by Derek Gilna
Yet another example of how the judicial and legislative branches are falling behind the curve in protecting American citizens from undisclosed forms of surveillance and classification was revealed in a report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (“EFF”) published in April 2018. In EFF’s recent Freedom of Information ...
by Derek Gilna
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala issued a preliminary injunction on September 13, 2018, which effectively ends the money bond system of Cullman County, Alabama, finding that it violates the Eighth Amendment, which states: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel ...
by Derek Gilna
A federal civil rights suit alleging massive abuse of Philadelphia’s civil asset forfeiture program was settled in September 2018 for $3 million, which will be distributed to individuals it victimized.
The settlement resolved a 2014 federal class-action court action filed by the Institute for Justice on behalf ...
by Derek Gilna
Martin Marsich, a 25-year-old foreign national, was arrested on August 8, 2018, for hacking into Electronic Arts Company’s internal computer network and gaining access to approximately 25,000 customer accounts that are used to buy items for use in video games.
At his bond hearing, U.S. District Court ...
by Derek Gilna
FBI forensics specialist Bob Moledor claims that FBI used the lifeless index finger of at least one dead suspect to unlock his iPhone to search for evidence. In 2016, Moledor said the agency unsuccessfully attempted to use the finger of suspected terrorist Abdul Razak Ali Artan, who ...
by Derek Gilna
A federal judge in a July 28, 2018, ruling has effectively ended Albuquerque, New Mexico’s civil asset forfeiture program, finding that, “there is a ‘realistic possibility’ that forfeiture officials’ judgment will be distorted by the prospect of institutional gain—the more revenues they raise, the more revenues they ...
by Derek Gilna
Richard Paul, a Bournemouth University, England, chemistry professor and specialist in toxicological hair analysis, maintains that although the relatively new technology can be useful, it is far from foolproof. He cautions that even though the High Court of the United Kingdom has accepted the results of hair ...
by Derek Gilna
The Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association was forced to backtrack from an April 19, 2018, statement that Louisiana jails hold about 1,300 individuals in jail over four years without standing trial and 70 for more than five years.
One week later the association stated that the figure is only ...
by Derek Gilna
New York Governor Mario Cuomo has signed a bill that many hope will rein in prosecutorial misconduct. New York, with 250 exonerations since 1989, has paid out millions of dollars in settlements. In an attempt to address this problem, New York assemblymen in June 2018, passed a ...
by Derek Gilna
The United States Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in the Carpenter case, which set aside a criminal conviction based upon warrantless extended collection of cellphone location data on Fourth Amendment grounds, came from a court that many observers felt was moving in a more conservative direction.
This decision ...
