More from this issue:

1. News in Brief
2. Oklahoma: Cocaine Bust Was Really Only Powdered Milk, by Edward Lyon
3. Freedom or Restitution for the Wrongfully Convicted, by Jayson Hawkins
4. Eighth Circuit: Defendant Who Pleaded Guilty to State Felonies Didn’t Know He Couldn’t Possess Firearms Prior to Sentencing Because He Didn’t Know He Had Been Convicted, by Anthony Accurso
5. Sheriff Ackal’s Corruption Continues to Plague Louisiana Parish, by Douglas Ankney
6. Court Rulings Condemning Cash Bail Systems Increasing, by Edward Lyon
7. In Case of First Impression, Fourth Circuit Holds First Step Act Applies to Those Serving Supervised Release Revocation Sentences, by Dale Chappell
8. First Circuit Vacates Conviction Because Sister had Neither Actual nor Apparent Authority to Consent to Search of Brother’s Bags, by Douglas Ankney
9. South Carolina Supreme Court Grants New Trial Due to Prosecutor’s Prejudicial Closing Remarks, by Douglas Ankney
10. 3d Circuit: Counsel’s Failure to Investigate Drug Properties for Analogous Drug Comparison at Sentencing Constitutes Ineffective Assistance, by Douglas Ankney
11. Fourth Circuit Clarifies How to Bring a First Step Act Motion Applying the Fair Sentencing Act, by Dale Chappell
12. New York Court of Appeals: Police Officers May be Cross-Examined About Acts of Dishonesty Like Any Other Witness, by Douglas Ankney
13. Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies What a Defendant Must ‘Admit’ Before Raising an Affirmative Defense, by Douglas Ankney
14. Colorado Supreme Court Reverses Conviction Because Trial Court Failed to Give No-Adverse-Inference Jury Instruction for Choosing Not to Testify, by Douglas Ankney
15. Fifth Circuit Holds Davis Retroactive, Conspiracy Cannot Support 924(c) Convictions, by Dale Chappell
16. Book Review: The Habeas Citebook: Prosecutorial Misconduct Is an Invaluable Resource for Challenging Prosecutorial Misconduct, by Dale Chappell
17. Idaho Supreme Court: Where Police Were Unaware of Probationer’s Fourth Amendment Waiver Until After Unreasonable Search, Waiver Won’t Make Search Reasonable, by Douglas Ankney
18. Illinois Supreme Court: Statute Banning All Sex Offenders on Probation From Accessing or Using Social Networking Websites Facially Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
19. Second Circuit Affirms District Court’s Decision Setting Aside Guilty Verdict in a Case of Irreconcilably Inconsistent Verdicts, by Douglas Ankney
20. Sixth Circuit: Grant of Habeas on Grounds that State Trial Court Violated Defendant’s Right to Present a Complete Defense, by Douglas Ankney
21. Oregon Supreme Court: Conviction for Interfering with Police Requires Lawful Order, by Mark Wilson
22. Montana Supreme Court Holds Automatic 35% Drug Fine Facially Unconstitutional, by Dale Chappell
23. Alaska Police Department Run by Former Convicts, by Kevin Bliss
24. Washington Supreme Court Affirms Warrantless Search of CSLI Data but Holds Convictions for Both First-degree Rape and Felony Murder Predicated on Rape Violate Double Jeopardy, by Douglas Ankney
25. Hundreds of Dishonest Cops Called as Witnesses, by Jayson Hawkins
26. 11th Circuit: General Threat of Harm Inherent in Every Bank Robbery Doesn’t Qualify for ‘Threat-of-Death’ Enhancement, by Douglas Ankney
27. Which Makes Us Safer? Residency Restrictions or Enhanced Rehabilitation for Former Sexual Offenders?, by Sandy Rozek
28. New York Criminal Record-Sealing Program Revisited, by Edward Lyon
29. In Case of First Impression, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Holds Compelling Suspect to Disclose Computer Password Is Testimonial in Nature and Violates Fifth Amendment’s Privilege Against Self Incrimination, by Douglas Ankney
30. Thousands of Convictions Questioned; Prisoners Released Show Why Law Enforcement Technology Must Be Tested by Third Parties, by Dale Chappell
31. Washington Supreme Court Announces Rules for Trial Courts When Implicit Racial Bias Alleged in Jury Decision, by Douglas Ankney
32. To Compute, or Not to Compute: Algorithm-Driven AI in the Criminal Justice System, by Edward Lyon
33. Ninth Circuit Holds Evidence from Martinez Hearing Can Be Considered in Granting Habeas Relief, Despite Bar Against Evidentiary Hearings on Facts Not Raised Below, by Dale Chappell
34. Indiana Supreme Court Announces Analytical Framework When Determining Whether Punitive In Rem Forfeiture Violates Excessive Fines Clause, by Douglas Ankney
35. Hundreds of Cop Shootings Yearly in Arizona, by Edward Lyon
36. Federal District Court Grants § 2255 Motion, Finds IAC for Failure to Object to Government’s ‘Misstatement of Law’ During Trial, by Dale Chappell
37. California Supreme Court Overturns Its Warrantless Identification Search Precedent, by Dale Chappell
38. First Circuit: Application of Subsequent Guidelines Manual to a Prior, Ungrouped Offense Violates Ex Post Facto Clause, by Douglas Ankney
39. Nullify Government Tyranny: In 2020, Harness the Power of Your Discontent, by John W. Whitehead
40. Oregon Parole Board Must Explain Reason for Extended Parole Postponement Period, by Mark Wilson
41. California Supreme Court Holds Confidential Personnel Information of Officers on Internal ‘Brady List’ Can Be Disclosed to Prosecutors, by Dale Chappell
42. From the Editor, by Richard Resch
43. Why Are Cops Around the World Using This Outlandish Mind-Reading Tool?, by Ken Armstrong, Christian Sheckler

More from Dale Chappell:

• Arguing Successful Federal Habeas Corpus Claims, June 1, 2025
• How to Take Your Postconviction Case Directly to the U.S. Supreme Court: A Roadmap to Direct Collateral Review, March 15, 2025
• Federal Habeas Corpus for State Prisoners: Proving Unreasonableness Under AEDPA, Feb. 1, 2025
• Federal Court Rules Michigan’s Sex Offender Registration Laws Violate Constitution, Dec. 1, 2024
• Refuting the Government’s Argument Against Nonretroactive Changes in Law as Grounds for Compassionate Release, Oct. 1, 2024
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Getting Around Procedural Default, July 15, 2024
• The Death of the Savings Clause, May 15, 2024
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Understanding Second or Successive Petitions for State Prisoners, April 15, 2024
• Fourth Circuit Reinstates Relief From Death Penalty, Citing State’s Forfeiture of Argument Against Relief, May 15, 2023
• Federal Habeas Corpus: The Evidentiary Hearing for Federal Prisoners, April 15, 2023

More from these topics:

• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Police Cannot Execute Anticipatory Warrant Absent Triggering Event Regardless of Whether Factual Allegations in Warrant Affidavit Independently Give Rise to Probable Cause to Search, Thereby Providing Greater, Oct. 15, 2025. Search warrants, Fourth Amendment, rights, Probable Cause, Execution, State Constitutional Claims.
• Ninth Circuit: ‘Dominion and Control’ Provision of Search Warrant for Suspect’s Computer That Lacked Temporal or Other Limitation Constitutes General Warrant, Aug. 1, 2025. Computer Searches, Search warrants, Warrants, Immediate Control.
• Delaware Supreme Court: Warrant That Authorized Search of ‘Any and All’ Data of Named Files on Cellphone Is Invalid General Warrant That Also Failed to Include Temporal Limitation, June 15, 2024. Search warrants, Warrants, Particularity Requirement, Overbreadth, Warrants - General Search, Digital Devices.
• Seventh Circuit Announces Procedures for Addressing ‘Facially Questionable Warrant’ Due to ‘Material Handwritten Alterations’ Unsigned or Initialed by Issuing Judge, Dec. 15, 2023. Search warrants, Warrants, Probable Cause, Material Falsehoods, Authorized Persons.
• Federal Judges Beginning to Reject Geofence Warrants, Nov. 15, 2020. Search warrants, Police State-Surveillance, Electronic Surveillance.
• Warrant Gives Police Access to DNA Database, March 18, 2020. DNA Testing/Samples, Search warrants.
• New Orleans Sheriff’s Office Tracked Cellphones Absent Warrants, March 18, 2020. Search warrants, Police, Fourth Amendment, rights.
• Hawai’i Supreme Court Rules Search Warrant Failed to Satisfy the Particularity Requirement for Multiple-Occupancy Dwellings, Feb. 18, 2020. Search warrants.
• Washington Supreme Court Affirms Warrantless Search of CSLI Data but Holds Convictions for Both First-degree Rape and Felony Murder Predicated on Rape Violate Double Jeopardy, Jan. 21, 2020. Search warrants, Double jeopardy.
• Tennessee Supreme Court Holds Judge Lacks Authority to Sign Search Warrant for Property Outside Court’s Jurisdiction, Aug. 21, 2019. Searches, Search warrants.