by Jo Ellen Nott
The Brennan Center for Justice, a civil rights non-profit law and public policy group, has learned that authorities in several Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) law enforcement agencies are using fake accounts on social media platforms to conduct investigations. Civil rights groups and some legislators criticize ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
An ongoing investigation reveals that the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (“DEA”) involvement in domestic surveillance operations far exceeds its drug enforcement mandate.
Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Cato Institute in its litigation against the FBI and the Department of Justice show ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
On December 19, 2023, the Harris County Texas Commissioners Court approved a $1.5 million settlement in Joshua Coucke’s case against Harris County, Texas. Coucke, 35, was an innocent bystander in his own home when he was shot five times by a Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy. ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
A common household item is being analyzed by forensic scientists as the newest tool in crime scene investigations. Researchers at West Virginia University are establishing the standard for the trace evidence left by everyone’s favorite fix-it friend—duct tape.
Duct tape is used to restrain, gag, strangle, ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
The House Judiciary Committee and Weaponization Select Subcommittee headed by Ohio Republican Jim Jordan is actively investigating major banks for allegedly sharing Americans’ private financial information with the FBI. The committee alleges the banks shared this information without proper legal processes, thus raising concerns about privacy ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
The Journal of Empirical Legal Studies published a ground-breaking study out of Cornell University that proves prosecutors question Black venire persons in a hard-to-detect, but significantly different way, than they question other potential jurors.
“Quantifying Disparate Questioning of Black and White Jurors in Capital Jury Selection” ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021 after declaring a state of emergency in response to a rise in border crossings and fentanyl trafficking in southern Texas. As part of the $4.5 billion Texas spent in two years, the Texas Department ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
The Mississippi Supreme Court mandated on April 13, 2023, that poor criminal defendants must have an attorney throughout the entire criminal process. In re Miss. Rules of Crim. Procedure, 2023 Miss. LEXIS 103 (2023). The state high court made this decision to eliminate the “dead zone” ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
In the July 2023 issue of the Forensic Chemistry journal, new research from West Virginia University (“WVU”) forensic scientists reveals that gunshot residue (“GSR”) behaves differently on skin, hair, and fabric depending on whether it contains organic or inorganic compounds. The WVU scientists are working ...
by Jo Ellen Nott
In a stabbing case in The Hague, Netherlands, a suspect facing charges in the deadly incident denied his involvement. Wanting to prove his presence at the crime scene, the Dutch police turned to digital evidence and, more specifically, data from the suspect’s cellphone.
The police ...
