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 David Reutter:

• Philadelphia Agrees to $9.1 Million Settlement for Wrongful Murder Conviction, Feb. 15, 2025
• ‘Fictional Pleas’ and ‘Hidden Departures’: Failure to Collect Data on Binding Federal Plea Bargains Hinders Researchers, Feb. 15, 2025
• First Circuit: Two-Level Enhancement Under § 3B1.1(c) for Leadership or Managerial Role Vacated Because Government Failed to Prove Defendant’s Order Was Actually ‘Obeyed’ by Fellow Criminal Participant, Feb. 15, 2025
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Holds Witness Wearing Surgical Mask During Pandemic Is Denial of Sixth Amendment Right to Face-to-Face Confrontation and No General Exception to This Right for Pandemic or ‘Other Global Events’ Such as Wars and Natural, Feb. 15, 2025
• The Murky Waters of Parole, Feb. 1, 2025
• California Prisoner Awarded Over $1.26 Million in Suit Challenging Withheld Legal Mail Which Resulted in Habeas Loss, Jan. 15, 2025
• Muslim New York Prisoner’s Free Exercise of Religion Claim Reinstated, Jan. 15, 2025
• Fourth Circuit: Baltimore County Prisoners May Qualify as Employees under FLSA, Jan. 15, 2025
• In Failure-to-Treat Claims, Wellpath Denied Dismissal in Virginia, Settles in Pennsylvania, Dec. 15, 2024
• Trends Show Mortality Risks Increase with Higher Jail Turnover Rates, Dec. 15, 2024

More from these topics:

• Former South Carolina Jailer Spared Prison After Testimony Fails to Convict Former Sheriff, Feb. 15, 2025. Guard Brutality/Beatings, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Sentences - Adjustments and Departures, Offense of Conviction.
• ‘Fictional Pleas’ and ‘Hidden Departures’: Failure to Collect Data on Binding Federal Plea Bargains Hinders Researchers, Feb. 15, 2025. Databases, Disclosure of Records, Public Records Act, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• 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.
• The Murky Waters of Parole, Feb. 1, 2025. Parole/Probation Searches, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Parole Liability, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release.
• Guard Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force at Indiana Jail Sued Nine Times in Two Years, Jan. 15, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Oregon Supreme Court: Governor Can’t Revoke Commutation After Sentence Expires, Jan. 15, 2025. Parole/Probation Searches, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Resentencing, Revocation Proceedings, Overreaching.
• After Florida Appellate Court Holds Crimes of ‘Attempt’ Eligible for Incentive Gain Time, Supreme Court Refuses Review, Jan. 15, 2025. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Conspiracies, Attempts, Solicitations, Attempts/Incomplete Acts, Credits, Sentences - Adjustments and Departures.
• Kansas Supreme Court Announces Defendant-Witness Retains Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Compelled Self-Incrimination After Guilty Plea and Sentencing as Long as Testimony Sought Presents Legitimate Risk of Incrimination, Dec. 15, 2024. Self Incrimination, Self-Incrimination Clause, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Seventh Circuit Announces Maximum Revocation Sentence for Violation of Supervised Release Based on Classification of Underlying Offense at Time of Conviction, Not at Time of Revocation, Dec. 15, 2024. U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Revocation Proceedings.
• California Supreme Court Announces Retroactivity of 2022 Version of Penal Code § 1170 to Upper-Term Sentences Imposed Before Its Enactment, Dec. 15, 2024. Retroactivity, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.