More from this issue:

1. Acquitted Conduct Sentencing, by Douglas Ankney
2. Mental Health Response Teams Proved Effective in New York City, by Casey Bastian
3. ‘Planning for Losing’: A Lesson on Justice Reform from Afghanistan, by Marc Levin
4. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Defendant Satisfied Requirements of Confession and Avoidance, ‘Unintentional Self-Defense’ Jury Instruction Allowed Against Charge of Intentional Offense, by Douglas Ankney
5. Fourth Circuit: State’s Failure to Plead Procedural Default Results in De Novo Review on Merits; Prosecutor’s Comments to Jury to Send ‘Societal Message’ Denied Defendant Fair Trial, Habeas Relief Warranted, by Dale Chappell
6. Mental Illness and False Confessions: A Wakeup Call to Investigators, by Joseph Buckley
7. Georgia Supreme Court Declares ‘Relevance’ Not Legal Standard for Suppression Determination Where Items Seized Outside Scope of Warrant, Clarifies Plain View Doctrine Proper Standard, and Overrules McBee, Walsh Line of Cases, by Anthony Accurso
8. Michigan Supreme Court Announces 2011 SORA May Not Be Retroactively Applied to Registrants Whose Offenses Predated Its Enactment Because Doing So Violates Prohibition on Ex Post Facto Laws, by Douglas Ankney
9. California Now Able to Decertify Bad Cops, by Edward Lyon
10. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Trial Court Abused Discretion by Refusing to Allow Withdrawal of Jury-Trial Waiver for Defendant Who Ultimately Rejected Plea Deal, by David Reutter
11. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Although Subsequent Indictment Recites Same Language as Original Indictment, SOL Isn’t Tolled Where Subsequent Indictment Fails to Charge Same Conduct, Act, or Transaction, by Douglas Ankney
12. Idaho Supreme Court Rejects ‘Instinctive Entry Rule’ as Not Implicating Fourth Amendment Where Drug-Sniffing Dog Breaches Interior of Vehicle During Exterior Search and Suppresses Evidence, by Douglas Ankney
13. SCOTUS Announces Pursuit of a Misdemeanant Does Not Categorically Constitute an Exigent Circumstance Authorizing a Warrantless Home Entry, by Douglas Ankney
14. Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces New Framework for Enforcing Right to Effective Counsel in Post-Conviction Relief Act Proceeding, by Douglas Ankney
15. Connecticut Supreme Court Overrules Aquino, Holding Appeal Not Moot Where Defendant Deported During Pendency but Unclear Whether Appealed Conviction Sole Basis for Deportation, by Douglas Ankney
16. California Court of Appeal: Peremptory Challenge to Judge in Habeas Case Subject to 10-Day Filing Period, Not 60 Days, Under § 170.6(a)(1), by Dale Chappell
17. Nevada Supreme Court: Prisoner’s Claim He Is Now Actually Innocent of Death Penalty Sufficient to Overcome Proce-dural Bars to Habeas Relief, by Douglas Ankney
18. SCOTUS: Rehaif Error Doesn’t Automatically Require Reversal of Conviction, Plain-Error Test Must Be Satisfied for Re-lief, by Dale Chappell
19. Oregon Supreme Court Announces Abandonment of Per Se Exigency Rule in Automobile Exception and Holds Warrantless Seizure or Search Must Be Based on Actual Exigent Circumstances, by Jacob Barrett
20. Tenth Circuit, Joining Sister Circuits, Announces ‘Personal-Use’ Drug Quantity Doesn’t Constitute ‘Relevant Conduct’ Under Guidelines § 1B1.3(a) and Sets Forth Framework for Burden of Proof Analysis, by Douglas Ankney
21. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Bodycam Video Subsequently Reviewed in Unrelated Investigation Constitutes Unconstitutional Warrantless Search, by Anthony Accurso
22. Concealed Videos Expose Pattern of Abuse by Louisiana State Police, by Jayson Hawkins
23. Vermont Supreme Court Announces Proper Legal Standard for Warrantless Search of Home’s Curtilage, by Anthony Accurso
24. Eighth Circuit: Inadmissible Hearsay Improperly Used to Revoke Supervised Release, by Matthew Clarke
25. Facial Recognition Run-Down, by Anthony Accurso
26. Rutgers University Pioneers New Jersey Innocence Project, by Casey Bastian
27. Sixth Circuit: Michigan’s Ordinarily ‘Adequate’ Contemporaneous-Objection Rule, in Unique Circumstances, May Not Procedurally Bar Federal Habeas Review, by Dale Chappell
28. Massachusetts Remains a Civil Forfeiture Outlier, by Jayson Hawkins
29. Non-Prosecution Policies Seem to Work in Baltimore, by Jayson Hawkins
30. Florida’s Catch-22 for the Innocent Defendant (and Others Wishing to Protect Their Right Against Self-Incrimination), by M. Eve Hanan
31. DEA Continues to Seize Money Without Proof of Criminality, by Casey Bastian
32. Big Tech Using Third Parties to Sell Surveillance Tools to ICE and Border Patrol, by Anthony Accurso
33. Pegasus Software: State-sponsored Spyware Usage Likely Infecting Billions of Phones, by Casey Bastian
34. Armed Police Drones Are Coming, by Anthony Accurso
35. News in Brief

More from M. Eve Hanan:

• Florida’s Catch-22 for the Innocent Defendant (and Others Wishing to Protect Their Right Against Self-Incrimination), Feb. 15, 2022

More from these topics:

• Second Circuit Vacates Above-Guidelines Firearm-Trafficking Sentence Based on Failure to Assist Law Enforcement and Unexplained Reliance on Factors Already Included in Guidelines Range, Sept. 1, 2026. Different Judge, Statement of Reasons, Plain Error, Reasonableness of Sentence, Self-Incrimination Clause.
• Ninth Circuit Reverses Convictions, Holding Requirement That Defendant Testify Before Displaying Hand Tattoos Violates Fifth Amendment, Sept. 1, 2026. Self-Incrimination Clause, Plain/Harmless Error, Right to Testify/Remain Silent.
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Calling Known Recalcitrant Witness Before Jury Constitutes Reversible Error and Prosecutorial Misconduct Regardless of Whether Witness Expressly Invokes Fifth Amendment Privilege, Qualifying Contrary Precedent, June 1, 2026. Confrontation Clause/Rights, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Witnesses - Examination of, Self-Incrimination Clause, Plain/Harmless Error.
• Montana Supreme Court Holds Defendant’s Sentence Must Be Vacated Where District Court Premised Sentence on Defendant’s Exercise of Constitutional Rights to Jury Trial, Silence, and Against Self-Incrimination, April 1, 2026. Fifth Amendment, Sixth Amendment, Self-Incrimination Clause, Right to Testify/Remain Silent, Acceptance of Responsibility.
• Hawaii Supreme Court Announces State Constitution Requires Law Enforcement to Record All Custodial Interrogations, Overruling Three-Decade-Old Precedent and Recognizing New Due Process Right, March 1, 2026. Constitution, state, Confrontation Clause/Rights, Self-Incrimination Clause, Custodial Interrogations, Video Recordings.
• Washington Supreme Court Announces Race and Ethnicity Are Relevant Factors Courts May Consider When Applying the Totality of the Circumstances Test for Determining Whether Suspect Is “In Custody” for Miranda Purposes, Feb. 1, 2026. Community Caretaking Exception/Doctrine, Traffic Stops, Self-Incrimination Clause, Custodial Interrogations, In Custody.
• Maine Supreme Judicial Court Announces Waiver of Privilege Against Compelled Self-­Incrimination Must Be “Clear and Unequivocal” Under Maine Constitution, Joining States That Provide Greater Protection Than Federal Standard, Nov. 15, 2025. Constitution, state, After Request for Counsel, Self-Incrimination Clause, Invocation of Rights, Voluntary Nature/Voluntariness.
• Wyoming Supreme Court Announces Improper Comment on Defendant’s Right to Silence Is Per Se Prejudicial and Requires Reversal of Conviction, Overruling Precedent Requiring Prejudice Analysis in Such Cases, Nov. 15, 2025. Constitution, state, Improper Comments, Self-Incrimination Clause, Plain/Harmless Error, Right to Testify/Remain Silent.
• 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. Fifth Amendment, Searches - Cellphones/Computers/Internet, Non-Testimonial, Testimonial Statements, Self-Incrimination Clause.
• 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.