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Archive: 2021

December

• Highway Robbers Return Money Taken from Ex-Marine The Catch? They Were Cops by J.D. Schmidt
• ICE Bought Utility Bill Data to Track Down and Deport Undocumented Immigrants by Jo Ellen Nott
• Boston Cops Fleece Citizens to Secretly Buy Controversial Spy Tech by J.D. Schmidt
• Hitman Shoppers, Beware Online Specials by Jo Ellen Nott
• Dozens of Cases Dismissed After California Cops’ Trove of Racist and Anti-Semitic Texts Discovered by Jo Ellen Nott
• How Cops Use Copyright Laws to Prevent the Public from Recording Their Bad Acts by Dale Chappell (p 49)
• “If Everybody’s White, There Can’t Be Any Racial Bias”: The Disappearance of Hispanic Drivers From Traffic Records by Richard Webster (p 1)
• Brooklyn DA Releases List of Untrustworthy Cops by Anthony Accurso (p 7)
• You’d Better Watch Out: The Surveillance State Has a Naughty List, and You’re On It by John W. Whitehead, Nisha Whitehead (p 8)
• Sixth Circuit: Only One Conviction May Result Under § 922(g) for Single Incident of Firearm Possession by Douglas Ankney (p 10)
• Montana Supreme Court: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel for Failing to Object to Incorrect Jury Instruction That Lowered State’s Burden of Proof by Douglas Ankney (p 11)
• The AEDPA: A Forgotten Catalyst in Mass Incarceration by Dale Chappell (p 12)
• New Jersey Supreme Court Announces Arrestees in Police Custody Have Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Calls Made on Police Station Phone Absent Notice That Call Is Being Monitored or Recorded by Douglas Ankney (p 14)
• Crime Rates Rise and Fall. The Police Mostly Have Nothing to Do With It. by Aya Gruber (p 16)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Framework for Determining Whether State of Mind Exception to Hearsay Rule Applies to Out-of-Court Statements, Dual-Purpose Statements Generally Inadmissible by Matthew Clarke (p 18)
• Fourth Circuit: Long-Term Aerial Surveillance That Reveals ‘Whole of Individuals’ Movements’ Constitutes Search Without a Warrant, Violates Fourth Amendment by Douglas Ankney (p 20)
• Rethinking the ‘Sex Offender’ Label by Derek Logue (p 22)
• North Carolina Supreme Court Announces Pretrial Notice of Duress Defense Does Not Forfeit Fifth Amendment Right to Silence, Reaffirms Rule Against Preemptive Impeachment by Anthony Accurso (p 22)
• California Court of Appeal: Police Created Atmosphere of Custodial Interrogation Requiring Miranda Warnings Even Though Prearrest Interview Occurred in Teen Suspect’s Home by Douglas Ankney (p 24)
• California Court of Appeal: Superior Courts Must Consider Only Elements of Prior Adjudicated Felony, Not Juvenile’s Conduct for § 1170(d)(2)(B) Purposes by Douglas Ankney (p 25)
• Third Circuit Announces Mere Physical Proximity of Guns and Drugs Insufficient for Automatic Application of U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B) Enhancement Under Commentary Note 14(B), Creates Rebuttable Presumption by Douglas Ankney (p 26)
• California Supreme Court Announces Mandatory Supervision Conditions Un-der Realignment Act Evaluated for Reasonableness on Case-by-Case Basis Under Lent Test by Anthony Accurso (p 27)
• Montana Supreme Court: Defendant’s Due Process Rights Violated by Delayed Initial Appearance for Two Years While Jailed in New York on Out-of-State Warrant by David Reutter (p 28)
• U.S. Sentencing Commission Creates New Sentencing Tool for Judges by Dale Chappell (p 29)
• California Supreme Court Announces Not All Subsequent Habeas Petitions Under Death Penalty Reform and Savings Act Are ‘Successive’ by Dale Chappell (p 30)
• Who Defends the Public Defenders? by Jayson Hawkins (p 31)
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Impacted Third Party Has Right to Appeal Motion Granting Postconviction DNA Testing by Matthew Clarke (p 32)
• The Long-Term Effects of 9/11: Naturally, More Surveillance by Jayson Hawkins (p 32)
• Second Circuit Declares Police Firearms Examiners Subject to Brady, Examiner Who Failed to Disclose Exculpatory Ballistics Report Not Entitled to Qualified Immunity by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• Ninth Circuit: California Law Prohibiting Recovery of Loss of Life Damages Inconsistent With § 1983 by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• Ninth Circuit: Washington’s Sentencing Guidelines, Not Statutory Maximum, Set Upper Limit for Sentence When Determining Grade of Violation of Supervised Release Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines by Douglas Ankney (p 36)
• Nevada Supreme Court Reverses Denial of Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea Because Defendant Had Strong Argument for Speedy Trial Violation and Colorable Claim of IAC by Douglas Ankney (p 37)
• Iowa Supreme Court Calls SCOTUS’ Fourth Amendment Jurisprudence ‘a Mess,’ Announces Departure from Lockstep Adherence, and Rules Warrantless Seizure and Search of Defendant’s Curbside Trash Unlawful by Anthony Accurso (p 38)
• Missouri Supreme Court: Evidence Found in Cell Phone Seized at Sheriff’s Office Instead of Defendant’s Home, Identified as Location to Be Searched in Warrant, Must Be Suppressed by Anthony Accurso (p 40)
• First Circuit: ‘Controlled Substances Offense’ Under § 2K2.1(a)(2) of USSG Refers to Time of Sentencing, Not Time of Prior Conviction by Anthony Accurso (p 41)
• Unchecked Federal Use of Facial Recognition Tech by Anthony Accurso (p 42)
• Is Orange County’s DNA Collection Scheme Really Voluntary? by Jayson Hawkins (p 42)
• Study: Petty Court Fines and Fees Creates ‘Vicious Cycle’ of Debt for Years by Dale Chappell (p 43)
• Hawai’i Supreme Court: Prosecutor’s Cumulative Misconduct Deprived Defendant of a Fair Trial, Vacates Denial of Motion for New Trial by Douglas Ankney (p 44)
• Veterans Restorative Justice Act Offers More Than Alternatives to Jail in Minnesota by Douglas Ankney (p 45)
• Cop Gets Money for Nothing, Awards for Free by Edward Lyon (p 45)
• Secret CBP Teams New DHS Weapon of Mass Surveillance by Jayson Hawkins (p 46)
• Microbiome: The Latest in Cutting Edge Forensics by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 46)
• Biden’s DOJ Targets Police Misconduct by Dale Chappell (p 47)
• Big Brother’s Eyes and Ears: Understanding and mitigating the impact of high-tech surveillance by Anthony Accurso (p 48)
• Fifth Circuit: Texas Police Get Qualified Immunity for Knowingly Using Taser to Ignite Gasoline-Soaked, Suicidal Man, Killing Him and Destroying Family’s House by Matthew Clarke (p 48)
• Marijuana Arrests Keep Dropping (p 50)
• News in Brief (p 50)
• Dallas K-9 Instrumental in Civil Forfeiture of $106,000 at Love Field Airport Despite There Being no Arrest or Crime by Jo Ellen Nott
• It’s Rough Being a Spy Under the Watchful Eye of Big Brother by Jo Ellen Nott
• Policy Paper Cites Benefits of Eliminating Federal Marijuana Prohibition by Jo Ellen Nott

November

• ShadowDragon: Inside the Social Media Surveillance Software That Can Watch Your Every Move by Michael Kwet (p 1)
• Report Chronicles Growing List of Exonerations by Jayson Hawkins (p 8)
• Racist Police Violence Reconsidered by John McWhorter (p 10)
• Excited Delirium Syndrome: Pseudo-Scientific Shield for Law Enforcement’s Violent Behavior by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 12)
• Colorado Supreme Court: Warrantless Pole Camera Surveilling and Recording of Curtilage for Over Three Months Constitutes an Illegal Search by Douglas Ankney (p 18)
• Proliferation of Anti-Riot Laws Spurs Nationwide Legal Challenges by Casey Bastian (p 19)
• How Law Enforcement Get Past Phone Encryption by Anthony Accurso (p 20)
• Minnesota Supreme Court Announces Two-Year Time Limit of § 590.01, subd. 4(c) Runs From Date of Court Decision by Douglas Ankney (p 20)
• First Circuit: Defendant Entitled to Withdraw Plea Where Government Withdrew From Plea Agreement Based on Defendant’s Breach by Douglas Ankney (p 22)
• Law Proposed to End Sales of Private Data to Law Enforcement by Anthony Accurso (p 23)
• Wisconsin Supreme Court Announces Incapacitated Driver Provision of Implied Consent Statute Unconstitutional by Douglas Ankney (p 24)
• Law of Unintended Consequences: How Defunding the Police Leads to Salary Increases by Casey Bastian (p 25)
• Washington Supreme Court: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel for Failing to Object to Introduction of Inadmissible Evidence by Douglas Ankney (p 26)
• Is It Time to Stop Relying on the Cops? by Casey Bastian (p 27)
• Michigan Supreme Court: Parole-Revocation Prison Term Imposed as Result of Separate Wrongful Conviction Is Included in Compensation Under WICA by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Maine Supreme Judicial Court Reverses Denial of Suppression Motion and Vacates Murder Conviction by Douglas Ankney (p 30)
• 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 (p 31)
• 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 (p 32)
• First Circuit Orders New Trial Following Detailed Discussion of Entrapment Defense and When Courts Must Give Jury Instruction by Douglas Ankney (p 33)
• 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 (p 35)
• NYPD Training Deprioritizes First Amendment Education in Policing Protests by Casey Bastian (p 36)
• USPS Reveals Social Media Surveillance Program by Anthony Accurso (p 37)
• California Supreme Court Announces Hearsay Regarding Nonpredicate Offenses in Psychological Evaluation Reports Inadmissible in SVP Probable Cause Hearings by Douglas Ankney (p 38)
• Rhode Island Supreme Court: Conclusory Statutory Language to Describe Purported Child Porn Image Used to Support Search Warrant Affidavit Invalidates Warrant by Anthony Accurso (p 39)
• When Life Is No Better Than Death by Jayson Hawkins (p 40)
• Texas Man Positively Identified by Six Eyewitnesses and Sentenced to Life Granted Actual Innocence Relief as Result of DNA Evidence by Casey Bastian (p 40)
• 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 (p 41)
• 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 (p 41)
• Colorado Supreme Court Announces Mandatory Lifetime Sex Offender Registration Unconstitutional for Juveniles With Multiple Adjudications by Dale Chappell (p 42)
• New Mexico Abolishes Qualified Immunity by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 44)
• 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 (p 45)
• Queens DA Tosses 60 Convictions Tied to Lying or Predatory Cops by Chuck Sharman
• SCOTUS Maintains Hands-Off Approach to Secretive Government Surveillance Court by Chuck Sharman

October

• California School Resource Officer Charged with Murder in Fatal On-Duty Shooting of Teen by Chuck Sharman
• California Cop Found Guilty of Felony Assault in Shooting Death of Mentally Ill Man by Chuck Sharman
• FBI Teaches Law Enforcement How to Turn Your Cell Phone Against You by Chuck Sharman
• Senior U.S. Marshal Accused of Plagiarism and Office Sex Fling by Chuck Sharman
• New Study Shows School Cops Don’t Decrease Shootings, Just Increase Expulsions and Arrests by Chuck Sharman
• Discipline Recommended for 65 NYPD Cops for Response to BLM Protests
• The Real Minority Report Predictive Policing Algorithms Reflect Racial Bias Present in Corrupted Historic Databases by Matthew Clarke (p 1)
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Premature Sex Offender Classification of Incarcerated Offender Who Accepted Classification Violates Procedural Due Process by Douglas Ankney (p 20)
• Tenth Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for Prosecutor Alleged to Have Fabricated Evidence, Despite no Previous Case with Materially Similar Facts by Douglas Ankney (p 22)
• California Supreme Court: Furnishing Drugs Resulting in Overdose Death Does Not Automatically Trigger Great Bodily Injury Enhancement by Dale Chappell (p 23)
• Hawaii Supreme Court Announces Five-Factor Test in Determining Whether There’s ‘Fair and Just Reason’ to Withdraw Plea by David Reutter (p 24)
• Seventh Circuit: District Court Erred in Denying Compassionate Release Motion by Limiting ‘Extraordinary and Compelling’ Analysis to USSG § 1B1.13 by Dale Chappell (p 25)
• Anger: A Natural Reaction That Makes the Innocent Appear Guilty by Jayson Hawkins (p 26)
• An Inside Look at Operation Trojan Shield How the FBI Crafted an International Encrypted Messaging Sting by Jayson Hawkins (p 27)
• Tenth Circuit Announces Adoption of ‘Offense of Conviction Approach’ for Determining Sentence Reduction Under First Step Act § 404(b) by Dale Chappell (p 28)
• Kansas Supreme Court Affirms Reversal and Dismissal of Murder Charges Based on Speedy Trial Violation by Douglas Ankney (p 30)
• Arizona Supreme Court Announces Trial Courts Have Discretion to Deny State’s Request for SVP Screening and Provides Guidance to Courts Exercising That Discretion by Douglas Ankney (p 31)
• Arizona Supreme Court Clarifies Proper Fundamental Error Review Applicable to Allegation of a Single, Unobjected-to Instance of Prosecutorial Misconduct by Douglas Ankney (p 32)
• Study: Bloodstain Pattern Analyses Display Alarming Lack of Accuracy by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 33)
• SCOTUS Holds Ramos’ Unanimous Jury Requirement Is New Procedural Rule and Announces No New Procedural Rule Applies Retroactively on Federal Collateral Review by Dale Chappell (p 35)
• Second Circuit: Autopsy Report Is ‘Testimonial’ for Confrontation Clause Purposes, Habeas Relief Granted by Dale Chappell (p 36)
• Ohio, Now 24th State to End LWOP for Juveniles by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 37)
• Current Forensic Sciences Not as Objective as Most Believe by Edward Lyon (p 38)
• "Eighth Circuit: Government Breached Plea Agreement by Endorsing PSR’s Calculation of Higher Base Offense Level Than Plea Agreement, Curing Breach Not Recognized in Circuit" by David Reutter (p 38)
• DNA Standards Often Make the Difference Between Life and Death by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 40)
• Justice Department Orders All Federal Agents to Wear Body Cameras by Chuck Sharman (p 40)
• Georgia Supreme Court Announces Merger Error Claims During Sentencing May Be Raised for First Time in Habeas Petition by Anthony Accurso (p 41)
• Ninth Circuit Announces All 3 Subsections Must Be Satisfied to Deny Safety-Valve Relief Under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f)(1) by Dale Chappell (p 42)
• Justice Department Bans Chokeholds and Restricts No-Knock Entries for Federal Agents by Chuck Sharman (p 42)
• Experts Agree: Police Public Relations Consistently Mislead the Public by Jayson Hawkins (p 43)
• Study Shows Public Defenders Outperform Court Appointed Private Attorneys by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 44)
• Investigative Report Highlights Difficulties in Disciplining Cops by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 45)
• Florida’s Worst Cop Fired for 7th Time by Jayson Hawkins (p 46)
• Police Do Not Want to Pay for Damage They Inflicted to Texas Home by Kevin Bliss (p 47)
• SCOTUS Reinstates Death Sentence Reversed by Eleventh Circuit by Matthew Clarke (p 48)
• California Supreme Court Announces Predicate Offenses for Gang Enhancement or Gang Participation Not Provable Using Expert Witness Testimony Without Personal Knowledge of Facts by Matthew Clarke (p 48)
• NYC’s Stop-and-Frisk Still Targets Based on Race by Jayson Hawkins (p 49)
• News in Brief (p 50)
• Miami Seeks to Oust Recently Hired Police Chief Once Hailed as ‘Best Chief in America’
• Federal Judge Lets BLM Protestors’ Suit Against San Jose Police Proceed
• California Cities Launching Alternative Policing Efforts for Mental Health 911 Calls

September

• Former “Officer of the Year” Arrested and Charged for Inserting His Finger in Motorist’s Anus
• London Cop Pleads Guilty to Secretly Filming Nude Women
• The Clash Between Closed-Source Forensic Tools and the Confrontation Clause by Anthony Accurso (p 1)
• Make Way for the Snitch State The All-Seeing Fourth Branch of Government by John W. Whitehead, Nisha Whitehead (p 12)
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: Withholding Exculpatory Statement Change by Key Witness Constitutes Brady Violation, Requiring New Trial by Matthew Clarke (p 14)
• Qualified Immunity Driven by Irrational Fear of Cops Being Held Personally Liable by Dale Chappell (p 15)
• SCOTUS: § 2(a) of Fair Sentencing Act Modifies Statutory Penalties Only for Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)— the Mandatory-Minimum Provisions by Douglas Ankney (p 16)
• Wyoming Supreme Court: Fleeing Into Home After Traffic Offense Not Exigent Circumstance Justifying Warrantless Entry by Anthony Accurso (p 16)
• SCOTUS: ‘Exceeds Authorized Access’ Under the CFAA Means Accessing Areas of Computer That Are Off-Limits on Computer Otherwise Authorized to Access by Douglas Ankney (p 18)
• Fourth Circuit: Sentence Vacated for Failure to Properly Analyze Leadership Role Factors by Anthony Accurso (p 19)
• Hawaii Supreme Court: Trial Counsel Must Inform Defendant That Deportation ‘Will Be Required’ for Plea to Aggravated Felony, IAC for Advising Deportation ‘Almost Certain’ by David Reutter (p 20)
• Tenth Circuit Joins Other Circuits, Holding Federal Offense of Conviction, Not Underlying Conduct, Determines First Step Act Eligibility by Dale Chappell (p 20)
• Study: Innocent Children Likely to Plead Guilty by David Reutter (p 22)
• Fourth Circuit: District Court Must Recalculate Guidelines Sentencing Range and Conduct Analysis of § 3553(a) Factors Even if Same Sentence Would Be Imposed Under First Step Act by Dale Chappell (p 23)
• "Sixth Circuit Grants Habeas Relief Because Trial Judge Redacted Key Portion of Witness’ Testimony Presented to Jury in Violation of Confrontation Clause" by Dale Chappell (p 24)
• JusticeText Software Helps Defense Attorneys Review Audiovisual Evidence by Anthony Accurso (p 24)
• Seventh Circuit Finds Lack of Evidence, Grants Habeas Relief, and Orders ‘Immediate Release’ by Dale Chappell (p 26)
• Ninth Circuit: IAC Under Strickland Satisfies Rhines’ ‘Good Cause’ Standard to Stay Federal Habeas Petition, Allowing Exhaustion of State Court Remedies by Dale Chappell (p 27)
• Wisconsin Supreme Court: Officer’s Retention of Driver’s License Without Reasonable Suspicion to Delay Until Arrival of Drug Dog Constitutes Unlawful Seizure by Anthony Accurso (p 28)
• Tenth Circuit: Warrant Authorizing Search for Items ‘Involved in Crime’ Violates Fourth Amendment’s Particularity Requirement, Not Saved by Doctrine of Severability by Anthony Accurso (p 30)
• The Legacy of Len Bias by Jayson Hawkins (p 31)
• North Dakota Supreme Court Holds Attempted Knowing Murder Is Non-Cognizable by Matthew Clarke (p 32)
• Massachusetts Supreme Court Revisits Lougee and Announces Framework for Determining When Pretrial Detention Prolonged Due to COVID Violates Due Process by Douglas Ankney (p 32)
• California Court of Appeal: § 1170.95(e) Permits Trial Courts to Redesignate More Than One Underlying Felony in Resentencing Vacated Felony-Murder Conviction by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• North Carolina Court Rules That Felons Not in Prison Must Be Allowed to Vote by Chuck Sharman (p 35)
• Seventh Circuit: Prosecutor’s Comments Not Supported by Evidence Denied Defendant Fair Trial, Affirms Habeas Relief by Dale Chappell (p 36)
• Arizona Supreme Court: Trial Courts Have Broad Discretion to Disqualify Entire Prosecutor’s Office Based on Appearance of Impropriety by Douglas Ankney (p 37)
• Mississippi Supreme Court: Failure to Timely File Motion to Suppress Confession Obtained as Result of Police Threats and Promises Constitutes Ineffective Assistance of Counsel by Matthew Clarke (p 38)
• Federal Judge: ‘Offense of Conviction’ Under Guidelines Excludes Relevant Conduct for Sentencing by Dale Chappell (p 39)
• Indiana Supreme Court Applies Recently Announced Proportionality Framework for In Rem Fines and Holds Forfeiture of $35,000 Land Rover Grossly Disproportionate to Underlying Offense in Violation of Eighth Amendment, Ending 7-Year Saga by Douglas Ankney (p 40)
• Putting Police Use of Spy Tech Under Community Control by Anthony Accurso (p 41)
• Seventh Circuit: Cronic Doesn’t Provide Exclusive Situations for its Application, Finds Attorney Abandonment at Sentencing Despite Counsel Being Physically Present by Dale Chappell (p 42)
• Law Enforcement Underwhelmed by Clearview AI by Anthony Accurso (p 43)
• Study Finds Lack of Uniformity in New DNA Technology by Jayson Hawkins (p 43)
• California Town Pays $6 Million to Family of Mentally Ill Man Tasered by Cop (p 44)
• 11th Circuit: District Court Must Demonstrate It Considered § 3553(a) Factors When Denying Motion for Compassionate Release by Douglas Ankney (p 44)
• Fourth Circuit: RICO Conspiracy Isn’t ‘Crime of Violence’ for § 924(c) Purposes by Douglas Ankney (p 45)
• California Supreme Court Announces Predicate Offenses for Gang Enhancement or Gang Participation Not Provable Using Expert Witness Testimony Without Personal Knowledge of Facts by Matthew Clarke (p 46)
• SCOTUS Reinstates Death Sentence Reversed by Eleventh Circuit by Matthew Clarke (p 47)
• Newark Police Didn’t Discharge a Single Firearm in 2020, and the Crime Rate Fell by Jayson Hawkins (p 47)
• Study Finds Interactive Lineup Improves Accuracy of Eyewitness Identification, But Does It Also Increase Likelihood of False Identifications? by Matthew Clarke (p 48)
• FBI Fails to Track Police Use of Force by Jayson Hawkins (p 49)
• News in Brief (p 50)
• Concealed Exculpatory Evidence and New Palm Print Evidence Frees Wrongfully Convicted Man After 21 Years in Prison by Douglas Ankney (p 50)
• Charges Upgraded Against MN Cop Who Killed Daunte Wright
• Charges Dropped Against Man Exonerated by DNA Evidence After 30 Years In Georgia Prison
• Mistrial Declared in Case Against Miami Beach Police Tech Accused of Mishandling Evidence
• Dementia Patient Wins $3 Million Settlement After Beat-Down by Colorado Cops
• New Video Shows Suicidal Man’s Murder That AL Cop Was Convicted Of
• One More Reason to Dislike Your State’s DMV by Edward Lyon (p 49)
• Ex-Prosecutor in Ahmaud Arbury Case Charged With Violating Oath of Office, Obstructing Justice
• D.C. Cops Fatally Shoot Black Man Asleep in Car
• White Texas Cop Charged in Second On-Duty Killing of Non-White Suspect
• LA Co. Sheriff’s Deputies Sued for Beating & Disfiguring Black Man During Traffic Stop
• AZ Prosecutor Who Allegedly Targeted BLM Protestors Files $10m Defamation Suit Against Boss Who Dropped Charges Against Them
• New Report: Most Federal Charges Against BLM Protestors for Non-Violent Offenses
• Colorado Grand Jury Indicts Three Cops, Two Paramedics for Elijah McClain’s Death

August

• White D.C. Cop Suspended for Punching Black Suspect
• Black Mom Beaten Unconscious by White California Deputies: ‘I Think She’s Out’
• Rhode Island BLM Calls for Arrest of White Providence Cops Who Spit on Black Teens
• Miami Beach Police Stop Enforcing Law Enforced Against Only Black Onlookers
• Wrongly Convicted Texas Man Suing Corrupt Houston Cop
• White Colorado Cop Hired Despite Prison Record Resigns After Beating Black Suspect
• California Cops Kill Native American Man Who Was “Agitated”
• Black Texas Woman Pleads with White Cop Arresting Daughter, Gets Arrested, too; Cop May Have Had Covid-19
• Activists Call Proposed NC Anti-Riot Law “Anti-BLM”
• Report: Feds Targeted BLM Protestors
• EFF To Google: Stop Rolling Over For Law Enforcement 'Geofencing'
• Atlanta Cop Fired for Kicking Downed Mentally Ill Woman in the Head
• White South Carolina Cop Fired & Arrested for Stomping Head of Black Suspect
• Texas Teacher Who Committed Suicide After Being Snagged in Underage Grindr Sex Sting Was Unfairly Set Up by Cops, Family Says
• Some Ohio Judges Mandate Covid-19 Shots for Parolees
• Amazon Ring Service Changes Method for Police Requests by Anthony Accurso
• First Step Act Knocks Corrupt Baltimore Officers' Sentences from 454 Years to 20 by Dale Chappell
• Three Detroit Cops Suspended After “Handing Out the Brain Damage”
• America Ranked 17th in Human Freedoms by Kevin Bliss
• Five White Miami Beach Cops Charged with Beating Handcuffed Black Suspect
• St. Louis Cop Sentenced For Beating Black “Protestor”—Another Cop Working Undercover
• Fired LA Cop Charged For Shooting and Killing Mentally Disabled Man in California Costco
• Clemency Woefully Inadequate Remedy for Injustice by David Reutter
• Fired Southern California White Cop Ordered To Stand Trial for Filing False Report About Brutal Arrest of Black Man for Smoking At Trolley Station
• Trial Penalty: The Harm in Coercive Prosecutorial Tactics and Plea Bargains by David Reutter (p 1)
• Virginia Supreme Court Reverses Concealed Weapon Offense Because Statutory Exception Applied by Douglas Ankney (p 11)
• The Federal Habeas Corpus: Government’s Response and Your Reply by Dale Chappell (p 12)
• The Many Roads to Relief Under Borden by Dale Chappell (p 14)
• Montana Supreme Court: Court Reporter’s Medical Emergency and Judge’s Distress Don’t Constitute Manifest Necessity for Declaring Mistrial, Retrial Violates Double Jeopardy by Douglas Ankney (p 15)
• Arizona Supreme Court: Trial Court’s Failure to Protect Defendant’s Right to Conflict-Free Counsel May Be Raised on Direct Appeal 16 Massachusetts Supreme Court: Error to Exclude Expert Testimony on Significance of Tattoo to Support Claim of Self-Defense by Douglas Ankney (p 16)
• Virginia Passes Comprehensive Record Clearance Legislation by Casey Bastian (p 16)
• Massachusetts Supreme Court: Error to Exclude Expert Testimony on Significance of Tattoo to Support Claim of Self-Defense by David Reutter (p 18)
• Seventh Circuit: Coworker Cannot Limitlessly Search Defendant’s Office at Direction of FBI by Anthony Accurso (p 19)
• Fourth Circuit Reverses ‘Abusive Language’ Conviction Where Government Failed to Offer Evidence That Racial Slur Tended to Cause Immediate Acts of Violence by Douglas Ankney (p 20)
• Nebraska Supreme Court Reverses Denial of Pretrial Motion for Absolute Discharge on Speedy Trial Grounds by Matthew Clarke (p 20)
• Should Public Defenders Be Tweeting? by Anthony Accurso (p 22)
• California Court of Appeal Vacates Guilty Plea That Resulted in Legal Fiction by David Reutter (p 22)
• California Court of Appeal: When Federal Court Finds Petitioner Satisfies Schlup Standard, Victim Compensation Board Must Recommend Payment of Claim Without Hearing by Douglas Ankney (p 24)
• National Institute of Justice Funds Research to Differentiate Injuries Caused by Child Abuse from Accidental Injuries by Matthew Clarke (p 25)
• Police Funding Reallocated to Community Programs Nationwide by Casey Bastian (p 26)
• Ninth Circuit: Directly Searching Inside Detainee’s Pocket Not a Valid Terry Frisk for Weapons by Anthony Accurso (p 26)
• Atavistic South Carolinians Offer Option of Firing Squad to Condemned Prisoners by Douglas Ankney (p 27)
• Delaware Supreme Court: Substitution Not Allowed for Chain of Custody Witness by Anthony Accurso (p 28)
• Sixth Circuit: District Court May Consider Disparity of Defendant’s Actual Sentence Compared With Sentence Under First Step Act When Additional Factors Present by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Eighth Circuit: Plain Error to Impose Destructive-Device Enhancement for .410 Shotgun by David Reutter (p 29)
• Tenth Circuit Reverses Denial of Suppression Motion Because Rationale for Community-Caretaker Exception Unreasonable by Douglas Ankney (p 30)
• Report: NYPD Sold Almost 22,000 of the 55,000 Phones Seized Last Year by Douglas Ankney (p 31)
• SCOTUS: Cady’s ‘Community Caretaking’ Function of Police Doesn’t Create Standalone Doctrine Permitting Warrantless Entry into a Home by Douglas Ankney (p 32)
• Maryland and Montana: First States to Pass Laws Restricting Access to Consumer Genealogy Databases by Law Enforcement by Casey Bastian (p 33)
• South Carolina Supreme Court: Lifetime SORA Registration Requirement Unconstitutional Absent Opportunity for Judicial Review of Risk of Re-offending by Anthony Accurso (p 34)
• It’s No Shock That Tasers Increase Brutality by Casey Bastian (p 34)
• Mississippi Supreme Court: Drug Buy Between Dealer and User Doesn’t Constitute Conspiracy to Distribute by David Reutter (p 35)
• California Court of Appeal Reverses Felony-Murder Conviction Where Sentencing Occurred After SB 1437 Enacted by Matthew Clarke (p 36)
• New Mexico Supreme Court: Constitutional Error to Accept Plea Without Assistance of Counsel by David Reutter (p 36)
• Maryland Enacts Significant Police Reform, Overriding Governor’s Veto by Jayson Hawkins (p 37)
• FBI Subpoenas Media Outlets for Information on Readers of Stories Criticizing Government by Dale Chappell (p 38)
• Decision Not to Prosecute May Reduce Chance of Recidivism by Kevin Bliss (p 38)
• Fourth Circuit Extends Gant’s Automobile Search-Incident-to-Arrest Framework to Searches of Non-Vehicular Containers by Douglas Ankney (p 39)
• Texas Supreme Court: Multiple Misdemeanor Charges Resulting From Single Arrest Divisible for Expunction Purposes by Douglas Ankney (p 40)
• Big Brother Is Watching You Through Your Car by Jayson Hawkins (p 41)
• Police Legal Defense Funds Have Millions in Reserve by Jayson Hawkins (p 41)
• Constitutional Protections No Protection for Colorado Man Killed by Police by Casey Bastian (p 42)
• Warrantless Warrants and Crooked Courts in Chicago by Jayson Hawkins (p 42)
• Details Surface About Firm That Hacked iPhone for the FBI in 2016 by Anthony Accurso (p 43)
• Reports Show Law Enforcement Groups Are Main Force Pushing New Anti-Protest Laws by Matthew Clarke (p 44)
• Debunking the Myth of ‘Dangerous’ Traffic Stops by Jayson Hawkins (p 44)
• Prosecutors Call for Humane Sentencing Measures by Kevin Bliss (p 45)
• Jury Refuses to Hold Abusive Cops Accountable for Beating Undercover Cop by Anthony Accurso (p 45)
• Digital Dogs, New Technology Designed to Sniff-Out Crime by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 46)
• Two T-shirts Cost Louisiana Man 20 Years by Edward Lyon (p 46)
• Police Use of Facial Recognition May Be Broader Than Expected by Anthony Accurso (p 47)
• When Police Ignore Ordered Changes, Is It Really Reform? by Douglas Ankney (p 47)
• The People Have Spoken: Clemency Appointments Should Follow the Will of the People by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 48)
• The Louisiana Board of Parole Giveth and Taketh Away: The Troubling Case of Bobby Sneed by Casey Bastian (p 48)
• Police Target People of Color for Cannabis Crimes Despite Legalization by Anthony Accurso (p 49)
• Bodycams Do Not Hold Cops Accountable, Communities Do by Anthony Accurso (p 50)
• News in Brief (p 50)
• New York and the Surveillance State by Anthony Accurso
• $10.3 Million Verdict Against City of Albuquerque in Man's Wrongful Death by Cop Shooting by David Reutter
• $5,000 Settlement for Prisoner Subjected to Pepper Spray for Requesting Medication by David Reutter
• $7,500 Settlement for Arrest Without Probable Cause by David Reutter
• $100,000 Settlement for Excessive Force During Chase of Unarmed Man by David Reutter
• $22,500 Settlement in Excessive Force for Killing Dog by David Reutter
• Michigan Moves to Restrict Shackling of Juveniles in Court
• Study Reveals that Some Smartphone Breath Alcohol Testing Devices are Inaccurate and Suggests Need for Regulation by Douglas Ankney
• Florida's Worst Cop was Just Fired, for the Seventh Time by Douglas Ankney
• Imaging of Fingerprints Using Mass Spectrometry Enables Scientists to Distinguish Between Persons Who Touched Cocaine Versus Those Who Ingested Cocaine by Douglas Ankney

July

• Blue Wall of Silence Inhibits Racial Integration in Police Departments by Kevin Bliss
• Refusing Cop's Request for ID Wasn't Cause for Arrest by Dale Chappell
• New Data Show NYC Gets Better, Safer Results Sending Non-Police in Response To Mental Health 911 Calls
• NYPD Forced to Put Down “Digidog” Robot
• Reevaluating Capital Punishment and Psychosis: How Sane Must We Be to Qualify for Execution? by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 1)
• Virginia Prosecutors to Dismiss 400 Drug Convictions Tied to Disgraced Cop by Derek Gilna (p 8)
• Drivers Beware: The Deadly Perils of Blank Check Traffic Stops by John W. Whitehead, Nisha Whitehead (p 10)
• U.S. District Court Grants Compassionate Release Based Entirely on Nearly Three-Decade-Old Sentencing Error, Reduces Life Sentence by Dale Chappell (p 12)
• Decades of Data Link Juvenile Lead Exposure and Criminal Behavior by Casey Bastian (p 14)
• Fourth Circuit: Appeal Waiver Does Not Bar Challenge to Special Conditions Not Orally Pronounced in Open Court by Dale Chappell (p 17)
• New Jersey Governor Celebrates Juneteenth by Signing ‘Ban the Box’ Into Law by Dale Chappell (p 17)
• Connecticut Supreme Court: Use of Jailhouse Informant Violated Sixth Amendment Right to Counsel by Douglas Ankney (p 18)
• Crime, the Myth by Emile DeWeaver (p 20)
• Physics Offers New Perspective on Blood Spatter Investigations by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 21)
• Ninth Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity to Officers Who Coerced 13-Year-Old to Falsely Confess to Murder by Douglas Ankney (p 22)
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Clarifies Interpretation of Aggravating Provisions of Section 22.01(b)(2)(A) and (B), Charging One Provision at Guilt Phase Doesn’t Confer Jurisdiction to Argue Other Provision at Sentencing Phase by David Reutter (p 22)
• Seventh Circuit Holds Hobbs Act Robbery Not ‘Crime of Violence’ for Career Offender Enhancement, Likely IAC for Not Anticipating Outcome by Dale Chappell (p 24)
• Simple Training Can Prevent Police From Mistaking Gun for Taser by Matthew Clarke (p 24)
• SCOTUS Holds LWOP for Juveniles Does Not Require Finding of Incorrigibility by Dale Chappell (p 26)
• Maryland Court of Appeals: Erroneous Anti-CSI Jury Instruction Was Not Harmless Error by Douglas Ankney (p 27)
• Fourth Circuit Announces First Step Act Determinations Subject to Procedural and Reasonableness Requirements by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Michigan Supreme Court: Anonymous Tip Alleging Woman Was Driving Drunk Because She Yelled at Her Children Failed to Provide Reasonable Suspicion for Terry Stop by Douglas Ankney (p 29)
• SCOTUS Announces ACCA ‘Violent Felony’ Requires Knowing Use of Force, Not Mere Reckless Conduct by Dale Chappell (p 30)
• Eighth Circuit Suppresses Evidence, Ruling Plain View Exception Inapplicable by David Reutter (p 31)
• Is 743 Years Imprisonment Enough Time to Teach Someone A Lesson? by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 32)
• Kansas Supreme Court Affirms Dismissal of Convictions After State Fails to Preserve Issue for Appeal by Dale Chappell (p 33)
• Ninth Circuit Clarifies Montana Supreme Court’s Sentence Review Division Is Not an ‘Appeal’ Triggering Habeas Clock by Dale Chappell (p 33)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Clarifies Standard for Admission of Evidence of Third Party Guilt by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• New York City Ends Qualified Immunity for Police by Matthew Clarke (p 34)
• D.C. Circuit: Ambiguous Plea Agreement Requires Interpretation in Favor of Defendant by David Reutter (p 35)
• Sixth Circuit: First Step Act Amendments to § 924(c) Inapplicable to Defendant Sentenced Before Act’s Effective Date Even When Sentence Later Vacated by Douglas Ankney (p 36)
• Ninth Circuit: Oregon’s UUW Statute Improperly Assimilated Under Federal Assimilative Crimes Act by Douglas Ankney (p 37)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Frees Bill Cosby by Richard Resch (p 38)
• "Arizona Supreme Court Announces ‘Reasonable Possibility’ Standard in Balancing Right to Present Complete Defense Against Victim’s Refusal to Disclose Privileged Medical Records" by Douglas Ankney (p 40)
• A New Age of Video Analytics by Jayson Hawkins (p 41)
• D.C. Circuit: Counsel’s Failure to Object to District Court’s Reliance Upon Wrong Sentencing Guideline Constitutes Ineffective Assistance by Douglas Ankney (p 42)
• Wisconsin Supreme Court: Department of Corrections Database on Sex Offenders Evaluated for Civil Commitment Discoverable in Civil Commitment Proceeding by Matthew Clarke (p 42)
• Illinois Supreme Court: State Failed to Prove Constructive Possession of Firearm by Anthony Accurso (p 43)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Single Conviction for Non-Enumerated Crime of Violence Does Not Qualify as History of Violent Behavior Under RRRI Act by Douglas Ankney (p 44)
• Unjust Civil Asset Forfeiture in Phenix City, Alabama by Edward Lyon (p 45)
• Florida Police Accused of Misconduct Given Second Chances by David Reutter (p 46)
• The Vallejo Cop Controversy: Whistleblowers Expose a Secret Club of Killers by Jayson Hawkins (p 47)
• Fusion Technology Enables Vast Police Surveillance by Jayson Hawkins (p 48)
• Building Data on Police Conduct by Jayson Hawkins (p 49)
• Domestic Terrorism Laws and Civil Liberties by Jayson Hawkins (p 49)
• Report: Encryption No Barrier to Feds by Jayson Hawkins (p 50)
• News in Brief (p 50)
• Baltimore Cop’s Teen Stepson Pronounced Dead After Being Found Hidden in Wall of Family’s Home

June

• The Art of Defeating Robot Dogs by Casey Bastian
• Civil Rights Investigation Sought Over “No-Knock” Raid On Wrong Michigan Home
• Deliberately Convicting the Innocent: Exonerations Expose the Criminal Justice System’s Callous Indifference Toward Official Misconduct by Douglas Ankney (p 1)
• Tenth Circuit: District Courts Have Authority to Decide What Constitutes ‘Extraordinary and Compelling Reasons’ for Compassionate Release After First Step Act by Dale Chappell (p 12)
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Warrantless Arrest Designed to Elicit a Confession Constitutes Flagrant Misconduct Requiring Suppression of Confession by Douglas Ankney (p 14)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Failure to Object to Improper Jury Instruction and Curative Instruction by Court Containing ‘Freudian Slip’ Constitutes IAC by Anthony Accurso (p 15)
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Discovery and Expanding the Record by Dale Chappell (p 16)
• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Person Seeking Certificate of Innocence Need Only Prove Innocence of Originally Prosecuted Theory of Offense, not Every Conceivable Theory by Matthew Clarke (p 17)
• An Ignoble Process How High-Pressure Tactics and Flawed Investigative Techniques Created a Miscarriage of Justice by Casey Bastian (p 18)
• Inflation Increases Likelihood of Felony Theft Charges by David Reutter (p 21)
• Report Shows Cellphone Searches Common by Jayson Hawkins (p 22)
• Iowa Supreme Court: Successful Adjustment to Sex Offender Registry Requirements Not a Reason to Deny Modification by David Reutter (p 24)
• California Court of Appeal: Defendant Cannot Be Convicted of Robbery and Kidnapping to Commit Robbery for Same Act by Anthony Accurso (p 25)
• Alaska Supreme Court: ‘Set Aside’ Conviction From 1997 Is Not ‘Conviction’ Triggering Lifetime ASORA Registration by Anthony Accurso (p 26)
• Discredited New York Police Detective’s False Testimony Causes the Dismissal of Close to 100 Drug Convictions by Derek Gilna (p 26)
• Eleventh Circuit: Timely Filed Amended Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.850 Motion Tolls AEDPA Clock, Rejects State’s Proposed 30-Day Limitations Period by Dale Chappell (p 27)
• Ninth Circuit Joins Five Other Circuits in Holding § 1B1.13 Doesn’t Apply to Compassionate Release Motions by Prisoners by Dale Chappell (p 28)
• Cancel Culture Nothing New to Those on Sex Offense Registries by Sandy Rozek (p 28)
• North Carolina Governor Announces Formation of Juvenile Sentence Review Board by Douglas Ankney (p 29)
• The Era of Punitive Excess The criminal justice system is marred by an overreliance on excessive punishment by Jeremy Travis, Bruce Western (p 30)
• Tenth Circuit: Warrantless Search of Truck Driver’s Home Not Justified Solely by Connection to Alien Smuggling by Anthony Accurso (p 32)
• Sixth Circuit: State Court Committed Constitutional Error in Applying Ohio Rules of Evidence 606(B) to Deny Right to Fair Trial by Dale Chappell (p 33)
• Direct Collateral Review Creates Path Around AEDPA Hurdles for State Prisoners Seeking Postconviction Relief by Dale Chappell (p 34)
• Maine Supreme Court: Counsel’s Introduction of Victim’s Video Interview with Police Was Not ‘Sound Trial Strategy,’ Constituted IAC by Dale Chappell (p 37)
• Mississippi Supreme Court Reverses Conviction due to Double Jeopardy Violation Because of Mistrial Without Manifest Necessity in Initial Trial by Matthew Clarke (p 38)
• D.C. Circuit: Conflicted Counsel During Habeas Proceeding Requires Appointment of Conflict-Free Counsel by David Reutter (p 38)
• Wyoming Supreme Court Abandons Alter Ego Rule in Relation to Defense-of-Another Claim by Anthony Accurso (p 39)
• California Court of Appeal: § 3051’s Exclusion of One Strike Offenders from Youthful Offender Parole Hearings Violates Equal Protection by Douglas Ankney (p 40)
• Seventh Circuit: Knowing and Intelligent Waiver of Miranda Rights Distinct and Separate Issue From Whether Statement Was Voluntary by Douglas Ankney (p 41)
• Fifth Circuit: U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 Policy Statement Not Applicable to Prisoner’s Motion for Compassionate Release by Douglas Ankney (p 42)
• Illinois Supreme Court: Motion to Suppress Statements Granted Where Police Prolonged Traffic Stop to Investigate Offenses Unrelated to the Stop by Douglas Ankney (p 43)
• Baltimore and St. Louis ‘Shoot Down’ Spy Planes by Douglas Ankney (p 44)
• First Circuit: Government’s Mention of Co-Defendant’s Guilty Plea Before Jury Was Confrontation Clause Violation Warranting New Trial by Anthony Accurso (p 44)
• SCOTUS Reaffirms Habeas Court Must Consider Entire Record Before ‘Disturbing’ a State Criminal Judgment by Dale Chappell (p 45)
• West Virginia Supreme Court: Emergency Protective Order Not De Facto Search Warrant by Douglas Ankney (p 46)
• Report: U.S. Border Patrol Not Nearly as Nice as It Claims by Edward Lyon (p 47)
• Potentially Deadly War Gas Deployed Against Black Lives Matter Protesters by Matthew Clarke (p 48)
• Tenth Circuit Joins Other Circuits, Holds § 1B1.13 Does Not Apply to Compassionate Release Motions Filed by Prisoners by Dale Chappell (p 48)
• Kentucky Supreme Court: Blood Test Refusal Inadmissible as Evidence in DUI Case Even to Explain Why Prosecution Has No Scientific Evidence of Intoxication by Matthew Clarke (p 49)
• News in Brief (p 50)

May

• Felony Murder: The Crotchet of American Murder Jurisprudence by Douglas Ankney (p 1)
• Comply or Die: The Only Truly Compliant Person in a Police State Is a Dead One by John W. Whitehead (p 12)
• Reverse Location Warrants Neglect Particularity Requirement by Casey Bastian (p 15)
• Debunked Bite-Mark Comparison Evidence: Wrongfully Convicted Man Freed After Spending Over 25 Years on Death Row by Casey Bastian (p 16)
• Cops Increasingly Use Amazon Ring to Target Protestors by Dale Chappell (p 16)
• $1.4 Million for Nevada Man Wrongly Imprisoned Over 20 Years by Dale Chappell (p 17)
• Data: NYPD Still Using Chokeholds Despite Ban by Kevin Bliss (p 18)
• New Book Scrutinizes Data-Driven Policing (p 18)
• Sixth Circuit Orders New Trial and Reassigns Case to Different Judge Where District Court’s Mishandling Deprived Defendants of Meaningful Opportunity to Prove Juror Bias by Douglas Ankney (p 20)
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Invalidates Parole Regulation Prohibiting Aggregation of Life Sentences With Consecutive Sentences by Matthew Clarke (p 21)
• Austin, Texas, Diverting Funds From Police to Transform Community by Edward Lyon (p 22)
• It’s Time to Reconsider Consent Searches by Anthony Accurso (p 22)
• Philadelphia’s Progressive Reform-Minded DA Has Made Tremendous Strides – But Are They Enough to Win Reelection? by Douglas Ankney (p 23)
• Study: Reduced Pretrial Incarceration Doesn’t Diminish Public Safety by Casey Bastian (p 24)
• Extreme Prosecutorial Misconduct Results in Wrist Slap by Edward Lyon (p 24)
• When Police Body Cam Is a ‘Propaganda Tool’ by Edward Lyon (p 25)
• Internet-Connected Devices and the Fourth Amendment by Anthony Accurso (p 26)
• Are Police Playing Copyrighted Music to Prevent Live Streaming? by Anthony Accurso (p 27)
• Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Meaning of ‘Mentally Incapacitated’ Regarding Consent to Sexual Contact by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Leaving Digital Trails by Jayson Hawkins (p 29)
• Fourth Circuit: Police Description of ‘More Deliberate’ Second Handshake Than First Handshake Doesn’t Give Rise to Reasonable Suspicion of Drug Transaction Justifying Terry Stop by Douglas Ankney (p 30)
• Tenth Circuit: Firearm Seizure Not Justified After Inventory Search Is Abandoned by Anthony Accurso (p 31)
• Study Shows Innocent People Choose False Guilty Pleas and False Testimony to Gain Benefits by David Reutter (p 32)
• Washington Supreme Court Reaffirms Workman’s Lesser Included Offense Test and Clarifies Confusion in its Application by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• Report: Police More Aggressive at Leftwing Rallies by Kevin Bliss (p 35)
• Eleventh Circuit: Lawyer’s Purposeful Late Filing of Habeas Petition Grounds for Equitable Tolling by Dale Chappell (p 36)
• Washington Supreme Court Announces State’s Strict-Liability Drug Possession Law Is Unconstitutional by Douglas Ankney (p 37)
• California Supreme Court Announces Conditioning Pretrial Release on Ability to Afford Bail Unconstitutional by Douglas Ankney (p 38)
• Ohio Supreme Court: Touching ‘Fog Line’ Doesn’t Justify Traffic Stop by Douglas Ankney (p 39)
• Sixth Circuit Follows Trend of Reigning in Commentary’s Impermissible Expansion of Sentencing Guidelines by Douglas Ankney (p 40)
• Nevada Supreme Court Announces Felon’s Possession of Multiple Firearms at One Time and Place Is Only Single Violation of State Statute by Douglas Ankney (p 41)
• New Hampshire Supreme Court: Defendant Had Subjective and Objective Expectation of Privacy in Apartment Building’s Utility Closet in Common Areas, Evidence Suppressed by Anthony Accurso (p 42)
• Online Records Impose Digital Punishment for Millions by Anthony Accurso (p 42)
• Study: Militarizing Police Doesn’t Shrink Crime Rates by Jayson Hawkins (p 43)
• Georgia Supreme Court: Cumulative Effect of Trial Errors Requires Reversal of Murder Conviction by Matthew Clarke (p 44)
• Fourth Circuit Finally Holds Davis Retroactive by Dale Chappell (p 45)
• The Costs of the War on Drugs by Jayson Hawkins (p 46)
• Tennessee Supreme Court Clarifies Inevitable Discovery Doctrine in Raid of Home to Execute Arrest Warrant by Anthony Accurso (p 46)
• $27 Million Settlement for George Floyd’s Family by Jayson Hawkins (p 47)
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Speculation Insufficient to Trigger ‘Forfeiture by Wrongdoing’ Exception to Confrontation Clause by Dale Chappell (p 48)
• Second Circuit: No Qualified Immunity for Police Detaining and Frisking Man Based Solely on Unconfirmed Hunch by Matthew Clarke (p 48)
• Colorado Supreme Court Suppresses Evidence on Cellphone Obtained Via Invalid Warrant, Not Cured by Obtaining Second Valid Warrant by Anthony Accurso (p 49)
• News in Brief (p 50)

April

• No-Knock Warrants Leave Trail of Terror, Property Damage, and Deaths by David Reutter (p 1)
• A Primer on Overcriminalization by David Reutter (p 12)
• Seventh Circuit: Federal Habeas Relief for State Prisoner Due to Counsel’s Failure to Raise No-Causation Defense by Dale Chappell (p 14)
• Eighth Circuit Vacates Habeas Denial, Remands to Determine Whether ‘Martinez Exception’ Excused Procedural Default by State Prisoner by Dale Chappell (p 14)
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Filing Procedures by Dale Chappell (p 16)
• The Parole App Trap by Jayson Hawkins (p 17)
• Seventh Circuit Vacates Sentence Where District Court Improperly Imposed Leadership Enhancement by Douglas Ankney (p 18)
• Fourth Circuit: Police Request for ID Outside Valid Terry Stop Unconstitutional by Anthony Accurso (p 18)
• New Jersey Police Union Contracts Laden With Financial Largesse by Casey Bastian (p 20)
• D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences Firearms Examination Unit Under Fire by Derek Gilna (p 22)
• D.C. Circuit Highlights Racial Disparity Concerns With First Step Act After District Court Erroneously Denies Relief by Dale Chappell (p 22)
• Seventh Circuit Exercises Supervisory Powers in Reversing District Court’s Judgment Revoking Supervised Release by Douglas Ankney (p 24)
• Seventh Circuit: District Court Retains Jurisdiction When Habeas Petitioner Moves to Prison Outside of District by Dale Chappell (p 26)
• Iowa Supreme Court Announces Brady Standard Applies to Motion for New Trial Based on Withheld Exculpatory Medical Records by Douglas Ankney (p 26)
• Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws Prompts Class Action Lawsuit by Casey Bastian (p 27)
• Michigan State Police Reverse on Use of Messaging App That Can Evade FOIA Requests by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Tech Company Enables Surveillance by Jayson Hawkins (p 28)
• Wyoming Supreme Court: District Court Abused Discretion by Granting State’s Dismissal of Charges Without Prejudice and Refiling to Gain Tactical Advantage, Remands for Dismissal With Prejudice by Douglas Ankney (p 30)
• Fourth Circuit: Employment Restriction for Supervised Release Overbroad and Impermissible Delegation of Power to Probation by Dale Chappell (p 31)
• Arkansas Supreme Court: Unborn Child Not a ‘Person’ Under Sentencing Enhancement Scheme by Anthony Accurso (p 32)
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Good Faith Exception Inapplicable to Unsworn Search Warrant by Anthony Accurso (p 32)
• New Jersey Appellate Court Holds Defendant Entitled to Source Code of Novel Probabilistic Genotyping Software Upon Showing of Particularized Need by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• Orwellian Fusion Centers Are Watching You by Casey Bastian (p 35)
• Utah Supreme Court: Appeal of Plea in Justice Court Doesn’t Vacate Judgment by David Reutter (p 37)
• California Court of Appeal: Prisoners Are Not Required to Serve ‘Thompson Terms’ After Grant of Parole Under Elderly Parole Program by Douglas Ankney (p 38)
• North Carolina Supreme Court Reverses Embezzlement Convictions for Failure to Hold Competency Hearing After Mid-Trial Suicide Attempt, Involuntary Commitment by Matthew Clarke (p 39)
• New York Court of Appeals Rejects Federal Jurisprudence Allowing Searches of Vehicles Based on Warrants Authorizing Searches of ‘Premises’ by Douglas Ankney (p 40)
• Surveillance and the City by Jayson Hawkins (p 40)
• Fifth Circuit: Anonymous Tip Didn’t Provide Reasonable Suspicion to Conduct Investigatory Stop by Douglas Ankney (p 41)
• Illinois Study: Crime Rate not Tied to Prison Population Levels by Kevin Bliss (p 42)
• Ohio Supreme Court: Imposing Two Punishments for One Quantity of Mixture of Heroin and Fentanyl Violates Double Jeopardy by Douglas Ankney (p 42)
• Ninth Circuit: State’s Forced Medication Order Was Properly Challenged Under Federal Habeas Corpus by Dale Chappell (p 43)
• Tracking Browser History by Jayson Hawkins (p 48)
• Ninth Circuit Announces Police Inserting Key in Car Door to Determine Vehicle Ownership Constitutes Search Overruling Circuit Precedent by Anthony Accurso (p 48)
• All Bark but No Bite by Douglas Ankney (p 49)
• News in Brief (p 50)
• Socially Unacceptable New York Cops by Edward Lyon (p 50)
• End Controversial Programs That Fund Surveillance Tech by Anthony Accurso

March

• Massachusetts Worst in Nation for Civil Forfeiture Laws by Dale Chappell
• Developmentally Challenged Man on Registry to Get New Hearing by Douglas Ankney
• Report Revisits FBI’s History of White Extremism by Jayson Hawkins
• Faulty Forensics and Wrongful Convictions by Matthew Clarke (p 1)
• Seventh Circuit Affirms Vacatur of Death Sentence Based on Newly Discovered Evidence of Defendant’s Intellectual Disability by Douglas Ankney (p 10)
• Machinery of Death: When the Government Acts as Judge, Jury and Executioner by John W. Whitehead (p 12)
• Seventh Circuit: Indiana’s Sex Offender Registration Act’s ‘Other Jurisdiction Requirement’ Unconstitutional Violation of Right to Travel by Douglas Ankney (p 14)
• Ohio Supreme Court: Retroactive Application of Sexually Violent Predator Law Violates Ex Post Facto Clause by Dale Chappell (p 15)
• Alabama Supreme Court Announces Testimony About Cell-Site Location Data Is ‘Scientific’ Expert Testimony, Not Lay, Triggering Daubert Analysis by Anthony Accurso (p 16)
• Maryland Court of Appeals: MTA’s Fare Sweep Constitutes Suspicionless Seizure in Violation of Fourth Amendment by Douglas Ankney (p 18)
• North Carolina Supreme Court: Judge May Not Reject Informed Guilty Plea Because Defendant Refuses to Admit He’s Factually Guilty by David Reutter (p 19)
• How the Criminal Justice System Fails People With Mental Illness by Jordan Smith (p 20)
• Third Circuit: Brady Claims in Habeas Petitions Timely When Filed Within One Year of Date Reason to Believe Prosecutor Violated Duty To Disclose by Douglas Ankney (p 24)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Departure From SCOTUS’ Vehicle Exception to Warrant Requirement, Commonwealth’s Constitution Provides Greater Protections by Anthony Accurso (p 26)
• California Court of Appeal: Lack of Notice of Filing Deadline Due Process Violation, Allowing Late Challenge to Erroneous Parole Designation by Dale Chappell (p 27)
• Ninth Circuit Announces Un-Mirandized Statement Used in Criminal Proceeding Violates Fifth Amendment and Supports § 1983 Claim by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Massachusetts Supreme Court Announces ‘Habitual Offender’ Statute Allows for Sentence of Probation Only by Dale Chappell (p 30)
• Hawai’i Supreme Court Announces Clarification of When Self-Induced Intoxication Exception of HRS § 702-230 Applies by Matthew Clarke (p 31)
• Kentucky Supreme Court Announces Appellate Standard of Review for Domestic Abuse Exemption to Violent Offender Parole Eligibility by Anthony Accurso (p 32)
• STAR Program Redirecting Mental Health Emergency Calls Away From Police a Success in Denver by Kevin Bliss (p 32)
• Fifth Circuit: Evidence of Simple Drug Possession Insufficient to Search Cellphone Photos for Evidence of Drug Trafficking by Anthony Accurso (p 33)
• New Drone Tech Being Deployed by Police by Anthony Accurso (p 34)
• California Supreme Court Announces SB 1437 Bars Second-Degree Murder Based on Natural and Probable Consequences Doctrine by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Officer Testified as Expert on Child Sexual Abuse Without First Being Qualified and 42 Pa.C.S. § 5920 Overruled Dunkle by Douglas Ankney (p 35)
• New Jersey Supreme Court Announces Adoption of Framework for Evaluating Discovery Motions Challenging Warrant Affidavits Based on Unidentified Confidential Informants by Douglas Ankney (p 36)
• "Kentucky Supreme Court: Hearing on Defense Counsel’s Fitness Is Critical Stage at Which Defendant Has Right to Be Present With Conflict-Free Counsel" by Douglas Ankney (p 36)
• D.C. Circuit: Differing Counsel Effectiveness Findings Create Possible Injustice in Wired Plea Offer by David Reutter (p 37)
• Second Circuit: Jury Instructions Regarding Defendant’s Motive to Testify Falsely Improper by Anthony Accurso (p 38)
• California Court of Appeal Overturns Child Sex Abuse Convictions Based on Prosecution’s Violation of Brady Obligations by Withholding Witness Impeachment Evidence by Matthew Clarke (p 38)
• Fourth Circuit: Conditions of Release Banning Internet Access and Legal Pornography Overbroad and Not Reasonably Related by Douglas Ankney (p 39)
• Kentucky Supreme Court Reverses Murder Convictions Due to ‘Flagrant Prosecutorial Misconduct’ in Misleading Jury by Matthew Clarke (p 40)
• Capitol Police Department Repeatedly Sued Over Racial Discrimination by Casey Bastian (p 41)
• Hundreds Serving Life Due to Less Than Unanimous Jury Verdicts by Edward Lyon (p 42)
• Nevada Supreme Court Reverses Conviction for Murdering Sixth Wife Due to Improper Prior Bad-Act Evidence Regarding Murder of Second Wife by Matthew Clarke (p 42)
• Washington Supreme Court Announces Misconduct of Petitioner’s Own Counsel Can Be Basis for Equitable Tolling in Habeas Proceeding by Douglas Ankney (p 43)
• Hidden Sentences by Jayson Hawkins (p 44)
• Law Degree for South Carolina Magistrates Optional by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 45)
• Tech Company Enables Total Surveillance by Jayson Hawkins (p 46)
• Policing Prostitution in New York by Jayson Hawkins (p 46)
• Image of Men Urinating on Grave Protected by First Amendment by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 47)
• Shifting View of Criminal Justice in U.S. by Jayson Hawkins (p 48)
• Philadelphia Man Exonerated After Police Cover-Up Exposed by Casey Bastian (p 48)
• New Jersey Man Wrongly Arrested Due to Flawed Face Recognition Match by Anthony Accurso (p 49)
• Man Serving 505-Year Sentence Granted Compassionate Release Due to COVID-19 (p 49)
• Police Robo Stalkers in a Location Near You by Douglas Ankney (p 50)
• News in Brief (p 50)

February

• Session’s Directive to Seek Harshest Sentencing Rescinded
• Qualified Immunity - A Legal, Practical, and Moral Failure by Jay Schweikert (p 1)
• Ninth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Suit Challenging Idaho’s Sex Offender Registration Law by Douglas Ankney (p 21)
• Column: Raising Successful Federal Habeas Corpus Claims by Dale Chappell (p 22)
• Tenth Circuit Vacates Enhancement for Prior Crime of Violence Because it Wasn’t Independently Eligible to Receive Criminal History Points by Anthony Accurso (p 23)
• California Court of Appeal: Trial Court Abused Discretion by Denying Romero Motion and Life Sentence for Attempted Robbery Is Cruel and Unusual Under State Constitution by Douglas Ankney (p 24)
• Third Circuit Announces Prohibition Against Second Resentencing Under First Step Act Can Be Waived by Government by Matthew Clarke (p 25)
• Seventh Circuit Joins Other Circuits Holding Any Crack Cocaine Offense Under § 841 Qualifies for First Step Act Relief by Dale Chappell (p 26)
• California Court of Appeal: Counsel Ineffective for Failure to Investigate Mental Health History by Douglas Ankney (p 26)
• Michigan Supreme Court: Police Must Limit Search of Cellphone Data to Uncovering Evidence of the Criminal Activity Alleged in Warrant by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Fifth Circuit: No Qualified Immunity When Police Fatally Beat Unresisting Man Suffering Mental Health Crisis by Matthew Clarke (p 29)
• North Carolina Supreme Court: Superior Court Abused Discretion by Flatly Prohibiting Questions on Racial Bias During Voir Dire by Douglas Ankney (p 30)
• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Witness Testifying Remotely Via Two-Way Video Without Sufficient Reason Violates Confrontation Clause by Douglas Ankney (p 31)
• Kansas Supreme Court: Wrong Standard Used in Review of Plea Withdrawal Motion Requires Remand by David Reutter (p 32)
• Fifth Circuit: District Court Cannot Delegate to Probation Officer Authority to Impose Inpatient Treatment by Douglas Ankney (p 32)
• Indiana Supreme Court: Speedy Trial Right Violated After 6.5 Years Without Retrial by Anthony Accurso (p 33)
• Raid on Data Scientist’s Home Underscores Outdated Technology Laws and Unjustifiable Police Use of Force by Anthony Accurso (p 34)
• Nevada Supreme Court: Defendant Has Right to Withdraw Plea Where He Wasn’t Informed of Range of Possible Punishments by Douglas Ankney (p 34)
• Voters Speak: Dump Tough-On-Crime Prosecutors, Boost Police Oversight by Dale Chappell (p 35)
• Texas Supreme Court Announces Factual-Sufficiency Standard of Review in SVP Determinations by Douglas Ankney (p 36)
• Ohio Supreme Court: ‘Avoid Impregnating a Woman’ as Probation Condition for Failing to Pay Child Support Unreasonable by Dale Chappell (p 36)
• California Court of Appeal: SB 136 Makes Plea Agreement Containing Prior Prison Enhancement Unenforceable by Douglas Ankney (p 37)
• North Carolina Supreme Court: Testimony That Improperly Bolstered Victim’s Credibility Was Plain Error by Douglas Ankney (p 38)
• ACLU Spotlights FBI’s Encryption-Breaking Tool in Freedom of Information Suit by Derek Gilna (p 38)
• Second Circuit Clarifies What Constitutes ‘Possession of a Dangerous Weapon’ and ‘Physical Restraint’ Under the Guidelines by Dale Chappell (p 39)
• Ohio Supreme Court: Jury Must Find Use of Force, Not Sentencing Court, for Mandatory Minimum Sentences by Anthony Accurso (p 40)
• San Francisco Forensic Analyst’s Arrest on Drug Charges Exposes Flawed Lab by Derek Gilna (p 40)
• Montana Supreme Court: Five-Year Delay Violates Speedy Trial and Is Presumptively Prejudicial by Douglas Ankney (p 41)
• First Circuit Joins Sister Circuits Holding Hobbs Act Robbery Conspiracy not Crime of Violence for 924(c) by Dale Chappell (p 42)
• SCOTUS: RFRA’s ‘Appropriate Damages’ Includes Monetary Awards by Douglas Ankney (p 42)
• Fatal Shootings by Police Rarely Prosecuted by Jayson Hawkins (p 43)
• Misinformation and the Carceral State by Jayson Hawkins (p 44)
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Announces Blood Alcohol Test Results From Blood Drawn Under Court Order but Without Consent Is Inadmissible by Matthew Clarke (p 46)
• A 22-Year-Long Path to Justice by Jayson Hawkins (p 46)
• Police Departments Buying Teslas by Anthony Accurso (p 47)
• Mens Rea: Criminal Liability Should Equal Criminal Intent by Casey Bastian (p 48)
• First Circuit: Rehaif Error Rendered Guilty Plea Invalid by Dale Chappell (p 49)
• Walter Forbes of Michigan Exonerated After 37 Years in Prison by Kevin Bliss (p 49)
• News in Brief (p 50)
• The Need for Legislation Governing Police Use of Robots by Douglas Ankney (p 50)

January

• DEA Drops Contract with Vendor
• Staggering Injustice by Derek Gilna (p 1)
• Fifth Circuit Vacates Sentence Eight Times Higher Than Guidelines Range That Was Imposed Without Explanation by Dale Chappell (p 9)
• Federal Habeas Corpus: Retroactivity of New Rules by Dale Chappell (p 10)
• Sex Panic: The War on Sex Offenders as Public Enemy Number One by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 12)
• Fourth Circuit Announces Payton’s ‘Reason to Believe’ Standard for Entering a Third-Party’s Home Based on Arrest Warrant for Suspect Amounts to Probable Cause Suspect Resides There by Douglas Ankney (p 16)
• Colorado Supreme Court: Dividing Multiple Images of Child Pornography Into Multiple Batches to Charge Multiple Counts Violates Double Jeopardy by Dale Chappell (p 17)
• First Circuit: Double Jeopardy Protections Bar Government From Seeking Death Penalty at Retrial Where Jury’s Verdict Not Imposing Death at First Trial Ambiguous, and Trial Court Prematurely Declared Mistrial by Douglas Ankney (p 18)
• Fired San Francisco Cop Charged With Manslaughter for Fatally Shooting Unarmed Suspect by Dale Chappell (p 19)
• California Supreme Court Vacates Murder Conviction, Finds IAC for Failure to Obtain Expert Testimony on Time of Death by Dale Chappell (p 20)
• Ninth Circuit: Reasonable Suspicion Justifying Traffic Stop Doesn’t Provide Probable Cause to Open Door and Lean Inside Vehicle by Douglas Ankney (p 20)
• Police Say Seizing Property Without Trial Helps Keep Crime Down. A New Study Shows They’re Wrong. by Ian MacDougall (p 22)
• New York Court of Appeals Reverses Denial of Suppression Motion Where Prosecution Fails to Provide Specific Facts to Show Traffic Stop Was Lawful by Douglas Ankney (p 23)
• Michigan Voters Approve Constitutional Amendment to Protect Electronic Data and Communications by Anthony Accurso (p 24)
• Kansas Supreme Court Clarifies State Law Does Not Preclude Consent to Search Through Nonverbal Conduct by Douglas Ankney (p 24)
• Eighth Circuit Announces ‘Use of Minor’ Enhancement Inapplicable for Merely Buying Firearm From Minor by Dale Chappell (p 26)
• Sixth Circuit Vacates Sentence Because Government Failed to Prove Sentencing Enhancements Apply by Dale Chappell (p 26)
• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Guilty Plea Doesn’t Bar Postconviction Claim of Actual Innocence and Provides Framework for Review by Douglas Ankney (p 28)
• Illinois Supreme Court Announces Predicate Offenses of Home Invasion Statute are Lesser-Included Offenses of Home Invasion Statute by Douglas Ankney (p 29)
• Montana Supreme Court: Statistical Evidence on False Accusations of Rape Improperly Bolstered Witness Credibility by Anthony Accurso (p 30)
• Eleventh Circuit Announces Drug Offenses Involving Multiple Drugs Can Qualify as ‘Covered Offense’ Under First Step Act if Crack One of the Drugs by Dale Chappell (p 30)
• SCOTUS Vacates Grant of Habeas Relief, Citing Habeas ‘Deference’ to State Court Decisions by Dale Chappell (p 32)
• Eleventh Circuit: District Court ‘Mischaracterizing’ Habeas Claim Left Claim Unresolved in Violation of Clisby, Requiring Remand by Dale Chappell (p 32)
• New York Man Exonerated of Murder and Freed After 25 Years in Prison by Douglas Ankney (p 33)
• Ninth Circuit: Rehaif Error Requires Automatic Dismissal of Indictment by Dale Chappell (p 34)
• Predator or Patsy? Long Sentences for Those Caught in Victimless Child Sex Stings (p 34)
• Fourth Circuit: Commercial Vehicle Permit Requirement Insufficient Grounds to Initiate Traffic Stop by Anthony Accurso (p 35)
• Eleventh Circuit: Private Probation Company With Financial Interest in its Sentencing Decisions Violates Due Process by David Reutter (p 36)
• California Court of Appeal: Confrontation Clause Violation Where Supervisor, Not Lab Tech Who Performed Drug Tests, Testified at Trial by Anthony Accurso (p 36)
• Fifth Circuit: Conviction Vacated Because No Reasonable Suspicion to Search Person in High-Crime Area by Anthony Accurso (p 37)
• Third Circuit: IAC Where Counsel Failed to Object to Accomplice-Liability Jury Instruction in Murder Case That Relieved State of Proving Specific Intent by Dale Chappell (p 38)
• Seventh Circuit: Prisoner Has Right to Know Conditions of Supervised Release Prior to Being Released by Douglas Ankney (p 39)
• Data Expose Demographics of Police Dog Bites by Jayson Hawkins (p 39)
• When a Hung Jury Is Enough by Jayson Hawkins (p 40)
• Audit of D.C. Forensics Lab Reveals History of Botched Forensic Analyses by Casey Bastian (p 40)
• Multi-Agency Task Forces Manipulate Jurisdiction to Avoid Liability by Casey Bastian (p 41)
• New Michigan Law Expands Criminal Records Expungement by Casey Bastian (p 42)
• Inadequate and Outdated Training Results in Wild West Policing by Michael Fortino, Ph.D (p 42)
• Athlete Settles Tasing Suit Against Milwaukee Police by Edward Lyon (p 43)
• Eighth Circuit Affirms Habeas Relief, Finds Arkansas Supreme Court Wrongly Denied Defendant’s Self-Representation Request by Dale Chappell (p 44)
• Police Unions Block Meaningful Criminal Justice Reform by Casey Bastian (p 44)
• How Arkansas Criminalizes Poverty by Jayson Hawkins (p 45)
• Massive Corruption of a Baltimore Task Force Exposed by Casey Bastian (p 46)
• California Law Enforcement Strikes Out in 2020 Elections by Kevin Bliss (p 46)
• NYPD Agrees to Alter Religious Headwear Policy by Casey Bastian (p 47)
• Massachusetts Supreme Court Announces Requirement Prosecution Prove Defendant Knew Firearm Was Loaded Applies Retroactively by Douglas Ankney (p 48)
• Prosecutors Who Demand Accountability From Everyone But Themselves by Casey Bastian (p 49)
• Louisiana Supreme Court Vacates Murder Conviction for Speedy Trial Violation by Dale Chappell (p 50)
• News in Brief (p 50)