More from this issue:

1. News in Brief
2. Using Technology to Erase Old Pot Convictions is the Buzz in Los Angeles, by Douglas Ankney
3. Criticizing Cops is a Criminal Act in Many States, by Edward Lyon
4. Illinois Data Collection Law Set to Expire; Collected Data Reveal Police Target Black and Latino Drivers, by Douglas Ankney
5. The Many Pitfalls Associated With Police Lineups, by Edward Lyon
6. Tennessee Legislature’s Investigation Finds Inadequate Supervision of Private Probation, by Derek Gilna
7. If You’re Unlucky or Black, Your Prison Sentence Could Be 63 Percent Longer, by Douglas Ankney
8. Prosecutors Regret Man’s Wrongful Conviction in 1983 Florida Rape and Murder
9. New York Court of Appeals: Jury Trial Right Attaches to Deportable Crimes Punishable by Less Than Six Months in Jail, by David Reutter
10. Ninth Circuit: Habeas Petitioner Need Only Show That IAC Claims Are Substantial to Excuse Procedural Default Under Martinez, by Chad Marks
11. Pennsylvania Governor Signs Into Law New Bills to Help Convicts, Extends Postconviction Filing Time Limits
12. Don’t Shoot the Dogs: The Growing Epidemic of Cops Shooting Family Dogs, by John W. Whitehead
13. Dallas County Judge’s ‘Blank Check’ Warrant Questioned; Case Dismissed, by Dale Chappell
14. Ninth Circuit: Washington State Accomplice Liability Drug Offenses Not ACCA Predicates, by Mark Wilson
15. McDNA: The DNA Testing Equivalent to Fast Food, by Edward Lyon
16. Kansas Supreme Court Overturns Sentence for Vindictiveness, by Anthony Accurso
17. Eighth Circuit: Misprision of Felony Conviction of Participant in Underlying Felony Violates Fifth Amendment, by Douglas Ankney
18. DEA Used Decades of Warrantless Phone Data in Building Parallel Construction Cases, by Steve Horn
19. Sixth Circuit Holds IAC When Counsel Fails to Warn of Possibility of Deportation as Result of Plea Bargain, by Dale Chappell
20. Oregon Supreme Court: State Prohibited From Introducing Breath Test Refusal as Evidence of DUI, by Mark Wilson
21. Intoxicated Driving Convictions for Non-Drinking Drivers, by Edward Lyon
22. Appointed Defense Lawyers, Public Defenders: Overworked, Underpaid, Ineffective, by Edward Lyon
23. Supreme Court of Delaware: Lawyer’s Mere Presence the Day of Trial Violates Sixth Amendment Under Cronic Standard, by Chad Marks
24. Sixth Circuit Rejects Kentucky Supreme Court’s Ruling That Defendant-Lawyers Are Never Without Counsel and Not Entitled to Faretta Hearing, by Dale Chappell
25. NJ Supreme Court: Failure to Advise Suspect of Pending Charges Before Waiver of Right Against Self-Incrimination Requires Suppression of Statements, by Douglas Ankney
26. First Circuit Vacates Revocation Sentence for Improperly Considering Rehabilitation, by Anthony Accurso
27. Eighth Circuit Vacates Supervised Release Conditions Prohibiting Alcohol Consumption and Setting Curfew Not Contained in Plea Agreement, by Matthew Clarke
28. Knowing Sexual Offense Facts Important; Paying Attention to Them Critical, by Sandy Rozek
29. Second Circuit Rules 68-Month Delay Violates Speedy Trial Clause, by Douglas Ankney
30. 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, by Punch & Jurists
31. When Prosecuting Crimes by Police, Feds Appear to Move Slowly, by Edward Lyon
32. Unreasonable Delay in Obtaining Search Warrant after Lawful Seizure Requires Suppression of Evidence, Announces Georgia Supreme Court, by Douglas Ankney
33. 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, by David Reutter
34. Georgia Supreme Court Says Visually Impaired Defendant Entitled to Appointment of a Reader, by Douglas Ankney
35. 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, by Chad Marks
36. Portion of Illinois Sex Offender Law is Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
37. Third Circuit: Reason for Continuance Must be Given to Exclude Delay from 70-Day Limit of Speedy Trial Act or Dismissal of Indictment, by Douglas Ankney
38. First Circuit: FBI’s Ruse Claiming National Emergency to Obtain Consent to Search Held Unlawful, by Douglas Ankney
39. Illinois Supreme Court: Warrantless Dog Sniff of Apartment Front Door in Locked Building Violates Fourth Amendment, by David Reutter
40. Fourth Circuit Rules District Court Must Provide Individualized Rationale When Denying Motion for Sentence Reduction, by Douglas Ankney
41. Suspected Mishandling of DNA Tests Puts Cases on Hold in Fort Worth, Texas, by Michael Berk
42. Misconduct by prosecutors is rampant — how do we deter it?, by Mike Fawer
43. Nebraska’s Beatrice Six Will Collect $28.1 Million Jury Award, by Edward Lyon
44. Connecticut Supreme Court Rejects Davis and Announces State Constitution Requires Police to Clarify Ambiguous Request for Counsel Before Continuing Interrogation, by Douglas Ankney
45. Habeas Hints: Discovery on Habeas Corpus, by Kent Russell, Tara Hoveland
46. Flipping the Bird, Even Toward a Cop, Is a Constitutionally Protected Right, by Douglas Ankney
47. Prosecutors Dropping Child Porn Charges After Software Tools Are Questioned, by Jack Gillum

More from Douglas Ankney:

• The Dramatic Increase in the Elderly Prison Population Is Fiscally and Morally Irresponsible, Oct. 1, 2026
• Second Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity but Clarifies that 14th Amendment ‘Objective Reasonableness’ Is Standard of Review for Pretrial Detainee’s Claim of Sexual Abuse, Oct. 1, 2026
• California Supreme Court Announces Totality-of-Circumstances Framework Focused on Defendant’s Subjective Understanding Under § 1473.7(a)(1), Holding Immigration Consequences Advisement Is Relevant but Not Dispositive, Oct. 1, 2026
• Idaho Supreme Court Holds Conflicting Affidavits About Plea Acceptance Require Evidentiary Hearing on Ineffective-Assistance Claim, Oct. 1, 2026
• Tenth Circuit Vacates Award of Costs to Prison Officials, Revives Prisoner’s Claim Alleging Denial of Access to Functioning Toilets and Exposure to Other Prisoners’ Feces, Oct. 1, 2026
• Second Circuit Vacates Above-Guidelines Firearm-Trafficking Sentence Based on Failure to Assist Law Enforcement and Unexplained Reliance on Factors Already Included in Guidelines Range, Sept. 1, 2026
• Ninth Circuit Reverses Convictions, Holding Requirement That Defendant Testify Before Displaying Hand Tattoos Violates Fifth Amendment, Sept. 1, 2026
• Ohio Supreme Court Announces Postconviction DNA-Testing Orders Need Only Identify Statutory Reason to Satisfy R.C. 2953.73(D) “Reasons” Requirement, Sept. 1, 2026
• Federal Court Upholds Consultants’ Finding that Oklahoma Is Not Honoring Its Consent Decree to Provide Mental Health Treatment, Sept. 1, 2026
• Idaho Legislature Moves to Hide Execution Protocol from Judicial Scrutiny, Sept. 1, 2026

More from these topics:

• Ninth Circuit Refuses to Stay Injunction in Detainees’ Challenge to Conditions at California ICE Lockup, Oct. 1, 2026. GEO Group/Wackenhut, Sanitation, Injunctions, Fifth Amendment, Immigration Detention.
• D.C. Judge Blocks Transfer of Biden-Commuted Federal Death Row Prisoners to “Supermax,” Citing Lack of Meaningful Due Process, April 1, 2026. Transfers, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Fifth Amendment, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Prison Classification.
• Montana Supreme Court Holds Defendant’s Sentence Must Be Vacated Where District Court Premised Sentence on Defendant’s Exercise of Constitutional Rights to Jury Trial, Silence, and Against Self-Incrimination, April 1, 2026. Fifth Amendment, Sixth Amendment, Self-Incrimination Clause, Right to Testify/Remain Silent, Acceptance of Responsibility.
• Acquitted Conduct Sentencing: Not Guilty – But Punished Anyway, March 1, 2026. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Federal Legislation, Fifth Amendment, Sixth Amendment, Acquitted Conduct/Uncharged Crimes/Dismissed Counts.
• D.C. Federal Court Holds Blocking Prison Reform Advocate’s Access to Federal Prisoners May Violate First Amendment and Due Process, Feb. 1, 2026. Threats by Staff, DOC/BOP misconduct, First Amendment, rights, Fifth Amendment, Access to Computers.
• The Legal Fight for Homeowner Compensation After SWAT Raids, Dec. 15, 2025. Sovereign Immunity, Fifth Amendment, Constitution, state, Destruction of Property.
• Understanding Your Constitutional Rights in the 
‘100-Mile Border Zone’: A Primer for Non-Citizens in the United States When Confronted by Law Enforcement, July 1, 2025. Immigration, Fifth Amendment, Searches - Border Stops/Searches, Level of Suspicion, Routine vs. Non-Routine Border Searches, Immigration Law/Offenses, Fourth Amendment.
• Sixth Circuit Announces Invoking Fifth Amendment While Testifying at Trial Does Not Contradict Prior Proffer Statement Nor Does Questioning the Sufficiency of the Prosecution’s Evidence, July 1, 2025. Fifth Amendment, Sufficiency of Evidence, Prior Inconsistent Statements, Proffer Agreements/Statements/Sessions.
• Not-­So-­Friendly Neighborhood Spidernet: Emerging Mass Surveillance Tool to Weave a Web Around Your Digital Life, July 1, 2025. Fifth Amendment, Advanced Imaging Technology, Fourth Amendment.
• Mississippi Supreme Court Vacates Convictions, 
Holding Multiple Errors by State Resulted in ‘Legal Chaos’ 
That Deprived Defendant of Right to Fair Trial 
Under ‘Cumulative-Error Doctrine’, May 15, 2025. Fifth Amendment, Prejudicial Spillover, Hearsay Evidence, Graphic and Inflammatory Evidence.