More from this issue:

1. California Court of Appeal Announces Youthful Defendants Sentenced to Terms ‘Functionally Equivalent’ to LWOP Entitled to Resentencing Under § 1170(d), by Sam Rutherford
2. Maryland Supreme Court Clarifies Process for Admitting Co-Conspirator’s Hearsay Statements During Police Interview Under ‘Declaration Against Penal Interest’ Exception, Trial Court Must ‘Parse’ Interview to Determine Admissibility of Each Statement, by Sam Rutherford
3. Federal Habeas Corpus for State Prisoners: Proving Unreasonableness Under AEDPA, by Dale Chappell
4. Ninth Circuit Announces ‘Hate Crime’ Sentence Enhancement Under Guidelines § 3A1.1(a) Requires Finding Defendant Motivated by Hate or Animus, by Sam Rutherford
5. Surveilling the Harms of Electronic Monitors, by Michael Thompson
6. The Murky Waters of Parole, by David Reutter
7. Careful What You Search For, by Michael Thompson
8. Study Highlights Limitations in Forensic DNA Analysis Involving Lower Genetic Diversity Groups, by Jo Ellen Nott
9. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Clarifies Trial Court Must Conduct Inquiry Whether Defendant Knowingly and Voluntarily Waived Right to Counsel at ‘Any Stage of a Case,’ Including Arraignment or Plea Hearing, by Sam Rutherford
10. 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, by Sam Rutherford
11. New AI Tool Harnesses Microbiomes for Forensic and Medical Breakthroughs, by Jo Ellen Nott
12. Ninth Circuit Announces California Assault With Deadly Weapon Conviction Not ‘Crime of Violence’ for Career Offender Enhancement Under Sentencing Guidelines, by Sam Rutherford
13. California Court of Appeal Strikes Prison Prior Enhancement for Invalid Predicate Offense Under § 1172.75 Despite Concurrently Served Valid Predicate, by Sam Rutherford
14. Illinois Supreme Court Announces Odor of Burnt Cannabis Alone Is Insufficient to Establish Probable Cause for a Warrantless Vehicle Search, by Anthony Accurso
15. First Step Act Linked to Modest Reductions in Time Served by Federal Prisoners, by Jo Ellen Nott
16. Eleventh Circuit: Asylee’s Florida Convictions for Marijuana Possession and Lewd and Lascivious Battery Do Not Warrant Removal Under INA, by Sam Rutherford
17. Minnesota Supreme Court Announces No Duty to Retreat When Using Reasonable Force in Defense of Another and Provides Framework for Analyzing Such Claims, by Douglas Ankney
18. Mass Spectrometry Being Studied as Way to Analyze Overlapping or Weak Fingerprints, by Anthony Accurso
19. Vermont Supreme Court Eliminates Year-and-a-Day Rule in Murder Prosecutions, by Sam Rutherford
20. Chicago’s Police Body Cam Transparency, by Michael Thompson
21. Ninth Circuit Announces ‘Clear Error’ Review Applies to District Courts’ Factual Findings for Brady Challenges and Affirms District Court’s Mid-Trial Order Excluding Witness Testimony and Imposing Monetary Sanctions for Government’s Brady Violation, by Sam Rutherford
22. Federal Facial Recognition Technology Fails Again, by Michael Thompson
23. Colorado Bureau of Investigation Admits Over 1,000 Cases Affected by DNA Test Misconduct, by James Mills
24. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Habeas Relief in ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case, by Sam Rutherford
25. News in Brief
26. Seeking Justice for Two: The DNA Scandal That Shook a Community

More from Jo Ellen Nott:

• Biomedical Engineers Discover Pruny Fingers Yield 
the Same Fingerprint Patterns as Dry Ones, July 1, 2025
• Green Light for Justice: Dutch Researchers Find 
Perovskite Method Improves Gunshot Residue Analysis 
with Unprecedented Sensitivity, July 1, 2025
• Los Angeles Criminal Legal System Undermined 
by Months of Faulty DNA Testing, May 15, 2025
• Maryland Reforms Offer Second Chances on Expungement and Parole, May 15, 2025
• Illinois ‘Murderer’ Registry Punishes More Than It Protects, May 15, 2025
• Bipartisan Legislative Wins in Virginia and Utah Expand 
Job Opportunities for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, May 15, 2025
• ‘Sexome’ Bacteria Offers New Path to Justice 
in Sexual Assault Cases Where 
DNA Is Not Present, May 15, 2025
• Third-Hand Meth Contamination in Cars Poses Hidden Danger to Buyers and Renters, April 15, 2025
• Connecticut Compensates Exonerated Prisoners, Reforms Policing, April 15, 2025
• Questionable Retail Theft Panic Fuels More Mass Surveillance and Police Militarization, April 15, 2025

More from these topics:

• ‘Sexome’ Bacteria Offers New Path to Justice 
in Sexual Assault Cases Where 
DNA Is Not Present, May 15, 2025. Evidentiary Ruling, Forensic Sciences, Evidence - Integrity/Reliability of.
• AI Identifies Sex From Skulls Faster and More Accurately Than Experts, April 15, 2025. Forensic Sciences, Authentication/Identification, EP2P Software, Eyewitness Identification.
• A Black Box, a Guilty Plea, and an Uncertain Truth, April 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, Computer Searches, Forensic Sciences, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
• Faster Justice: Rapid DNA Set to Expand Law Enforcement Reach, March 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, Crime Labs, Forensic Sciences.
• FBI Pressured Forensic Science Group to Censor Critical Workshops, Emails Reveal, March 15, 2025. FBI, Forensic Sciences, Education and Vocational Skills/Training.
• Study: DNA Transfer in Social Settings, Feb. 15, 2025. DNA Testing/Samples, Forensic Sciences, DNA Evidence, DNA Evidence/Testing.
• New AI Tool Harnesses Microbiomes for Forensic and Medical Breakthroughs, Feb. 1, 2025. Forensic Sciences.
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Grants Habeas Relief in ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Case, Feb. 1, 2025. junk science, Habeas Corpus, Forensic Sciences, Child Abuse/Abusers, Evidence - Admissibility.
• Federal Facial Recognition Technology Fails Again, Feb. 1, 2025. Computer Searches, Evidentiary Ruling, Forensic Sciences.
• Mass Spectrometry Being Studied as Way to Analyze Overlapping or Weak Fingerprints, Feb. 1, 2025. Forensic Sciences, Fingerprint Evidence, Latent Fingerprint Evidence.