by Anthony Accurso
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that evidence of mere possession of drugs together with an officer’s generalized allegations regarding the behavior of drug traffickers did not provide sufficient probable cause to search the photos on a suspect’s cellphone.
Bryan Matthew Morton was ...
by Anthony Accurso
Law enforcement use of unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs or “drones,” became more common during the pandemic and nationwide protests, but new drone technology being deployed by police departments has troubling implications for civil rights.
Chula Vista, a city of approximately 50 square miles between San Diego and ...
by Anthony Accurso
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated a defendant’s conviction after the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued jury instructions that implied the defendant had a motive to lie on the stand.
Juan Solano was arrested after transporting a ...
by Anthony Accurso
After being identified by faulty facial recognition software, a New Jersey man spent 10 days in jail and forfeited his savings to beat the charges.
Nijeer Parks, 33, had two previous convictions for selling drugs and had served six years in prison. But he turned his life ...
by Anthony Accurso
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit vacated a defendant’s sentence after ruling the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado improperly applied an enhancement under § 2K2.1(a)(4)(A) of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for having a prior crime of violence that is not, in ...
by Anthony Accurso
The Supreme Court of Indiana held that a defendant’s right to a speedy trial was violated where he was made to wait six-and-a-half years before he was retried on a pending 30-year habitual-offender enhancement.
Stanley V. Watson was convicted by a jury in 2001 of dealing cocaine ...
by Anthony Accurso
A police raid on the home of aFlorida data scientist involving officers who aimed loaded firearms at young children draws attention to issues of police misuse of force, outdated technology laws, and the possible misuse of law enforcement to retaliate against a whistleblower.
According to reporting by ...
by Anthony Accurso
The Supreme Court of Ohio held that a determination as to whether a defendant used force in the commission of the offense – a finding which raises the mandatory minimum sentence in Ohio – must be found by a jury, not merely decided by a trial court ...
by Anthony Accurso
Reporting from TheNew Republic highlights how police departments are turning to electric car manufacturers to replace aging fleet vehicles.
Climate change and pandemic budget-cuts have police departments considering ways to both save money and prepare for a green energy future. Replacing aging gasoline-fueled patrol cars with ...
by Anthony Accurso
On Election Night, November 3, 2020, Michigan voters approved a ballot measure amending the state constitution to add electronic data and communications to the category of items protected from unreasonable searches and seizures.
After all the wrangling over the Office of the President and control of Congress ...
