse
- Unanimous Vermont Supreme Court Finds State Liable for Discriminatory Search and Seizure
- Taxpayers Foot Bill After Man Beaten by Cops and Ignored by CMC Loses Leg
- Study Questions the Reliance on Comparison Testimony at Trial
- Federal Court Upholds Antiquated Virginia Law Allowing Jail Time for Being Near Alcohol
- Caught by the Hair: New Forensic Tool Could Differentiate People
- Florida Judge Rejects ‘Slap on the Wrist’ Sentencing
- Wrongfully Convicted Detroit Man Who Spent 25 Years in Prison Files $125M Suit Alleging Detective Falsified Evidence
- Police, Prosecutors Use Asset Forfeitures to Lease SUVs, Customize Motorcycles, Install WiFi at Home, and More
- It’s Bad Journalism to Take Cops at Their Word
- Arizona Man Faces Deportation After Filing Lawsuit Against Coconino County Sheriff
- Supreme Court Declines Deciding Whether Parking Violation Justifies Seizure of Vehicle
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
Another Life Ruined as a Result of a Bad Cop and Failure to Follow Policy
(p 42) -
Stop Peeking Inside the Black Box
(p 41) -
Over a Year After Cook County Bail Reform, Jails Are Still Full
(p 41) -
$250,000 Awarded to Woman Who Spent 96 Days in Jail
(p 41) -
Getting Rid of the ‘X’
(p 40) -
FBI Using Private Ancestry Databases to Zero in on Suspects
(p 40) -
Misconduct Suits Against New York City Police Department on the Rise
(p 39) -
Study: Technology Creates and Embeds Bias in the Criminal Justice System
(p 39) -
Modern Forensics Findings Not Always 100 Percent Reliable
(p 38) -
Police Want Unfettered Access to Consumer DNA Databases
(p 38) -
Court’s in Session: The Honorable Algorithm Presiding
(p 37) -
Prosecutors Use Blacklists to Keep Dishonest Officers out of the Courtroom
(p 37) -
Taking Pictures in the Dark: Florida Police Not Forthcoming About Investigations Using Facial Recognition Software
(p 36) -
Killer Cops and Vilified Victims
(p 36) -
Ohio Mayor’s Courts Are Huge Sources of Unjust Revenues
(p 35) -
In a Rare Move, California Court of Appeal Discharges Prisoner from All Forms of Custody, Including Parole, After Finding Time Served in Prison Grossly Disproportionate to His Offense
(p 34) -
Fourth Circuit Tosses Evidence Discovered by Illegal GPS Tracker
(p 34) -
Hawai’i Supreme Court: Cumulative Effect of Multiple Instances of Prosecutorial Misconduct Requires Reversal
(p 32) -
D.C. Circuit Holds Expert’s False Testimony ‘Material,’ Allowing Challenge to Four-Decade-Old Murder Conviction
(p 32) -
Ninth Circuit Rules Robbery Committed Alone by Gang Member Not Enough for California Gang Enhancement, Despite Testimony of Gang Expert
(p 31) -
Fourth Circuit Rules Assault on Government Official Under North Carolina Statute Not a ‘Crime of Violence’
(p 30) -
Eighth Circuit: Forfeited Claim of Miscalculated Criminal History Score Is Reviewable Under Plain Error Standard
(p 30) -
Violence in the House: Studies Find Cops’ Families Live Dangerous Lives
(p 33) -
Ohio Supreme Court: Plea Defendant Must Be Informed of Maximum Penalty for Postrelease-Control Violation Prior to Pleading Guilty to a New Felony
(p 28) -
Police Avoid Negative Publicity by Routinely Withholding Body-Cam Footage
(p 28) -
Indiana Supreme Court: IAC Where Lawyer Marks ‘Not Applicable’ to Immigration Consequences Warning on Court’s Advisement Form Without Knowing Client’s Immigration Status
(p 27) - New Jersey Supreme Court Holds Months-Long Delay Between Interrogations Not a ‘Break in Custody’ to Avoid Miranda Rights for Pretrial Detainee
-
Hawai’i Supreme Court Announces New Rule Requiring Tachibana Colloquy in All Trials
(p 26) -
Kansas Supreme Court: Correcting Illegal Sentence After Fully Served Violates Prohibition Against Double Jeopardy
(p 29) -
Missouri Supreme Court Issues Writ of Prohibition Prohibiting Circuit Court From Revoking Probation After Probation Term Had Already Expired
(p 25) -
Forced Self-Incrimination
(p 24) -
Second Circuit Holds Government’s Misleading Disclosure of Inculpatory Statement Requires New Trial
(p 24) -
Prosecutorial Power Used Too Often to Stop Prisoners From Getting Second Chance at Life
(p 23) -
11th Circuit Holds Conviction Under Georgia’s Aggravated Assault Statute Is Not a ‘Crime of Violence’ When Based Upon a Mens Rea of Recklessness
(p 22) -
Attempted Felony-Murder Is Not a Cognizable Crime in West Virginia
(p 22) -
Arkansas Supreme Court Rules Justification Defense Available When Charged With Manslaughter
(p 21) -
Washington Supreme Court Rules Attenuation Doctrine Inapplicable Where Police Illegally Seize Person Followed by Ferrier Warnings and Consent to Search, Evidence Must Be Suppressed
(p 20) -
Fifth Circuit Rules Evidence of Counsel’s Dual Representation of Defendant and Codefendant Results in Possible Actual Conflict of Interest Requires Evidentiary Hearing
(p 20) -
North Dakota Supreme Court Reinstates Postconviction Relief Application Dismissed Without Notice of Motion for Summary Disposition
(p 19) -
Oregon Supreme Court: State Constitution Requires Warrant to Specify When Internet Searches Occurred
(p 18) -
Maryland Court of Appeals Holds Valid Prescription Constitutes ‘Verbal Act’ Thus Not Barred From Evidence as Hearsay When Basis for Statutory Defense
(p 18) -
Second Circuit Rules District Court Improperly Denied Coram Nobis Petition Claiming Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
(p 16) -
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces in Case of First Impression That Police Causing Cellphone to Reveal Its Real Time Location Is a Search Under State Constitution
(p 16) -
Eighth Circuit Finds Child Porn Sentence ‘Substantively Unreasonable’
(p 15) -
Fourth Circuit Rules Government Breached Plea Agreement When It Failed to Honor Its Drug Conduct Stipulation at Sentencing
(p 14) -
Compelled Decryption Primer
(p 12) -
Illinois Enacts Youthful Parole for Some
(p 11) -
Judge Weinstein Holds that an Appeal Waiver Provision in a Plea Agreement that Seeks a Waiver of All Collateral Rights Is Impermissible Under the Constitution Unless it Specifically Enumerates All Exceptions Required by Law So that a Defendant Has Notice
(p 10) -
Ninth Circuit: Washington State Accomplice Liability Drug Offenses Not ACCA Predicates
(p 9) -
Locking Up Drug ‘Dealers’ to Save Users Doesn’t Make Anyone Safer
(p 8) -
Jury Takes Just 9 Minutes to Find Man Who Blared ‘F--k tha Police’ Toward Cops Not Guilty
(p 7) -
Policing for Profit: Justice Reformers Chip Away at Civil Asset Forfeiture
(p 1) - ‘They need to be marked for life’
- Legal limitations constrain Texas death penalty case
May
- "I’m a child rapist” — a story in four parts
- Forced Self-Incrimination
- Insurance Companies Make $1000 For Each Speed Camera Ticket
- Some Texas Judges Not Complying with State Law on Misdemeanor Cases
- New Hampshire Death Penalty Repealed
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
Using Technology to Erase Old Pot Convictions is the Buzz in Los Angeles
(p 41) -
Criticizing Cops is a Criminal Act in Many States
(p 41) -
Illinois Data Collection Law Set to Expire; Collected Data Reveal Police Target Black and Latino Drivers
(p 41) -
The Many Pitfalls Associated With Police Lineups
(p 40) -
Tennessee Legislature’s Investigation Finds Inadequate Supervision of Private Probation
(p 40) -
If You’re Unlucky or Black, Your Prison Sentence Could Be 63 Percent Longer
(p 39) -
Prosecutors Regret Man’s Wrongful Conviction in 1983 Florida Rape and Murder
(p 39) -
New York Court of Appeals: Jury Trial Right Attaches to Deportable Crimes Punishable by Less Than Six Months in Jail
(p 38) -
Ninth Circuit: Habeas Petitioner Need Only Show That IAC Claims Are Substantial to Excuse Procedural Default Under Martinez
(p 37) -
Pennsylvania Governor Signs Into Law New Bills to Help Convicts, Extends Postconviction Filing Time Limits
(p 37) -
Don’t Shoot the Dogs: The Growing Epidemic of Cops Shooting Family Dogs
(p 36) -
Dallas County Judge’s ‘Blank Check’ Warrant Questioned; Case Dismissed
(p 35) -
Ninth Circuit: Washington State Accomplice Liability Drug Offenses Not ACCA Predicates
(p 34) -
McDNA: The DNA Testing Equivalent to Fast Food
(p 34) -
Kansas Supreme Court Overturns Sentence for Vindictiveness
(p 34) -
Eighth Circuit: Misprision of Felony Conviction of Participant in Underlying Felony Violates Fifth Amendment
(p 33) -
DEA Used Decades of Warrantless Phone Data in Building Parallel Construction Cases
(p 32) -
Sixth Circuit Holds IAC When Counsel Fails to Warn of Possibility of Deportation as Result of Plea Bargain
(p 31) -
Oregon Supreme Court: State Prohibited From Introducing Breath Test Refusal as Evidence of DUI
(p 30) -
Intoxicated Driving Convictions for Non-Drinking Drivers
(p 30) -
Appointed Defense Lawyers, Public Defenders: Overworked, Underpaid, Ineffective
(p 28) -
Supreme Court of Delaware: Lawyer’s Mere Presence the Day of Trial Violates Sixth Amendment Under Cronic Standard
(p 28) -
Sixth Circuit Rejects Kentucky Supreme Court’s Ruling That Defendant-Lawyers Are Never Without Counsel and Not Entitled to Faretta Hearing
(p 27) -
NJ Supreme Court: Failure to Advise Suspect of Pending Charges Before Waiver of Right Against Self-Incrimination Requires Suppression of Statements
(p 26) -
First Circuit Vacates Revocation Sentence for Improperly Considering Rehabilitation
(p 26) -
Eighth Circuit Vacates Supervised Release Conditions Prohibiting Alcohol Consumption and Setting Curfew Not Contained in Plea Agreement
(p 25) -
Knowing Sexual Offense Facts Important; Paying Attention to Them Critical
(p 23) -
Second Circuit Rules 68-Month Delay Violates Speedy Trial Clause
(p 23) -
Pennsylvania District Court Explores the Growing Conflict Between Federal Laws, Which Still Prohibit the Use of Any Amounts of Marijuana, and State Laws, Which Increasingly Authorize the Use of Medical Marijuana and Decriminalize the Use of Small Amounts
(p 22) -
When Prosecuting Crimes by Police, Feds Appear to Move Slowly
(p 21) -
Unreasonable Delay in Obtaining Search Warrant after Lawful Seizure Requires Suppression of Evidence, Announces Georgia Supreme Court
(p 20) -
Fourth Circuit: 9-Year Increase in Guidelines Range Due to Misclassification as Career Offender Warrants § 2241 Petition to Be Heard on Merits When § 2255 Relief Unavailable
(p 20) -
Georgia Supreme Court Says Visually Impaired Defendant Entitled to Appointment of a Reader
(p 19) -
The Holloway Doctrine and First Step Act: Federal Judge Issues Order Urging Government to Dismiss One of Two 18 U.S.C. §924(c) Stacking Convictions
(p 18) -
Portion of Illinois Sex Offender Law is Unconstitutional
(p 17) -
Third Circuit: Reason for Continuance Must be Given to Exclude Delay from 70-Day Limit of Speedy Trial Act or Dismissal of Indictment
(p 16) -
First Circuit: FBI’s Ruse Claiming National Emergency to Obtain Consent to Search Held Unlawful
(p 15) -
Illinois Supreme Court: Warrantless Dog Sniff of Apartment Front Door in Locked Building Violates Fourth Amendment
(p 15) -
Fourth Circuit Rules District Court Must Provide Individualized Rationale When Denying Motion for Sentence Reduction
(p 14) -
Suspected Mishandling of DNA Tests Puts Cases on Hold in Fort Worth, Texas
(p 14) -
Misconduct by prosecutors is rampant — how do we deter it?
(p 12) -
Nebraska’s Beatrice Six Will Collect $28.1 Million Jury Award
(p 11) -
Connecticut Supreme Court Rejects Davis and Announces State Constitution Requires Police to Clarify Ambiguous Request for Counsel Before Continuing Interrogation
(p 10) -
Habeas Hints: Discovery on Habeas Corpus
(p 8) -
Flipping the Bird, Even Toward a Cop, Is a Constitutionally Protected Right
(p 7) -
Prosecutors Dropping Child Porn Charges After Software Tools Are Questioned
(p 1)
April
- New Mexico AG’s 4-Year Non-Disclosure of Public Records Triggers $100 a Day Statutory Damages
- $25,000 Settlement Over Connecticut False Arrest and Malicious Prosecution Claims
- $160,000 Paid by Norwalk, Connecticut, to Settle Police Beating of COPD Patient
- California Police Unions Balk at New Law Requiring Transparency in Officer-Involved Shootings and Use-of-Force Incidents
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
Florida Deputy Falsifies Drug Field-Test Results, Freeing 11 From Jail
(p 42) -
Police Not Required to Protect; Are They Required to Serve?
(p 41) -
Delaware Supreme Court: ‘The Sixth Amendment Demands More Than the Presence the Morning of Trial of a Warm Body With a Law Degree’
(p 40) -
Deadly Force Mindset as Justifiable Defense Questioned
(p 40) -
L.A. County Wipes Out Almost $90 Million in Debt for Juvenile Detention Fees
(p 39) -
Federal Judge Rules Massachusetts Law Banning Secretly Recording Police in Public Is Unconstitutional
(p 39) -
Fourth Circuit Holds 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3)(B) is Unconstitutional
(p 38) -
In Washington State, a Man’s Home Is No Longer His Castle
(p 38) -
New Jersey Board Finds Suspending Drivers’ Licenses Because of Failure to Pay Court Fines Doesn’t Work
(p 37) -
Fourth Circuit: District Court Must Provide Rationale When Denying Motion for § 3582(c)(2) Sentence Reduction
(p 36) -
D.C. Circuit Holds Attempted Drug Offenses Do Not Count Toward Career Criminal Designation
(p 36) -
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules as a Matter of 1st Impression That Mother’s Use of Opioids During Pregnancy Not Child Abuse
(p 35) -
Fourth Circuit: Unreasonable Post-Seizure Delay in Obtaining Warrant Requires Suppression of Evidence
(p 34) -
California Supreme Court Rules That Defense Counsel Can’t
Agree to Stipulation That’s Tantamount to Guilty Plea Without Voluntary and Intelligent Waiver by Defendant
(p 34) -
Creation of Prosecutorial Watchdog in New York Spotlights Distinction Between Misconduct and Unfair Conduct
(p 33) -
Georgia Supreme Court Announces Statute Mandating Lifetime GPS Monitoring of ‘Sexually Dangerous Predator’ Even After Completion of Sentence Is Facially Unconstitutional
(p 32) -
Fifth Circuit Rules Miscalculation of Guidelines Sentencing
Range Plain Error That Merits Correction Even Though Not Raised by Defendant
(p 32) -
Prosecutors Have the Power to Stop Bad Roadside Drug Tests From Ruining People’s Lives
(p 30) -
Former New Jersey Police Chief Faces Rare Federal Hate Crime Charges
(p 30) -
Cops Seize Almost $150,000 from Black Musician for Not Using His Turn Signal
(p 29) -
Ninth Circuit Vacates a Sentence Imposed for Violation of Supervised Release Because the District Court Failed to Disclose to the Defendant the Probation Officer’s Confidential Sentencing Recommendations
(p 28) -
Fourth Circuit: South Carolina Conviction for Assaulting, Wounding, or Beating Officer While Resisting Arrest Is Not Predicate Violent Felony Conviction Under ACCA
(p 28) -
Legal Aid Society Counters NYC Police Misconduct With New Database
(p 27) -
Florida Cop Found Guilty of Killing Stranded Driver, a First in 30 Years in State
(p 27) -
Second Circuit: Government’s Misleading Disclosure Warrants New Trial
(p 24) -
Facial Recognition Gives Police Easier Access to Cellphones
(p 24) -
Why Brady Lists Still Don’t Work
(p 23) -
Abolishing the Death Penalty Leads to Decline in Murders
(p 23) -
Fourth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Habeas and Remands for Hearing on Actual Innocence Claim
(p 22) -
Federal Judge Denies Qualified Immunity for Cops Who Detained Motorist for Giving Them the Finger
(p 22) -
Seventh Circuit: Failure to Disclose that Star Witness Was Hypnotized is 'Brady' Violation
(p 20) -
Georgia Supreme Court: Statutes Permitting a Defendant’s Refusal to Submit to Breath Tests to Be Admitted into Evidence Are Unconstitutional
(p 20) -
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Retroactively Applies Birchfield, Holding that Enhanced Criminal Penalties for Refusing Warrantless Blood Tests are Unconstitutional
(p 19) -
First Circuit: Failure to Prove a Prior Conviction Was a ‘Controlled Substance Offense’ Under the Guidelines Requires Resentencing
(p 18) -
Fourth Circuit Announces Reasonably Foreseeable Acts of Co-Conspirators Not Sufficient for Fleeing Sentence Enhancement Under U.S.S.G. § 3C1.2
(p 18) -
California Supreme Court: Competence Hearing Required When Formerly Incompetent Defendant Quits Taking Psychotropic Medication and Exhibits Signs of Incompetence
(p 17) -
SCOTUS: Presumption of Prejudice Recognized in Flores-Ortega Applies Regardless of Defendant’s Appeal Waiver
(p 16) -
California Governor Announces Moratorium on Capital Punishment
(p 15) -
Arrests Do Not Necessarily Represent Solved Crimes
(p 14) -
Expert Report Urges Changes to Forensic Analysis in Courtrooms
(p 14) -
Misconduct in the Forensic Science Community Reveals Urgent Need for Greater Oversight
(p 13) -
Q&A: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel: Which Errors Are Worth Pursuing?
(p 12) -
Texas Misuses Privacy Law to Withhold In-Custody Death Information
(p 11) -
Plea Bargaining: Prosecutors Leave Trail of Injustice When Playing Hardball with Defendants
(p 1)
March
-
News In Brief
(p 42) -
When Prosecuting Crimes by Police, Feds Appear to Move Slowly
(p 41) -
Can Criminal Records Ever Truly Be Expunged in the Internet Era?
(p 41) -
Third Circuit: Pennsylvania’s SORNA Requirements Sufficiently Restrictive to Constitute Custody for Habeas Jurisdiction
(p 40) -
Nebraska’s Death Row Prisoners Must Bring ‘Repeal Challenges’ Individually
(p 39) -
San Francisco Embraces New Technology to Clear Pot Convictions
(p 39) -
Wisconsin Considers Updating Its Cash Bail System
(p 38) -
Birth Pangs of Bail Reform Come to Texas
(p 38) -
Indiana Supreme Court Announces Trial Court Must Resentence on All Underlying Felonies After Gang Enhancement Sentence Reversed on Appeal
(p 37) -
$8.4 Million Combined Settlement Reached by ‘Norfolk Four’
(p 36) -
Eleventh Circuit Rules DEA’s Definition of Positional Isomer Does Not Apply to Substances on Temporary Schedule, Vacates Possession Conviction
(p 36) -
Shooting of Seven-Year-Old Girl in Houston Highlights Problems With Eyewitness Identification
(p 35) -
Georgia Supreme Court Announces Defendant May Invoke Rape Shield Statute to Bar State From Offering Evidence of Victim’s Past Sexual Behavior
(p 34) -
Kentucky Supreme Court Holds State Statute Defining Intellectual Disability as IQ of 70 or Lower Unconstitutional, Death Row Prisoner Entitled to Hearing
(p 34) -
Oregon Supreme Court Clarifies PCR ‘Church Motion’ Practice
(p 33) -
Death Penalty Usage Trending Downward, Report Reveals
(p 32) -
Tennessee Supreme Court: Attempting to Secretly Videotape
Teen Changing Clothes Does Not Support Conviction for Attempted Production of Child Pornography
(p 32) -
Georgia Supreme Court Holds Statute Authorizing Lifetime GPS Monitoring of ‘Sexually Dangerous Predator’ Is Unconstitutional
(p 31) -
Erie County Convicted 11 People of Violating a Law Ruled Unconstitutional Over 20 Years Ago by Federal Court
(p 30) -
Video Simulators Part of Push to Train Police to Shoot Fewer Dogs, Limit Lawsuits
(p 30) -
FBI Reviewing Four Incidents of Excessive Force at Mesa, Arizona, PD in Just Four Months
(p 29) -
Law Enforcement and Lobbyists Battle Over Need for Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
(p 29) -
First Circuit: Sentencing Courts May Consider New Career Offender Guideline Amendment 798, Even Though Not Retroactive
(p 28) -
Nevada Supreme Court Clarifies, Narrows Nonhearsay Rule Under NRS 51.135(2)
(p 28) -
North Dakota Supreme Court Announces Implied Consent Advisory Must be Read After Arrest and Before Administering Test
(p 27) -
Counsel Ineffective for Failing to Move for Mistrial When Court Coerces Unanimous Verdict
(p 26) -
Fourth Circuit Rules 3 Marijuana Stems Discovered in Single Trash Pull Insufficient for Search Warrant, Suppresses Evidence Found in Residence
(p 26) -
Sixth Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity Claim in Malicious Prosecution Suit for Wrongful Arrest and Conviction Involving Multiple Lies by Police
(p 24) -
Seventh Circuit: Claim for Unlawful Pretrial Detention Accrues on Date of Release
(p 24) -
Connecticut Supreme Court Announces Defense Counsel Has Duty to ‘Promptly’ Notify Defendant of Plea Offer, Failure to Notify Before Testifying Constitutes IAC
(p 23) -
In Landmark Civil Asset Forfeiture Case, U.S. Supreme Court Holds Excessive Fines Clause of Eighth Amendment Applicable to States
(p 22) -
Ninth Circuit Holds Juror Who Wouldn’t Unequivocally State She Could Be Impartial Should Have Been Excused; New Trial Ordered Because Biased Juror Can’t Be Harmless Error
(p 21) -
Fourth Circuit Grants Habeas Relief for Death Row Prisoner Because Trial Court Excluded Expert Testimony Defendant Represents Low Risk of Violence in Prison
(p 20) -
Supreme Court of Alaska Announces Court System Bears Costs of Expert Evaluation When Insanity or Diminished Capacity Raised as Defense
(p 20) -
Arkansas Supreme Court: Search of Wallet Exceeded Scope of Lawful ‘Terry’ Frisk for Weapons
(p 19) - Destroyed Lives
-
California Police Privacy Laws Have Been Violating Brady for Years
(p 16) -
New Jersey Supreme Court: Detention of Motel Room Occupants After Reason for Police Visit Resolved Is Unlawful Seizure, Evidence Subject to Exclusionary Rule
(p 16) -
N.C. Supreme Court: Hiring and Paying a Hit Man Not Overt Act Necessary for Attempted Murder Charge
(p 15) -
NYPD’s Controversial Use of Mugshot Database Searches
(p 14) -
Conversations With Those Helped by Passage of First Step Act: Provides Relief for Some Federal Prisoners, but More Is Needed
(p 12) -
Appeals court provides new vehicle to challenge registration
(p 10) -
The FBI Says Its Photo Analysis Is Scientific Evidence. Scientists Disagree.
(p 1) - Can We Fight Crime With Public Shaming?
- Judge Urges Prosecution to Appeal Dismissal of Murder Charge
February
- Texas no-knock raid proves deadly; no drugs found
-
Jurors Showing More and More Savvy Toward Trial Evidence
(p 42) -
News in Brief
(p 42) -
Minnesota Sees Rising Tide of Payouts for Epidemic of Police Misconduct
(p 41) -
Government Snitches: Incentivized Witnesses Are the Leading Cause of Wrongful Convictions
(p 1) -
NYPD Gang Database Lacks Transparency, Limits Due Process
(p 41) -
$175,000 Settlement to Public Protester with Profanity-laced Sign Tased by Police Officer
(p 40) -
Study: Racial Bias Inherent in the Jury Selection Process
(p 40) -
Agencies: Bite-mark Forensics Outdated Science
(p 39) -
Algorithm-dictated Freedom? Vet California’s New Pretrial Risk Assessment Tool
(p 39) -
San Francisco DA Candidate Chesa Boudin Puts Criminal Justice Reform Front and Center
(p 38) -
New California Laws Peel Back Secrecy Surrounding Police Discipline Amid Pushback
(p 38) -
Facebook Tells Law Enforcement to Quit Using Phony Accounts
(p 37) -
‘Ban the Box’ Movement Expands in New Direction
(p 37) -
Forensic Entomology Helps Nevada Murder Convictee Get Exonerated After 17 Years in Prison
(p 36) -
Massachusetts Drug Lab Scandal: Thousands More Cases Likely Affected
(p 36) -
NY Election Websites Tell Parolees They Can’t Vote, Even Though They Can
(p 35) -
Police Use of ‘Undercover Friending’ Investigative Technique Unregulated
(p 35) -
Nebraska Supreme Court Clarifies Applicable Standard for Mandatory Testing Under DNA Testing Act, Reverses District Court for Applying Wrong Standard
(p 34) -
Hawaii Supreme Court Finally Complies with SCOTUS’ Apprendi Decision, Vacates Enhanced Sentence Based on Fact Determined by Judge, Not Jury
(p 34) -
Sexual Assaults and Harassment by Members of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Costing Taxpayers Millions
(p 33) -
Sixth Circuit Vacates a Witness Tampering Conviction, Principally on the Ground that the District Court Erroneously Instructed the Jury on the Intent Element of Witness Tampering
(p 32) -
Bronx Prosecutors Trained to Manipulate System to Delay Trials
(p 32) -
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rosenstein Defends Junk Science Forensics
(p 31) -
SCOTUS Clarifies Scope of Generic Burglary Under the ACCA
(p 30) -
Report: Wisconsin Crime Labs Face Multitude of Problems
(p 30) -
Custodial Interrogation Must Cease When Suspect Unambiguously Invokes Right to Remain Silent, Says Fourth Circuit
(p 29) -
Fifth Circuit: Introduction of Deposition Video Without Making Good-Faith Effort to Secure Witnesses’ Presence at Trial Violates Confrontation Clause
(p 28) -
Oklahoma Supreme Court Announces Drug Court Dismissal of Charges After Successful Completion of Drug Program Entitles Defendant to Immediate Expungement
(p 28) -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Clarifies Proper Evidentiary Standard and Type of Evidence for Informal Competency Hearing
(p 26) -
Third Circuit Orders Habeas Relief Based on Trial Counsel’s Failure to Present or Even Investigate Mental Health and Juvenile Records in Pennsylvania Death Penalty Case
(p 26) -
Third Circuit: Summons Is Not an Arrest for USSG Criminal History Calculation
(p 25) -
Sixth Circuit Reverses 60-Month Upward Variance Sentence Based on News Article Provided to Parties by Court at Beginning of Sentencing Hearing
(p 25) -
Ninth Circuit Announces Expert Testimony on Battered Woman Syndrome Not Categorically Excludable, Relevant to Duress Defense
(p 24) -
Fifth Circuit Holds Special Conditions in PSR Appendix but Not Orally Pronounced by District Court Must Be Removed From Sentence Where Conflict With Written Judgment
(p 23) -
SCOTUS: Florida’s Robbery Statute Satisfies Physical Force Requirement of Armed Career Criminal Act
(p 22) -
Idaho Supreme Court: Temporary and Isolated Crossing of the ‘Fog Line’ Not Enough to Support a Traffic Stop
(p 22) -
Louisiana Supreme Court Vacates Conviction for Batson Violation
(p 21) -
First Circuit Announces No Joint Participation Exception to Spousal Testimonial Privilege
(p 20) -
Minnesota Supreme Court Holds Sentencing Guidelines
at Time of Offense, Not Time of Sentencing, Controls for Purposes of Calculating Criminal History Score
(p 20) -
Eighth Circuit Rules Search Warrant Based on Affidavit That Failed to Link Target to Criminal Activity Lacked Probable Cause, Not Saved by Good-Faith Exception
(p 19) -
Seventh Circuit Reverses Denial of a Certificate of Innocence Needed as a Prerequisite for Damages for an Unjust Conviction and Imprisonment
(p 18) -
California Court of Appeal: Using Criminal Process to Collect Fines That Indigent Defendants Cannot Pay Is Unconstitutional
(p 17) -
Ninth Circuit Announces SCOTUS’ Rodriguez Opinion Requires Overturning ‘Reasonableness Standard’ Precedent in Traffic Stop Prolongation Cases
(p 16) -
U.S. Government Lab Withheld Groundbreaking Study for 5 Years That Can Help Defendants Question the Reliability of Certain DNA Evidence
(p 14) -
Cops Are At War Out There
(p 12) -
New York Mass Bail Out Action Targets Bail System Manipulation
(p 11) -
From the Editor
(p 11)
January
-
News in Brief
(p 42) -
Race-Based Arrests Rampant in San Francisco
(p 42) -
Tracking the Prevalence of Police Crime
(p 41) -
Former Balch Springs, Texas, Officer Found Guilty of Murder of Black Teen
(p 41) -
Massachusetts Drug Lab Scandal: Thousands More Cases Likely Affected
(p 40) -
$225,000 Settlement by Detroit for Unjustified Shooting of Dogs in Drug Case
(p 40) -
Why Defining a ‘Credible Witness’ in Criminal Trials Is a Slippery Slope
(p 38) -
Illinois Law on Informants Designed to Avoid Wrongful Convictions
(p 37) -
‘Innocent Man Almost Executed’ Freed After Decade on Death Row
(p 37) -
Washington Governor Expects to Pardon About 3,500 for Single Misdemeanor Pot Convictions
(p 36) -
Police Commit Significant Number of Sex Crimes, Which May Shock the General Public but Not Those Familiar with Law Enforcement
(p 36) -
Juror Bias Often Triggered by Severity of Crime Charged
(p 35) -
Investigation and Arrest of Mail Bomb Suspect Rips Cover Off Postal Surveillance
(p 34) -
Campus Cops on Municipal Streets Raises Transparency and Accountability Concerns
(p 35) -
Louisiana Ends Jim Crow-era Law: Unanimous Jury Requirement Now in Constitution
(p 34) -
‘Texas Reneging on Deal’ With Draconian Sex Offender Registry, but Some Are Fighting Back
(p 33) -
Montana Supreme Court: Retrial Following Mistrial Declared Without
‘Manifest Necessity’ Violates Prohibition on Double Jeopardy
(p 32) -
U.S. Senator Sounds Alarm on Privacy, Public Safety Concerns of Cell-Site Simulators
(p 32) -
DEA Agents Trap Cocaine-Trafficking Suspects with Doctored Blackberrys
(p 31) -
Federal Judge Signals That Defense Counsel Will Be Permitted To Argue Jury Nullification in Questionable Child Porn Prosecution
(p 31) -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Rules Defense Attorney Violated McCoy, Reverses Capital Convictions and Orders New Trial
(p 30) -
Nevada Supreme Court Reverses Convictions Where Trial Court Failed to Conduct Third Step of Batson Challenge
(p 30) -
Sixth Circuit: Tennessee Aggravated Sexual Battery Is Not a SORNA Tier III Offense
(p 29) -
Georgia Supreme Court: Asportation Required to Support Kidnapping Conviction
(p 28) -
Montana Supreme Court Overrules Its Precedents Confusing Venue and Jurisdiction, Announces Venue Is Waivable But Cannot Waive Jurisdiction
(p 28) -
California Court of Appeal: Commissioner Cannot Preside Over Parole Revocation Hearing Absent Stipulation
(p 27) -
Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules Attempt to Close Door in Officer’s Face Clear Signal that Consent Not Given for Warrantless Entry
(p 26) -
Report: Bitemark Analysis Debunked as Pseudoscience
(p 26) -
Montana Supreme Court: City May Not Impose Local Surcharge Not Authorized by State Law for Violation of State Criminal Statute
(p 25) -
Sixth Circuit Holds Tennessee Burglary Not Violent Felony Under ACCA, Overturning Previous Controlling Authority in Light of SCOTUS’ Mathis Opinion
(p 24) -
Maine Supreme Court Rules Double Jeopardy Bars Re-Use of Evidence at Second Trial After Acquittal Based on Same Evidence at First Trial on Different Charges
(p 23) -
West Virginia Supreme Court Vacates Sentence After State Violates Plea Bargain by Making Recommendation at Sentencing
(p 22) -
Tenth Circuit Clarifies Proper Test for Pretrial Hearing on Seized Assets Needed to Retain Counsel
(p 22) -
Public Support for Militarized Policing Ebbs, Fails to Improve Safety
(p 21) -
Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Rule Against Judicial ‘Participation’ in Plea Negotiations
(p 20) -
Study Shows Reassigning Problem Cops Could Have Saved Chicago More than $6 Million in Lawsuit Payouts
(p 19) -
Washington Supreme Court Announces Effective Date of Certificate of Discharge Is Date Offender Completes All Sentence Requirements
(p 18) -
Fourth Circuit Vacates USSG Career Offender Sentence Predicated on Georgia Robbery
(p 18) -
Iowa Supreme Court Announces New SOL Rule for Consecutive Postconviction IAC Claims
(p 16) -
Ninth Circuit Remands Drug Case for Reconsideration of Sentencing Guidelines’ Minor-Role Adjustment
(p 16) -
N.Y. Court of Appeals Announces When Trial Commences for Timeliness of Pro Se Requests
(p 15) -
President Trump Signs First Step Act Into Law—It’s a Good Initial Attempt at Meaningful Reform
(p 14) -
South Carolina Supreme Court Holds Broken Chain of Custody for Drug Evidence Requires Reversal of Conviction
(p 13) -
America’s Cities Are Criminalizing Homelessness
(p 12) -
Habeas Hints: SCOTUS Review 2017-18
(p 10) -
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Holds Defendant Unambiguously Invoked Right to Remain Silent Suppresses Confession and Derivative Physical Evidence and Announces New Rule
(p 8) -
Capital Punishment in the United States: Explained
(p 1)