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Maine Supreme Judicial Court Reverses Denial of Suppression Motion and Vacates Murder Conviction
by Douglas Ankney
The Supreme Judicial Court of Maine reversed the denial of Bruce Akers’ motion to suppress and vacated his murder conviction.
On June 9, 2016, Akers called the local sheriff’s office and spoke with the sergeant. He told the sergeant he suspected his neighbor of …
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More from this issue:
- ShadowDragon: Inside the Social Media Surveillance Software That Can Watch Your Every Move, by Michael Kwet
- Report Chronicles Growing List of Exonerations, by Jayson Hawkins
- Racist Police Violence Reconsidered, by John McWhorter
- Excited Delirium Syndrome: Pseudo-Scientific Shield for Law Enforcement’s Violent Behavior, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
- Colorado Supreme Court: Warrantless Pole Camera Surveilling and Recording of Curtilage for Over Three Months Constitutes an Illegal Search, by Douglas Ankney
- Proliferation of Anti-Riot Laws Spurs Nationwide Legal Challenges, by Casey Bastian
- Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Two-Year Time Limit of § 590.01, subd. 4(c) Runs From Date of Court Decision, by Douglas Ankney
- How Law Enforcement Get Past Phone Encryption, by Anthony Accurso
- First Circuit: Defendant Entitled to Withdraw Plea Where Government Withdrew From Plea Agreement Based on Defendant’s Breach, by Douglas Ankney
- Law Proposed to End Sales of Private Data to Law Enforcement, by Anthony Accurso
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Announces Incapacitated Driver Provision of Implied Consent Statute Unconstitutional, by Douglas Ankney
- Law of Unintended Consequences: How Defunding the Police Leads to Salary Increases, by Casey Bastian
- Washington Supreme Court: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel for Failing to Object to Introduction of Inadmissible Evidence, by Douglas Ankney
- Is It Time to Stop Relying on the Cops?, by Casey Bastian
- Michigan Supreme Court: Parole-Revocation Prison Term Imposed as Result of Separate Wrongful Conviction Is Included in Compensation Under WICA, by Douglas Ankney
- Maine Supreme Judicial Court Reverses Denial of Suppression Motion and Vacates Murder Conviction, by Douglas Ankney
- D.C. Circuit Joins Seven Other Circuits in Holding USSG § 1B1.13 Doesn’t Apply to Compassionate Release Motions Filed by Prisoners, by Dale Chappell
- New Jersey Supreme Court Announces Framework for Requesting Criminal Background Check of Potential Juror and Calls for Judicial Conference to Explore Nature of Discrimination in Jury Selection Process, by Douglas Ankney
- First Circuit Orders New Trial Following Detailed Discussion of Entrapment Defense and When Courts Must Give Jury Instruction, by Douglas Ankney
- Maryland Court of Appeals Announces Standard for Whether Scientific Evidence Is ‘Testimonial’ for Confrontation Right Purposes Under Article 21 of Maryland Declaration of Rights, by Douglas Ankney
- NYPD Training Deprioritizes First Amendment Education in Policing Protests, by Casey Bastian
- USPS Reveals Social Media Surveillance Program, by Anthony Accurso
- California Supreme Court Announces Hearsay Regarding Nonpredicate Offenses in Psychological Evaluation Reports Inadmissible in SVP Probable Cause Hearings, by Douglas Ankney
- Rhode Island Supreme Court: Conclusory Statutory Language to Describe Purported Child Porn Image Used to Support Search Warrant Affidavit Invalidates Warrant, by Anthony Accurso
- When Life Is No Better Than Death, by Jayson Hawkins
- Texas Man Positively Identified by Six Eyewitnesses and Sentenced to Life Granted Actual Innocence Relief as Result of DNA Evidence, by Casey Bastian
- California Supreme Court Announces Suspended Execution of Sentence with Probation Imposed Is Not ‘Final’ so New Changes in Law Apply Retroactively on Appeal, by Dale Chappell
- Montana Supreme Court: Detainee Entitled to Pre-Sentence Credit for Time Served Regardless if Also Held in Connection With Another Matter in Another County, by Douglas Ankney
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces Mandatory Lifetime Sex Offender Registration Unconstitutional for Juveniles With Multiple Adjudications, by Dale Chappell
- New Mexico Abolishes Qualified Immunity, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
- Missouri Supreme Court: IAC Where Guilty Plea Based on Counsel’s Assurance Defendant Eligible for Drug Treatment Program When, as Matter of Law, Ineligible, by David Reutter
More from Douglas Ankney:
- Pregnant Women Detained in Jail: The Hideous Story of In-Custody Births, May 1, 2026
- Idaho DOC Director Denies Verified Report of Rampant Sexual Abuse of Women Prisoners by Staff, May 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit Announces Defendant Has Standing to Appeal Based Solely on Rogers–Singletary Claim of a “Material Discrepancy Between” Written and Orally Articulated Judgment at Sentencing, May 1, 2026
- Illinois Jail Reprimanded for Denying Detainees Mail Based on Media Content, P.O. Box Return Address, Settles Detainees’ Suit with $111,825 Payment of Legal Fees, May 1, 2026
- Sixth Circuit Announces Federal Coercion and Enticement Statute Requires Knowledge of Victim’s Minor Status, Deepening Circuit Split, May 1, 2026
- Oklahoma Supreme Court: Jail Trust Cannot Withhold Requested Records under Law Enforcement Exemption of ORA, May 1, 2026
- Delaware Supreme Court Announces Adoption of ABA Standard 3-6.5(b) Governing Prosecutors’ Opening Statements, Reverses Murder Convictions Based on Prosecutor’s References to Co-Defendant’s Guilty Plea, May 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Holds Prior California Child Pornography Conviction Does Not Trigger Federal Mandatory Minimum Because State Statute Encompasses Conduct Beyond Federal Definition Under Categorical Approach, April 1, 2026
- Kentucky Supreme Court Clarifies Parole Board May Delegate Final Revocation Hearings to Administrative Law Judges but Holds Due Process Requires Parolees Be Permitted to File Exceptions to ALJ Findings Before Board Renders a Final Revocation Decision, April 1, 2026
- New York Court of Appeals Holds Generic Physical Description Insufficient to Justify Pursuit in Mistaken Identity Case, and Suspect’s Flight Cannot Support Reasonable Suspicion Absent Evidence He Knew He Was Fleeing Law Enforcement, April 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- Fourth Circuit Holds Officer’s Firearms Questioning at Outset of Traffic Stop Exceeded Permissible Scope Where Officer Abandoned Stop’s Purpose From Inception and Totality of Circumstances Did Not Support Officer-Safety Justification, May 1, 2026. Motions To Suppress, Reasonable Suspicion, Traffic Stops, Suppression, Scope of Permissible Searches.
- Fifth Circuit Announces Long Vehicle Protective-Search Exception Requires Contemporaneous Facts Demonstrating Third Party’s Potential Dangerousness Before Warrantless Vehicle Search Is Permissible, March 1, 2026. Warrantless Searches, Exception to Warrant Requirement, Motions To Suppress, Searches - Automobile, Reasonable Suspicion.
- Supreme Court of Maryland Announces Police Officer’s Observation of Driver Manipulating Cellphone Screen Does Not, Without Additional Facts, Establish Reasonable Suspicion for Traffic Stop Under Fourth Amendment, Feb. 1, 2026. Cell-Phones, Motions To Suppress, Reasonable Suspicion, Traffic Stops, Terry Stops.
- SCOTUS Clarifies Emergency-Aid Home Entries Require Only an “Objectively Reasonable Basis for Believing” an Occupant Faces Serious Danger, Rejecting a Probable-Cause Standard and Montana’s Terry-Like Caretaker Test, Feb. 1, 2026. Fourth Amendment, rights, Probable Cause, Exigent Circumstances, Warrantless Searches, Motions To Suppress.
- Ninth Circuit Announces Abandonment Doctrine Applies to Cellphones but Courts Must Analyze Intent to Abandon Device Separately From Intent to Abandon Data, Dec. 15, 2025. Fourth Amendment, rights, Cell-Phones, Motions To Suppress, Digital Devices, Seizure.
- Illinois Supreme Court: Use of Flashlight by Police to See Through Small Gap in Chained and Padlocked Kitchen Cabinet Doors Constitutes ‘Search’ Under Fourth Amendment, May 15, 2025. Emergency Aid Doctrine, Exception to Warrant Requirement, Arrest Incident to Search, Motions To Suppress, Dwellings, Searches - Plain View, State Constitutional Claims, Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, Illegal Search.
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: Defense Counsel Had Actual Conflict of Interest Where Own Performance During Police Interview of Defendant Could Serve as Basis of Motion to Suppress Based on Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, New Trial Required W, March 15, 2025. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Motions To Suppress, Conflict of Interest.
- Ninth Circuit: Defense Counsel Ineffective for Failing to Move to Suppress Evidence Obtained as a Result of Police Officer Trespassing on Curtilage of Defendant’s Home, Feb. 1, 2025. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Motions To Suppress, Searches - Home/Curtilage, Suppression.
- California Court of Appeal Affirms Grant of Suppression Motion Where Officer’s Pat Search of Defendant Based on High Crime Area, Baggy Clothes, Criminal Record, and Suspect in Separate Case, Feb. 15, 2023. Pat Searches, Motions To Suppress, Racial/Ethnic Bias/Profiling.
- Rhode Island Supreme Court: DUI Suspect Was in ‘Custody’ so Un-Mirandized Roadside Statements Properly Suppressed, Nov. 15, 2022. Motions To Suppress, In Custody.
