More from this issue:

1. The Infuriating History of Why Police Unions Have So Much Power, by Samantha Michaels
2. Wrongly Convicted North Carolina Man Released After 44 Years in Prison, by Douglas Ankney
3. Law Review Article: Plea Bargains Lack Transparency, by David Reutter
4. Eleventh Circuit Holds RICO Conspiracy Doesn’t Qualify as Crime of Violence for § 924(c) Purposes and Defendant’s 120-Year Sentence Was Procedurally Unreasonable, by Douglas Ankney
5. Nevada Supreme Court: Search Invalid Where Police Failed to Properly Inventory Bag, by Anthony Accurso
6. Don’t Call the Cops. Especially if Your Loved Ones Are Old, Disabled or Have Special Needs, by John W. Whitehead
7. Ninth Circuit Announces Panels of Court of Appeals May Fashion Remedy When District Court Commits Daubert Error, by Douglas Ankney
8. Hawai’i Supreme Court: Search Unreasonable Where Officers Knocked and Announced Their Presence Four Times Within 25 Seconds, Then Forced Entry, by Douglas Ankney
9. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Use of Pole Cameras for Extended Surveillance of Residence Constitutes Search Under State Law, by Douglas Ankney
10. Kentucky Supreme Court: Criminal Defendant Has Right to Independent Counsel During In-Chambers Hearing on Fitness of Defense Counsel, by Matthew Clarke
11. Washington Supreme Court: Prosecutor’s War on Drugs Comments Denies Fair Trial, by David Reutter
12. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Vacates Guilty Plea Conditioned on Waiving Right to Pursue Claim Racial Bias Infected Jury Deliberations, by David Reutter
13. Tenth Circuit: District Court’s Failure to Justify Special Condition Was Plain Error, by Dale Chappell
14. Louisiana Supreme Court: Statute Compelling Registered Sex Offenders to Carry ID Emblazoned with ‘SEX OFFENDER’ Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
15. Denver 911 Calls Routed to Mental Health Professionals, by Jayson Hawkins
16. Ninth Circuit: District Court Abdicated Daubert Gatekeeping Function by Failing to Make Reliability Findings on Expert Witness’ Testimony, by Anthony Accurso
17. Arizona Supreme Court: Stipulated Plea Agreement Cannot Bar Review of Illegal Sentence, by David Reutter
18. Pennsylvania Supreme Court: No Probable Cause to Search Cellphones Merely Possessed in Proximity to Drugs and Guns, by Dale Chappell
19. Ninth Circuit Reiterates Presumption of Innocence Remains Until Conviction, Grants Habeas Relief, by Dale Chappell
20. Third Circuit: No Categorical Ban on Reliability of Recantations as New Evidence, by Dale Chappell
21. Fifth Circuit: Special Conditions of Supervised Release That Barred Use of Internet, Computers, and Electronic Devices for 10 Years Not Substantively Reasonable, by Douglas Ankney
22. First Circuit: Prosecution Under Puerto Rico and Federal Law for Same Drug Offense Constitutes Double Jeopardy, by Matthew Clarke
23. Court of Appeals of Maryland Clarifies Issues Involving Plea Agreements and Sentence Modifications Under Justice Reinvestment Act, by David Reutter
24. 7th Circuit: Ice Methamphetamine Sentence Enhancement Requires Proof of Purity, by Anthony Accurso
25. Illinois Law Firm Offers Web Application to Help Automate Expungement, by Douglas Ankney
26. Sixth Circuit: Probation Officer’s Warrantless Search of Probationer’s Cellphone Violated Fourth Amendment, by Douglas Ankney
27. New Mexico Supreme Court Clarifies Meaning of Key Terms in Aggravated Fleeing From Law Enforcement Statute, by Anthony Accurso
28. New York Court of Appeals Clarifies When Police May Conduct Traffic Stops, by Douglas Ankney
29. Sixth Circuit: Savings Clause Available for Retroactive Case of Statutory Interpretation Decided While § 2255 Motion on Appeal, by Dale Chappell
30. Ninth Circuit: Asking Single Objectionable Question Insufficient to Justify Termination of Defendant’s Right to Pro Se Representation, by Douglas Ankney
31. In New York, Former Prisoners With Mental Illnesses Lack Needed Support, by Casey Bastian
32. Lawsuit Challenges DEA Cash Seizures, by Jayson Hawkins
33. Futuristic Crime Predictor Targets, Monitors People Across Florida County, by David Reutter
34. Who Pays for Police Surveillance?, by Jayson Hawkins
35. First Step Act Relief Shows Modest Results, by Dale Chappell
36. They’re Not Secret Police, Just Police, by Anthony Accurso
37. Retiree’s Home Taken for $8.41 Tax Bill Draws Michigan Supreme Court Ire, by Jayson Hawkins
38. Georgia Supreme Court Affirms Right to Resist Unlawful Arrest and Announces Right Includes Use of Proportionate Force Against Government Property, by Douglas Ankney
39. A New Style of Crime Documentary, by Jayson Hawkins
40. Report: Judicial System Gives Cops a Pass in New Jersey, Elsewhere, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
41. Startup Surveils Communities of Color for Police Using Twitter, by Anthony Accurso
42. Michigan Supreme Court Reverses Murder Conviction Due to Unreliable, Suggestive Showup, by Matthew Clarke
43. Effective Crisis Management Without Police, by Jayson Hawkins
44. Texas Police S.W.A.T. Woman Over Anti-Cop Bumper Stickers, by Edward Lyon
45. Hip-Hop Police Bust Careers, Not Crime, by Kevin Bliss
46. News in Brief
47. Mother Calls 911 for Assistance With 13-Year-Old Autistic Son; Police Arrive and Shoot Him, by Douglas Ankney

More from Anthony Accurso:

• D.C. Circuit Holds Compelling Suspect to Unlock Cellphone With Thumbprint Is ‘Testimonial’ Act and Violates Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self-Incrimination, Feb. 15, 2025
• $220,000 Settlement After Woman Dies in Ohio Jail From Drug Withdrawal, Feb. 15, 2025
• Colorado Supreme Court Holds Defendant Was in ‘Custody’ for Miranda Purposes Because She Had Hands Bagged and Zip Tied, Commanded Not to Remove Them, and Questioned Alone in Interrogation Room With Door Closed, Feb. 15, 2025
• First Circuit Holds No Emergency-Aid Exception to Warrant Requirement Where Police Have Information That Subject Is Already Deceased, Feb. 15, 2025
• Police Departments Are Now Using AI to Write Reports, Feb. 15, 2025
• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Odor of Burnt Cannabis Alone Is Insufficient to Establish Probable Cause for a Warrantless Vehicle Search, Feb. 1, 2025
• Mass Spectrometry Being Studied as Way to Analyze Overlapping or Weak Fingerprints, Feb. 1, 2025
• Georgia Supreme Court Grants Habeas Relief Where Both Trial and Appellate Counsel Provided Ineffective Assistance by Failing to Challenge Indictment for Residential Burglary That Failed to Allege Defendant Illegally Entered a ‘Dwelling’, Jan. 15, 2025
• Childhood Trauma Incidence Higher Among Those Incarcerated, Jan. 15, 2025
• Nevada Supreme Court Announces Incorporated Probable Cause Affidavit Cannot Broaden Scope of Warrant’s Description of Places and Persons to be Searched or Items to Be Seized, Dec. 1, 2024

More from these topics:

• California Court of Appeal: Evidence Insufficient to Show Robbery Victim Moved ‘Substantial Distance’ to Support Simple Kidnapping Conviction and Amendments to § 186.22 Require Vacatur of Gang Enhancements, Feb. 15, 2025. Prison Gangs, Kidnapping, Abduction or Unlawful Restraint, Insufficiency of the Evidence, Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Gang Membership.
• California Court of Appeal Strikes Prison Prior Enhancement for Invalid Predicate Offense Under § 1172.75 Despite Concurrently Served Valid Predicate, Feb. 1, 2025. Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Predicate Acts/Offenses, Concurrent and Consecutive Sentences.
• Ninth Circuit Announces California Assault With Deadly Weapon Conviction Not ‘Crime of Violence’ for Career Offender Enhancement Under Sentencing Guidelines, Feb. 1, 2025. Career Offenders, Gun Laws/Crimes, Sentence Enhancements/Departures.
• Ninth Circuit Announces ‘Hate Crime’ Sentence Enhancement Under Guidelines § 3A1.1(a) Requires Finding Defendant Motivated by Hate or Animus, Feb. 1, 2025. Hate Crimes, Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Evidence - Admissibility.
• California Supreme Court Announces Uncharged and Unproven Offense-Specific Enhancements May Not Be Imposed Under § 1172.6(e) Resentencing, Dec. 1, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Resentencing, Sentence Enhancements/Departures.
• Tenth Circuit: Mere Presence in Vehicle Used to Transport Large Quantity of Drugs Insufficient to Establish Necessary Intent for Conspiracy Conviction, Sept. 1, 2024. Conspiracy, Mere Presence, Methamphetamine, Weight and Quantity of Drugs.
• California Court of Appeal Announces Correct Legal Standard for Whether Dismissal of Sentence Enhancement Would ‘Endanger Public Safety’ Under § 1385(c)(2) Is Dangerousness at Time of Future Release, Not at Time of Resentencing Under SB 1393, Sept. 1, 2024. Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Computer Use Enhancement, Public Safety Exception, Presumption of Dangerousness.
• Federal Sentencing Guidelines Undergo Substantial Amendments, Jan. 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, First Step Act, Violence Against Women Act, Criminal History, Qualifying Offenses, Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Sexual Abuse/Harrassment/Exploitation, Sexual Exploitation of Minors, Federally Protected Rights, Sexual Conduct with Minors, Sentences - Authorized, Safety Valve, Acceptance of Responsibility, Preservation of Judicial Resources, Legal or Factual Challenges - assertion of.
• First Circuit: Justification for Upward Sentencing Departure Following Supervised Release Revocation Must Be Ade-quately Explained, Dec. 15, 2023. Sentence Enhancements/Departures, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release.
• Third Circuit: Pennsylvania Second-Degree Aggravated Assault of a Protected Individual Not a ‘Violent Felony’ Under ACCA, Court Acknowledges ‘Bizarre Result’, Sept. 1, 2023. Sentencing Goals/Purposes/Practices, Protected Persons, Sentence Enhancements/Departures.