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Ninth Circuit Holds Undisclosed Relationship Between Murdered FBI Agent and Presiding Judge in Capital Case Created Intolerable Risk of Judicial Bias, Warranting Habeas Relief
by David Reutter
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that an undisclosed connection between an FBI agent and a judge entitled a death row prisoner to the grant of habeas corpus relief. The Court found there was a constitutionally intolerable risk of judicial bias.
Jose Echavarria ...
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More from this issue:
- How Defense Lawyers Break Attorney-Client Privilege to Defend Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims, by Steve Horn
- Fee to Plead Guilty Burdens Indigent Defendants in Pennsylvania, by Dale Chappell
- California Court of Appeal: Youth Offender Parole Statute Trumps Consecutive Prison Term Statute, by Christopher Zoukis
- Very Few Have Taken Advantage of New York’s Program to Seal Criminal Records, by Edward Lyon
- Homeland Security One Step Closer to Becoming Big Brother Incarnate, by Christopher Zoukis
- St. Louis Police Department Fighting Prosecution Exclusion List, by Kevin Bliss
- Junk Sciences and Scientists Strike Again in Texas, by Edward Lyon
- Global Voice Recognition Database Alarms Privacy Groups, by Kevin Bliss
- Philadelphia Pays Out Millions to Settle Police Shootings, by Edward Lyon
- Scottish Psychologist’s Study Focuses On Why the Innocent May Confess to Crimes, by Derek Gilna
- U.S. Government Paid Out Over $60 Million to Settle Border Patrol Violence Claims, by Christopher Zoukis
- New Hampshire’s Secret List of Problematic Cops Gets Worse, by Dale Chappell
- Crime Labs Falling Short, by Edward Lyon
- Eleventh Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity to Florida Cop Who Seized iPhone from Accident Bystander, by Christopher Zoukis
- Fourth Circuit: Federal Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering Not a Crime of Violence for Purposes of Sentencing Guidelines Enhancement, by Christopher Zoukis
- Colorado Leads U.S. in Suppression of Court Cases, by Kevin Bliss
- Kansas Supreme Court Rules Fourth Amendment Violation Where Purported Inventory Search Was Performed in Absence of Standard Policy, by Richard Resch
- Massachusetts Supreme Court Shifts Burden on Government to Prove by Clear and Convincing Evidence Sex Offender Poses Continued Risk at Termination of Registry Hearings, by Dale Chappell
- Report: NYPD Assisted in Creating Facial Recognition Technology, by Kevin Bliss
- South Carolina Supreme Court Rules Mandatory Electronic Monitoring of Sex Offenders Must Be ‘Reasonableness’ Under Fourth Amendment, by Dale Chappell
- Minnesota Supreme Court Joins the Chorus by Announcing Birchfield is Retroactive, by Christopher Zoukis
- $1 Million Settlement by Cleveland to Six Rape, Murder Victims’ Families, by Kevin Bliss
- Connecticut Supreme Court Finds IAC for Failure to Investigate Key Alibi Witness, Grants New Trial, by Dale Chappell
- Ninth Circuit Holds Undisclosed Relationship Between Murdered FBI Agent and Presiding Judge in Capital Case Created Intolerable Risk of Judicial Bias, Warranting Habeas Relief, by David Reutter
- Ninth Circuit Rules California Robbery Not a ‘Crime of Violence’ in Light of Dimaya and Allows Withdrawal of Guilty Plea, by David Reutter
- Civil Rights Groups Urge Ending Use of Pretrial Bail Risk Assessment Tools, by Steve Horn
- California’s New Cashless Bail System More Likely to Increase Number of Detainees, by Kevin Bliss
- Article Calls for Courts to Implement ‘Brady Violation Disclosure Letter’ System, by Steve Horn
- Georgia Can No Longer Charge for Access to Its Statutes, Thanks to Eleventh Circuit Ruling
- I once wrote mandatory minimum laws. After ties to Abramoff landed me in prison, I know they must end., by Kevin Ring
- Seventh Circuit Vacates Conditions of Supervised Release Following Child Pornography Conviction, by Matthew Clarke
- Illinois: Chicago Police Misconduct Outed in Database 2.0 Version, by Edward Lyon
- Seventh Circuit: Bureau of Prisons Improperly Prolonged Prisoner’s Sentence, by Christopher Zoukis
- Oregon Supreme Court: ‘Grooming’ Evidence Requires Scientific Validity Foundation, by Mark Wilson
- Massachusetts Supreme Court Overturns Conviction Based on Prosecutor’s False Statement During Closing Argument, by Dale Chappell
- District Court Holds that Some White-Collar Felons May Lawfully Possess Firearms Due to a Little Known Exemption For Crimes ‘Relating to the Regulation of Business Practices’
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- Massachusetts Supreme Court Tosses Thousands of Drug Cases After Lab Tech Scandal and Government Cover-Up, by Dale Chappell
- Tenth Circuit Rules Police Seizure of Home Where No Evidence of Criminal Activity Apparent Violates Fourth Amendment Requiring Suppression of Incriminating Evidence, by Richard Resch
- Seventh Circuit: Procedural Error Occurs When Miscount of Prior Convictions Basis for Sentence, Resentencing Required, by David Reutter
- Police Misconduct Threatens Over 20,000 New Jersey Drunk Driving Convictions, by Derek Gilna
- Nevada Court of Appeals Rules Police May Not Conduct Warrantless Search Based on Third-Party Consent Where No Effort Made to Determine Whether Person Has Authority to Do So, by Richard Resch
- New York City Cops Using Supposedly Sealed Arrest Records, by Edward Lyon
- Ninth Circuit Grants Habeas for IAC of Resentencing Counsel Who Failed to Challenge Sole Aggravating Factor or Investigate Mitigating Circumstances, by Matthew Clarke
- News in Brief
- Kansas Supreme Court Holds Travel Plan Questions Unconstitutionally Extended Traffic Stop, by Matthew Clarke
- The Fallibility of Forensic Science: Crime-Solving Tool Can Lead to Wrongful Convictions—and Belated Exonerations, by Rick Anderson
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:
- On Remand, Eleventh Circuit Clarifies, Affirms Grant of Habeas Relief to Death Row Prisoner, Aug. 1, 2025. Habeas Corpus, Death Penalty, Death Row.
- Fifth Circuit Announces When Initial § 2255 Petition Not Decided on Merits and Appeals Court Later Recalls Mandate Dismissing Direct Appeal and Affirms Conviction, Subsequent § 2255 Petition Not ‘Second or Successive’ Under AEDPA, Aug. 1, 2025. Habeas Corpus, AEDPA.
- Fourth Circuit Announces Counterman v. Colorado Is New Rule of Constitutional Law That Applies Retroactively to Cases on Collateral Review and Grants Authorization to File Successive § 2255 Motion, July 1, 2025. Rehabilitation/Recidivism, Habeas Corpus, Threats.
- Arguing Successful Federal Habeas Corpus Claims, June 1, 2025. Habeas Corpus, Sixth Amendment, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel.
- Ninth Circuit Grants Stay and Abeyance of Federal Habeas Petition to Allow Petitioner to Exhaust State Remedies, April 15, 2025. Administrative Exhaustion (PLRA), Habeas Corpus, AEDPA, Amendments to Petition.
- The FBI’s Encrypted Phone Sting, April 15, 2025. Cell Searches, FBI, Police State-Surveillance, Electronic Surveillance.
- FBI Pressured Forensic Science Group to Censor Critical Workshops, Emails Reveal, March 15, 2025. FBI, Forensic Sciences, Education and Vocational Skills/Training.
- Third Circuit Grants Habeas Relief to Prisoner on Confrontation Clause and Ineffective Assistance Claims Based on Trial Court Reading Entire Criminal Information Into the Record of Co-Conspirator Who Pleaded Guilty, Feb. 15, 2025. Habeas Corpus, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Exculpatory No Doctrine, Confrontation Clause/Rights, Witnesses - Prior Statements/Testimony, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Habeas Relief in ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case, Feb. 1, 2025. junk science, Habeas Corpus, Forensic Sciences, Child Abuse/Abusers, Evidence - Admissibility.
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation Admits Over 1,000 Cases Affected by DNA Test Misconduct, Feb. 1, 2025. Judicial Misconduct, DNA Testing/Samples, junk science, Forensic Sciences.