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 Douglas Ankney:

• Beyond a Reasonable Doubt? Fingerprint Evidence’s Troubling Flaws, April 15, 2025
• Tenth Circuit Stretches PLRA to Deny Claim of Colorado Prisoner Shot by Guard While Shackled, April 1, 2025
• Fourth Circuit Excuses Maryland Prisoner From Exhaustion Requirement in PREA Claim, April 1, 2025
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces State Wiretap Statute Requires Suppression of Both Audio and Video Components of Audiovisual Footage of Unlawfully Intercepted Oral Communication Showing Defendant as Party to Communication, March 15, 2025
• California Court of Appeal Vacates Sentence Where Trial Court Imposed Sentence Under ‘One Strike’ Enhancement Statute Enacted After Crimes Were Committed, March 15, 2025
• Nevada Supreme Court: Theft Offenses and Possessing or Receiving Stolen Property Offenses Are Mutually Exclusive and Double Jeopardy Protections Bar Conviction for Both Offenses When Based on Same Conduct, March 15, 2025
• Maryland Supreme Court: Trial Court Abused Its Discretion by Failing to Exercise That Discretion Where It Summarily Refused Requested Jury Instruction Because It Was a Non-Pattern Instruction and ‘Some Evidence’ Supported the Instruction, March 15, 2025
• $100,000 Settlement Reached in New York Prisoner’s Solitary Confinement Suit, After Jury for First Time Finds Practice Violates Eighth Amendment, March 1, 2025
• Community Supervision: America’s Hidden Wellspring to Mass Incarceration, Feb. 15, 2025
• Rikers Island Continues Long Practice of Denying Education to Young Adults, Feb. 15, 2025

More from these topics:

• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Odor of Burnt Cannabis Alone Is Insufficient to Establish Probable Cause for a Warrantless Vehicle Search, Feb. 1, 2025. Vehicle Searches, Probable/Proximate Cause, Warrantless Searches, Marijuana Laws/Issues.
• 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. Probable/Proximate Cause, Warrants - Requirements/Scope/Exceptions.
• SCOTUS Announces Existence of Probable Cause for One Charge in Criminal Proceeding Does Not Categorically Defeat Fourth Amendment Malicious-Prosecution Claim Relating to Another Baseless Charge, Aug. 1, 2024. Probable/Proximate Cause, False Arrrest/Malicious Prosecution, Terry Stops.
• SCOTUS Clarifies Nieves Exception to Lack of Probable Cause Requirement for First Amendment Retaliatory-Arrest Claim Does Not Require ‘Virtually Identical and Identifiable Comparators’, Aug. 1, 2024. Retaliation, Probable/Proximate Cause, Arrest/Arraignment, Court of Claims.
• Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Odor of Marijuana Alone Emanating From Vehicle Insufficient for Probable Cause to Search Under Automobile Exception, Feb. 15, 2024. Probable/Proximate Cause, Searches - Automobile.
• Ninth Circuit Explains Martinez ‘Cause’ and ‘Prejudice’ to Excuse Procedural Default in Federal Habeas Proceeding Where Claim of IAC in State Proceedings Was Procedurally Defaulted Due to Postconviction Counsel’s Failure to Timely Raise Claim, Nov. 1, 2023. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Probable/Proximate Cause, Prejudice - Potential for Undue, Timeliness.
• Seventh Circuit: Whether Right to Counsel ‘Attaches’ Is Not Dependent on Defendant’s Appearance at Probable Cause Hearing, Sept. 1, 2023. Disciplinary Hearings, Court Appearances, Probable/Proximate Cause, After Request for Counsel.
• Eighth Circuit Requires Source-of-Funds Finding Before Allowing BOP to Raid Account of Federal Prisoner in Missouri, June 15, 2023. Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Probable/Proximate Cause.
• Sixth Circuit: “Minimal Findings Necessary” Before Garnishing Funds From Federal Prisoner in Ohio, June 15, 2023. Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Probable/Proximate Cause.
• Eighth Circuit Announces ‘Probable Cause’ Is Proper Standard for Determining Whether Parolee Resides at Third-Party’s Residence for Purposes of Warrantless Searches, March 15, 2023. housing, Probable/Proximate Cause, Conditions of.